The beginning of the second day at the Kitakyushu Pop Culture Festival 2022 got underway with a session called "Aruaru City 10th anniversary official ambassador three girls YATTEKURU." The event featured voice artists Kaneko Yuki, Maeda Kaori, and Takada Yuuki. We got a chance to speak to the locals, who currently serve as Kitakyushu City tourism ambassadors after the show had finished. Keep reading to find out what they spoke about during the interview. We'll also be sharing a bit more about the session to give you all a better idea of what happened on the day!

Comedian MEGA MOTZ was the MC for the session and brought a great energy to the venue. During the discussion they spoke about their love for the local area during a segment titled "Let's create a super fun sightseeing schedule for a trip to Kitakyushu!" Kaneko went sightseeing around Kitakyushu with a friend just a few days before the festival, so was in a good position to provide some insight on the matter. She said, "I bought bread from BAKERY SHIROYA, visited Kokura Castle, and went to the ZENRIN MUSEUM." I was so excited to see old maps in the museum. They look like something from "ONE PIECE"! Each one of the three took it turns to talk about some of their favorite local spots and suggested some great places to visit. Maeda stated that the "Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History & Human History is a place that you do not want to miss" and Takada added that that "THE OUTLETS KITAKYUSHU is really popular right now!"

The guests spoke about various aspects of Kitakyushu! Since moving to Tokyo, they've realized that there are aspects of Kitakyushu that they love and the things about the area that are a little bit strange. These were some of the topics they discussed on the day. Maeda passionately spoke about the qualities of Kyushu's unique sweet soy sauces. She has "realized that Kyushu's soy sauces are super delicious!" When talking about the Kitakyushu dialect, she said "I became a voice artist and then took lessons to lose my accent, especially sounds like sa, shi, su, se, and so." The voice artists also shared their thoughts on what Fukuoka / Kitakyushu dishes go well with sake. Kaneko thought that Kitakyushu's local dish "nukadaki" (sardines boiled in salted rice-brain paste) was a good option, while Maeda and Takada suggested "gomasaba" (a sashimi dish that is made by marinating mackerel in a shoyu-based sauce). The audience absolutely loved the Kitakyushu-themed chat. This section of the day helped create a great atmosphere inside the venue!

Kaneko and Maeda were appointed as Kitakyushu City tourism ambassadors together, while Takada took on the responsibility back in 2017. During the appointment of Kaneko and Maeda, all three of them were made honorary lords Kokura Castle for the day! Some fun, special attractions were staged. The voice artists even made live announcements inside the venue. Lots of fans gathered in front of the entrance to Kokura Castle for the appointment ceremony. The crowd gave them an awesome reception!