When you're driving, you'll often see "country signs." In Hokkaido, each of the 179 municipalities has its own unique design, and recently, Muroran City's new country sign has become a hot topic.

【カントリーサイン更新しました・高速道路上り・下り】
室蘭市開港150年・市制施行100年の記念の年をきっかけに、新しいまちのイメージを発信するため、昨年カントリーサインのデザインを更新しました。
今回の高速道路で更新完了です。昨年、市民投票に参加くださった皆さまありがとうございました。 pic.twitter.com/UcnriuOjB4

— 室蘭市 (@Muroran_City) October 24, 2022

The new country sign prominently features "Muroran Yakitori," a local gourmet specialty, and the "Hakucho Bridge," the largest suspension bridge in eastern Japan. Muroran City, an industrial city that has prospered around its port, celebrated the 150th anniversary of its port opening and the 100th anniversary of its establishment as a city in 2022. This design change was carried out to commemorate this anniversary year.

For reference, the image below shows the previous country sign. This design, beloved for about 30 years, featured the city's mascot, "Kujiran," and a soccer ball, symbolizing the sport known for the powerhouse team "Muroran Otani." Kujiran will continue to serve as a representative character for Muroran, and many professional soccer players have come from the Hokkaido Otani Muroran Soccer Club.

In creating the new country sign design, Muroran City established a "Town Design Council." This project also involved local junior high school students. The process was advanced by gathering a wide range of citizen input, including holding a vote on the city's official website to decide the final design. The Hakucho Bridge and yakitori are also depicted in Muroran City's brand mark, which was created alongside the country sign.

While many may have fond memories of the old country sign, hopefully this new design will help convey the charm of Muroran to an even wider audience.

＜Image Credits＞
Muroran City