In politics, as in music, keeping the proper count is important.
Perhaps that’s why the girls of Sound! Euphonium were recruited to help remind people to take part in the census.
Japanese national census ads featuring four of the main schoolgirls from the anime series have recently shown up on commuter trains in the Kyoto area.
Twitter user @rinoneutral noticed one of the ads, and posted a photo over the weekend.
電車の広告を見上げると、国勢調査のお知らせが。京都ではここ最近、アニメーション作品が採用されており、今回は響けユーフォニアムでした。 pic.twitter.com/qzbA8aWK4u
— すうふゃみ (@rinoneutral) August 31, 2020
Others, such as @Ahiru_Inari, followed up with photos of their own.
The ad features Kumiko, Reina, Hazuki, and Sapphire.
It explains important dates for the census — when census information documents will be mailed out, when people can participate, when the due dates are, and so on. It also states that people can take the census online.
At the bottom of the ad, Kumiko says, “All households and people living in Kyoto are eligible, so let’s cooperate together!”
Counting Every Household
If you prefer your government information without anime girls promoting it, the Statistic Bureau of Japan states that survey documents will be delivered on Sept. 14. People can participate online from Sept. 14 through Oct. 7.
People who don’t participate online have to return the survey forms between Oct. 1-7. You can also hand your materials directly to the census folks if they come to the door.
However, the bureau’s website notes that “it is very much welcomed to respond to the census via the internet as far as possible” to avoid COVID-19.
English-language census information is also available here.
Japan conducts a census every five years. The United States, which conducts a national census count every ten years, is also having a census this year.
Animated Census Helpers
Sound! Euphonium is not the first anime series to promote local participation in the census.
In 2015, Kyoto City used Inari, Konkon, Koi Iroha for local census ads. The series takes place in Kyoto, and the main character is named after Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine.
In 2010, K-On! was used. Similar to Sound! Euphonium, K-On! is a Kyoto Animation anime series featuring musical schoolgirls.
Of course, Kyoto Animation is based in Uji, Kyoto.