Among the many characters in Hokkaido, Iwanai's "Taramaru" has long been a popular character who is highly respected. This time, we will unravel the true identity of "Taramaru"! With its Alaskan pollock motif, cod roe lips, and asparagus in its hands... Taramaru's appearance strongly reflects the local specialties. After all, Iwanai Town is the birthplace of Alaskan pollock longline fishing, and Iwanai cod roe, which is made from Alaskan pollock roe, is a top-quality product. Iwanai Town is also the birthplace of Japanese asparagus.

If you look at Taramaru's official profile, you'll find out that he is male, his registered domicile is 7.8km off the coast of Iwanai Town, 300m deep, and that he has a twin sister named Beniko and a younger brother named Pinsuke. The details are surprising, but what's even more hard to believe is his date of birth: he was born on August 9, 1985.

Taramaru is more mature than it looks. That just goes to show how much it has been loved by the locals for so long. If you are interested in Taramaru, we recommend you stop by the Iwanai Roadside Station. The tourist information center is also in the same building, and it is fitting that the place is named "Taramaru Hall."

Once inside, you'll find a cute Taramaru sculpture. This is a great spot to take a photo of the two of you together. There are also many goods for sale at the roadside station. Taramaru himself told us about his best-selling items.

The most popular item is the "Taramaru Plush Toy" (1,300 yen including tax). Many people buy it as a set with his twin sister "Beniko Plush Toy" (1,300 yen including tax). Well, it's true that buying them as a set makes them twice as cute!

The next most popular item is the "Taramaru Senbei" (540 yen including tax). This would make a great souvenir. The paper bag has images of Pinsuke printed on it as well as Taramaru and Beniko, and is so cute that you'll want to keep it.

His special skills are sumo and snowboarding, and his hobbies are playing with kids, appearing on TV, and relaxing at the hot springs in town... Taramaru seems to be quite active. This character can be seen in various places within Iwanai town, so be sure to look for him when you visit!

<Interview cooperation> Iwanai Tourism Association Address: 47-4 Bandai, Iwanai-cho, Iwanai-gun, Hokkaido Phone: 0135-63-1155 Official site: https://www.iwanai-kanko.org Iwanai Town Hall, Tourism and Economic Affairs Division, Tourism Section Address: 134-1 Takadai, Iwanai-cho, Iwanai-gun, Hokkaido Phone: 0135-67-7096 Official website: https://www.iwanai-kanko.jp Roadside Station Iwanai "Taramarukan" Address: 47-4 Bandai, Iwanai-cho, Iwanai-gun Phone: 0135-63-1155 Twitter: https://twitter.com/taramarukan