Tobita-kun & More Real than Tobita-kun

This character appeared as the original “dashing-out boy,” as the human-shaped roadside sign installed throughout Japan to warn people about running into the road is commonly called. In recent years, he has unexpectedly dashed into the three-dimensional world (laughs). “More Real than Tobita-kun” dashes out literally in the same form as the “Tobita-kun sign.” In 1973, in the former Yokaichi City, Shiga Prefecture (now Higashiomi City), the “dashing-out boy” (official name: dashing-out figure) was devised to prevent the rapidly increasing number of child traffic accidents at the time. From the Showa era into the Heisei era, 40 years after his birth, Tobita-kun fans seem to be rapidly increasing nationwide, and there have even been reports that Tobita-kun signs have dashed overseas. The original dashing-out boy Tobita-kun looks set to expand his activities even further in the future.