By KIMIHIKO SATO/ Staff Writer
December 12, 2022 at 08:00 JST
Akita Governor Norihisa Satake unveils the design chosen for a specially illustrated license plate on Nov. 21 at the Akita prefectural government office in Akita. (Kimihiko Sato)
AKITA--Dog lovers in this northern prefecture will soon be able to display their affection for the native breed of Akita Inu hound with license plates decorated with an illustration of a puppy and a parent taking a stroll together.
Akita prefectural authorities announced Nov. 21 that the selected design will probably be available to motorists in October 2023 at the earliest.
“Akita Inu are the symbol of Akita and well known all over the world,” noted Akita Governor Norihisa Satake the same day. “The plate will help promote Akita, so I expect drivers of commercial vehicles and other automobiles to hit the roads outside of the prefecture with the new design.”
A screening committee comprised of experts chose four candidate designs themed on Akita Inu for the specialized license plate and conducted a questionnaire survey on prefectural residents in October to choose one from them.
The findings showed that 1,537 respondents, the largest proportion of the 3,420 replies, liked the illustration of a puppy and parent walking beside each other. They accounted for nearly half of those surveyed.
The license plate design also boasts canine paw pad marks in a blue sky for added effect.
Respondents praised it for “the heartwarming puppy and parent” and “the lovely small dog.”
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