Koshigaya City in Saitama Prefecture is running a crowdfunding campaign for “Asanegi Luma,” its local-character VTuber project designed to spotlight the city’s appeal. The campaign runs from Saturday, May 9 through Tuesday, June 30, 2026, with a target of 1.5 million yen, and the character is scheduled to debut around July, once the crowdfunding period ends.

Who is “Asanegi Luma,” Koshigaya City’s Official VTuber?

Asanegi Luma is a spirit VTuber character inspired by Koshigaya’s traditional “Koshigaya Daruma.” In the project’s setting, a presence that has long watched over wishes awakens anew in the digital world, carrying the thought, “This time, I want to go see them myself.” From there, she introduces Koshigaya’s streets, people, food, and culture, sharing the city’s appeal from the local community to the nation — and on to the world.

Koshigaya City has built its city promotion around the brand message “Water-Play City KOSHIGAYA,” anchored in regional assets such as the five Class-1 rivers running through the city and the waterfront scenery of “Sakura Lake” in Koshigaya Lakefront. Asanegi Luma is positioned to convey these regional resources and lifestyles to a digitally native audience.

Commissioned as a “Koshigaya My No. 1 OSHI Crew” Citizen Ambassador

Koshigaya City has commissioned Asanegi Luma as part of its “Koshigaya My No. 1 OSHI Crew” — a citizen ambassador program through which residents share the city’s charm via social media in the flow of their daily lives. The plan is to use the VTuber format to convey a wide range of attractions across tourism, culture, and food online.

In the mayor’s message accompanying the launch, the city notes that local-character VTubers have built-in entertainment value, can engage the younger generations who will shape the town’s future, and can create high-impact entry points for getting involved with the city — with the mayor’s office expressing strong hopes for the project’s success.

Crowdfunding Use of Funds and Future Plans

The campaign is operated by LUZ Inc. (Koshigaya City) and is intended to cover initial costs across character design, Live2D modeling, video production, streaming setup, publicity, and supporter merchandise. Full campaign details are available on the CAMPFIRE project page.

Framed as a participatory project that grows “Asanegi Luma” together with supporters, the campaign invites local residents and VTuber fans to get involved from the launch stage, aiming for an “IP that grows alongside its community.” Following the planned debut around July 2026, the character is set to feature in various events and campaigns tied to Koshigaya City’s city promotion initiatives.

Editorial Take

Among local-government-led VTuber projects, this one stands out for adopting a crowdfunding model that brings fans on board from the launch stage. Using the area-specific cultural asset of “Koshigaya Daruma” as the character’s motif — and designing the project to run in parallel with the citizen ambassador program rather than as a standalone tourism campaign — is also notable. Streamer Magazine’s editorial team will keep watching how Asanegi Luma ties into regional content after her debut and how that translates into wider awareness for Koshigaya City.

Source: PR TIMES