Did you know that Hokkaido is home to an incredible number of local mascot characters? There are hundreds of them scattered across the vast prefecture. From this extensive lineup, we'd like to introduce you to Tobenosuke! If you're quick on the uptake, you might have already guessed—he's the mascot for Tobetsu Town.

With his round form and big, expressive eyes, Tobenosuke exudes the classic charm of a local mascot. If you look closely at his attire, you'll notice he's wearing something that resembles traditional Japanese clothing.

In fact, the founder of Tobetsu Town was a man named Date Kuninao, a direct descendant of the famous samurai lord Date Masamune. This means Tobenosuke is designed in the image of a samurai from the Date clan. Indeed, a closer look reveals he's wearing a crescent moon helmet, the very symbol of the "One-Eyed Dragon," Date Masamune.

Delving deeper into his profile, we find that Tobenosuke is actually a sparrow who admires owls, the official bird of Tobetsu Town. He even paints white markings around his eyes to imitate them.

The fact that he's a sparrow is surprising enough, but his earnest effort to look like an owl is truly heartwarming. Incidentally, the Date clan's family crest features a sparrow, which is why it was chosen as the motif for Tobenosuke.

Tobenosuke is a boy who is eternally 5 years old. His hobby is playing samurai, and his birthday is October 2nd (a wordplay on "To-betsu," as 10 and 2 can be read as "to" and "be" in Japanese). We even got a rare shot of his back!

The name Tobenosuke was chosen from public submissions from both inside and outside the town, with the winning entry being adopted. The name combines "Tobe," a shortened form of Tobetsu, with the word "tobe" (飛べ), meaning "to fly," expressing the hope for the town to soar to new heights. It's a great name, isn't it?

For those who would love to meet Tobenosuke, he has an official Instagram account where you can get information on his activities.

It's filled with cute photos, so be warned: a quick look might just make you a die-hard Tobenosuke fan.