'The City Where You Can Meet Moomins, Hanno' Project Promotion Council Installs Moomin Papa Statue at Hanno City Library and Holds Unveiling Ceremony!
The promotion council for the 'City where you can meet Moomins, Hanno' project installed a Moomin Papa statue at the Hanno City Library on April 23, 2026. A ceremony was held to unveil this third statue in the city, aiming for regional revitalization.
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- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 00:00
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The "City where you can meet Moomins, Hanno" Project Promotion Council (hereinafter: this Council), consisting of five parties: Hanno City (Mayor: Shigeharu Arai), Moomin Monogatari Co., Ltd. (President: Kiyoshi Mochizuki), Seibu Railway Co., Ltd. (President: Shuichiro Ogawa), Hanno Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Chairman: Yoshiaki Kato), and Oku-Musashi Hanno Tourism Association (Chairman: Tadao Nakazato), installed a Moomin Papa statue at the Hanno City Library today, April 23, and held an unveiling ceremony.
This is positioned as a measure to promote the city promotion of "The city where you can meet Moomins, Hanno," as outlined in the "Basic Agreement on Collaboration for Regional Revitalization among Hanno City, Moomin Monogatari Co., Ltd., and Seibu Railway Co., Ltd." concluded on August 9, 2024, by Hanno City, Moomin Monogatari Co., Ltd., and Seibu Railway Co., Ltd. It is the third statue to be installed, following the "Moomin Statue" installed at Hanno Station in March 2025, and the second "Moomin Mama Statue" installed at the Higashi-Hanno Station free passage in March 2026.
The Moomin Papa statue is made of FRP (fiber-reinforced plastic) with a pedestal height of about 95 cm and a main body height of about 78 cm. The pedestal has a book motif, similar to the Moomin and Moomin Mama statues installed at the Hanno Station and Higashi-Hanno Station free passages. With a design as if Moomin Papa has emerged from a story, the figure of the novelist Moomin Papa holding a book symbolizes the joy of reading and the richness of imagination, gently welcoming everyone who visits the Hanno City Library.
In addition, a donation ceremony was held today to commemorate the unveiling. At the ceremony, Kiyoshi Mochizuki, President and Representative Director of Moomin Monogatari Co., Ltd., presented a Moomin pop-up book, "The Long Journey to Moominvalley," and Ryuichi Sato, General Manager of the Business Creation Department, Line Value Creation Headquarters of Seibu Railway Co., Ltd., presented a Plarail of a Seibu Railway train to Hanno City Mayor Shigeharu Arai.
We expect that this will become a base for citizens and visitors to rediscover the charm of the town and contribute to regional revitalization.
Details are as follows.
Unveiling Ceremony Photo Session with Representatives of Each Party / Children of Yamate Nursery School and Moomintroll & Moomin Mama participating in the ceremony
Moomin picture book donation scene / Plarail donation scene
About Hanno City Library "Moomin Papa Statue" Unveiling Ceremony
■ Date and Time: Thursday, April 23, 2026, 10:00-10:40
■ Location: Hanno City Library (19-5 Yamate-cho, Hanno City, Saitama Prefecture)
■ Attendance
Hanno City: Mayor, Shigeharu Arai
Moomin Monogatari Co., Ltd.: President and Representative Director, Kiyoshi Mochizuki
Seibu Railway Co., Ltd., Line Value Creation Headquarters, Business Creation Department: General Manager, Ryuichi Sato
Hanno Chamber of Commerce and Industry: Secretary-General, Kuniaki Asami
Oku-Musashi Hanno Tourism Association: Chairman, Tadao Nakazato
Hanno City: Superintendent of Education, Chikara Nakamura
Hanno City: Director of Education Department, Miyako Isokawa
Hanno City Library Director: Yuriko Kimura
Moomintroll & Moomin Mama
Yamate Nursery School: 32 children
■ Comment from Hanno City Mayor Shigeharu Arai
At today's ceremony, in addition to the unveiling of the new "Moomin Papa Statue" at the Hanno City Library, we also received a donation of a Moomin picture book and a Seibu Railway Plarail. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the people involved. I am confident that the story of Moomin, which is loved across generations, has a rich worldview and will add a new charm to the library. Regarding the Plarail, although it is originally intended for play, we hope that by exhibiting it in the library, we can expand interest in familiar vehicles and connect it to interest in related books. Through these initiatives, we will strive to enhance the appeal of "The city where you can meet Moomins, Hanno," while creating a library that everyone wants to visit and generating bustle in the town. Thank you very much for today.
