A new superhero has emerged in Koga City: Yomenicorn Kai. The brainchild of a group of young farmers, his mission is to promote local produce, including sweet corn. His name is a play on the Japanese phrase “yome ni kon kai” (“Won’t you come be my bride?). Since last year, Koga City has been using fallow fields to grow sweet corn. A group of farmers teamed up with a local designer to create a new superhero in order to boost corn sales. One of the farmers explained the reason behind the name of the superhero: “Nowadays women shy away from becoming farmers’ wives, so a lot of younger farmers remain unmarried. We want women to know that, like this superhero, we are some interesting men.” Yomenicorn Kai will make his first appearance at the Koga Sweet Corn Festival at Cosmos Kan, a farmer’s market in Koga, on June 30. The event starts at 9:00. For inquiries call the Koga City Hall Agriculture Promotion Section at 092-942-1120. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, June 26
