Gundam’s Zeon Empire Forms Sister State Alliance with Saitama Prefecture (Japan):
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The Japanese prefecture of Saitama announced on Friday that it would become sister states with the fictional Principality of Zeon from the Mobile Suit Gundam anime. Prefectural assemblyperson Takumi Tamura explained the alliance in the assembly’s special budget committee, saying that Saitama agreed to it in hopes of gaining interest from tourists. “I think there’s plenty of worth in trying it out,” he said. There were men in their 60s who attended the meeting and were baffled at the agreement with the Principality of Zeon, as they had no idea what it was.
Within the Saitama prefecture are cities with ties to other anime and manga, including Lucky Star and Crayon Shin-chan. Those cities have also been using their connections to these works to boost tourism. The creator of Gundam. Yoshiyuki Tomino, has been living in Niiza, Saitama for over 30 years.
animenewsnetwork, saitama-np.co.jp