The legendary rider actor's words gave the power of birth! Hakujao, here we come! Local Hero Super Compendium Vol. 13

This month, we feature "Seiryukogami Hakjao," a local hero of Yamaguchi Prefecture!

Hakjao, the local hero protecting Yamaguchi Prefecture, is an incarnation of the "White Snake," a natural treasure of Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Hakja-O first made his appearance in March 2008. TV stations, newspapers, and media representatives in Yamaguchi Prefecture were invited to an unveiling ceremony. The following April, they made their debut on stage for the first time, and quickly gained popularity among local residents. Driven by this popularity, the first season of the TV drama series "Seiryu Koushin Hakjao" began airing on "I Can," a cable TV station in Yamaguchi Prefecture, in 2009. In 2010, the second season, "Seiryu Koujin Hakjao STONES," was broadcast. The TV drama spread the name recognition of Hakjao outside of the prefecture, and he was later appointed as a tourism ambassador for Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Hakjao has had a smooth sailing career, supporting Shimonoseki City's local hero, "Kaikyo Senshi Tiger Houkku," and is also eager to nurture future heroes.

Next, we would like to introduce the story of how Hakujao came into being.

A Hero Who Rises Again and Again

The project representative of Hakjao is Hisahiko Kawaguchi, who used to be a dental technician in Kitakyushu City. At a special effects hero fan event, he met Tsuyoshi Sasaki, who played Masked Rider #2, He was impressed by Mr. Sasaki's spectacular life experiences, from his life as a leading actor to his accidental fall in a fire, and his resurrection from it. He was impressed by Mr. Sasaki's life experience, and through a process of trial and error, decided to create a local hero, "Earthman, the Environmental Warrior," in Kitakyushu City, Japan. He used his skills as a dental technician to make his own Earthman hero suit, gathered friends, became a non-profit organization, and expanded the scale of his activities to inspire and encourage children on many stages.

During this period, through Earthman activities, Mr. Kawaguchi became acquainted with a professional wrestler from Oita. Now sympathetic to professional wrestling, he launched a new organization and became a ring announcer. However, his schedule became extremely hectic, and eventually his overworked body broke down, making it impossible for him to continue his hero/pro-wrestling activities and even his main job. As a result, he had to quit his job and return to his parents' home in Iwakuni City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. Kawaguchi was despondent, but one day, the words "The best time of my life is still in the middle of my dream" on a piece of colored paper given to him by Tsuyoshi Sasaki at a previous event caught his eye, and he decided to stand up again.

What I can do ...... is to create heroes. Through the heroes who have inspired him, he now wants to give courage and inspiration to the children of his hometown! With this in mind, I used all my experience and knowledge of special effects to create "Seiryu Koushin Hakjao," a local hero of Yamaguchi Prefecture.

The Birth of Seiryu Koushin Hakjao

The story of "Seiryu Koushin Hakjao" is as follows.

Long ago, the people of Iwakuni were greatly tormented by demons that disturbed the world.

The people worshipped a white snake, the messenger of a god who lived in Iwakuni, and asked him to subdue the demons.

Then, the god Shira serpent descended and fought to the death against the demons for the sake of the people. The long and drawn-out battle devastated the land, and the people's hearts were broken by fear. Finally, after successfully subduing the demons, the White Snake God shed tears of sorrow for the ruined world. When the tears fell into the Nishiki River, the power of the tears revived the earth and eventually brought smiles to the faces of the people. The tears became stones that rolled down the clear waters of the Nishiki River and came to be known as the tears of a snake. It is said that the Tears of the Serpent appear before those with pure hearts who love Iwakuni and bestow upon them the power of the White Snake God. It is said that those who receive the power have saved Iwakuni from danger many times as warriors of the White Snake God.

Time has passed, and it is the present day. A new shadow looms over the peace of Yamaguchi Prefecture.

It is the Antvader, an ant incarnation led by Kaiser Ant. They take advantage of their powerful reproductive power and begin to invade Yamaguchi Prefecture.

The people's wish for the descent of the warrior of the White Snake God, who has saved them from danger many times since ancient times, is answered, and the Serpent Tears appear before Sei Kuramitsu, a young man with a pure heart who loves Yamaguchi Prefecture. Sei transforms into the Seiryu Kogami Hakjao.

Hakjao is an infighter who specializes in striking techniques. He uses no weapons and crushes even rocks.

He specializes in hard punches and sharp spinning kicks that create a vacuum.

Hakjao is not the only one to face the Antvader threat. Seven Security Service (a.k.a. "SSS"), a security company in the prefecture, developed a power suit modeled after Hakujao based on sightings and recorded footage of the legendary warrior Hakujao. The development number "ADS01" (Anti-Ant-vader Defending Suit), or "Mounted Kishin Aodisho," was rolled out, and together they will engage in fierce battles against the Ant-vader. It's hot!　Hot!　It is a very hot development. It hits the point of tokusatsu (special effects) lovers so hard that it hurts.

With a new hero named Aodisho, "Seiryu Koushin Hakudjao" is one of the heroes you cannot take your eyes off nowadays.

Yamaguchi Prefecture, Sanin-Sanyo Region, Chugoku

Finally, I would like to introduce Yamaguchi Prefecture, the home of Hakjao.

Located in the westernmost part of the Chugoku region, Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,368,495 (estimated population, October 1, 2018). The prefectural tree is the red pine, the prefectural flower is the summer tangerine flower, the prefectural bird is the nabetsuru, the prefectural fish is the puffer fish, and the prefectural beast is the honshu deer. The prefectural capital is Yamaguchi City. The prefecture's largest city is Shimonoseki, located on the western edge of the prefecture. In the Edo period (1603-1867), the city was known as Choshu-han, a name familiar to fans of the end of the Edo period.

The Karato Market in Shimonoseki City has the largest volume of pufferfish trade in Japan. Puffer fish cuisine is a typical local dish of Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Yamaguchi dialect is generally used throughout the prefecture, although it varies from region to region.

The Kintai Bridge, a five-arched wooden bridge over the Nishiki River, which is closely related to the story of Hakudjao, is a very famous tourist attraction and must be visited at least once.

In addition, the "Night Views of Factories of Shunan Industrial Complex" in Shunan City is one of the eight most beautiful night views of factories in Japan, and is famous as a popular spot for factory and civil engineering enthusiasts, and is visited by many fans of the subculture. We hope you will enjoy the scenic sightseeing area and local cuisine while going to see Hakjao in action.