■ Moomin Papa Statue
The pedestal features a book motif, designed as if Moomin Papa has stepped right out of a story.
Pedestal: Approx. 95cm high, Statue: Approx. 78cm high, Made of FRP (fiber-reinforced plastic)
[Reference]
Hanno City, Moomin Monogatari Co., Ltd., Seibu Railway Co., Ltd.
This is positioned as a measure to promote the city promotion of "The city where you can meet Moomins, Hanno," as outlined in the "Basic Agreement on Collaboration for Regional Revitalization among Hanno City, Moomin Monogatari Co., Ltd., and Seibu Railway Co., Ltd." concluded on August 9, 2024, by Hanno City, Moomin Monogatari Co., Ltd., and Seibu Railway Co., Ltd. It is the third statue to be installed, following the "Moomin Statue" installed at Hanno Station in March 2025, and the second "Moomin Mama Statue" installed at the Higashi-Hanno Station free passage in March 2026.
The Moomin Papa statue is made of FRP (fiber-reinforced plastic) with a pedestal height of about 95 cm and a main body height of about 78 cm. The pedestal has a book motif, similar to the Moomin and Moomin Mama statues installed at the Hanno Station and Higashi-Hanno Station free passages. With a design as if Moomin Papa has emerged from a story, the figure of the novelist Moomin Papa holding a book symbolizes the joy of reading and the richness of imagination, gently welcoming everyone who visits the Hanno City Library.
In addition, a donation ceremony was held today to commemorate the unveiling. At the ceremony, Kiyoshi Mochizuki, President and Representative Director of Moomin Monogatari Co., Ltd., presented a Moomin pop-up book, "The Long Journey to Moominvalley," and Ryuichi Sato, General Manager of the Business Creation Department, Line Value Creation Headquarters of Seibu Railway Co., Ltd., presented a Plarail of a Seibu Railway train to Hanno City Mayor Shigeharu Arai.
We expect that this will become a base for citizens and visitors to rediscover the charm of the town and contribute to regional revitalization.
Details are as follows.
Unveiling Ceremony Photo Session with Representatives of Each Party / Children of Yamate Nursery School and Moomintroll & Moomin Mama participating in the ceremony
Moomin picture book donation scene / Plarail donation scene
About Hanno City Library "Moomin Papa Statue" Unveiling Ceremony
■ Date and Time: Thursday, April 23, 2026, 10:00-10:40
■ Location: Hanno City Library (19-5 Yamate-cho, Hanno City, Saitama Prefecture)
■ Attendance
Hanno City: Mayor, Shigeharu Arai
Moomin Monogatari Co., Ltd.: President and Representative Director, Kiyoshi Mochizuki
Seibu Railway Co., Ltd., Line Value Creation Headquarters, Business Creation Department: General Manager, Ryuichi Sato
Hanno Chamber of Commerce and Industry: Secretary-General, Kuniaki Asami
Oku-Musashi Hanno Tourism Association: Chairman, Tadao Nakazato
Hanno City: Superintendent of Education, Chikara Nakamura
Hanno City: Director of Education Department, Miyako Isokawa
Hanno City Library Director: Yuriko Kimura
Moomintroll & Moomin Mama
Yamate Nursery School: 32 children
■ Comment from Hanno City Mayor Shigeharu Arai
At today's ceremony, in addition to the unveiling of the new "Moomin Papa Statue" at the Hanno City Library, we also received a donation of a Moomin picture book and a Seibu Railway Plarail. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the people involved. I am confident that the story of Moomin, which is loved across generations, has a rich worldview and will add a new charm to the library. Regarding the Plarail, although it is originally intended for play, we hope that by exhibiting it in the library, we can expand interest in familiar vehicles and connect it to interest in related books. Through these initiatives, we will strive to enhance the appeal of "The city where you can meet Moomins, Hanno," while creating a library that everyone wants to visit and generating bustle in the town. Thank you very much for today.
■ Moomin Papa Statue
The pedestal features a book motif, designed as if Moomin Papa has stepped right out of a story.
Pedestal: Approx. 95cm high, Statue: Approx. 78cm high, Made of FRP (fiber-reinforced plastic)
[Reference]
Hanno City, Moomin Monogatari Co., Ltd., Seibu Railway Co., Ltd.