'Street Fighter' characters promote Japan's Asuka-Fujiwara sites for World Heritage status
In an effort to boost momentum for the registration of the Japanese ancient capital sites as cultural World Heritage in summer 2026, the Kashihara Municipal Government has installed 10 promotional flags featuring illustrations of characters from the popular video game "Street Fighter" on street lights along the sidewalk of National Route 165 in the city.
The flags measure 110 centimeters in height and 50 centimeters in width. They feature characters striking poses against a backdrop of photos from the Fujiwara Palace ruins, one of the component assets, along with the phrase "Asuka-Fujiwara to World Heritage." Each flag has different designs on both sides, showcasing a total of 20 characters.
The Asuka-Fujiwara promotion initiative, undertaken jointly with the village of Asuka, the city of Sakurai and Nara Prefecture, is reaching a critical stage with on-site inspections expected this summer or fall. In 2022, the city of Kashihara signed a comprehensive partnership agreement with Capcom Co., a major video game company based in Osaka, and has since incorporated Street Fighter into local development efforts.
The characters featured on the flags are: Dhalsim, Zangief, Akuma, M. Bison, Chun-Li, E. Honda, Guile, Dee Jay, Ryu, Ken Masters, Juri, Cammy, Lily, Kimberly, Manon, Marisa, Jamie, Luke, Rashid and Ed.
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