Interest

Hanasaku Iroha Shows Characters' Working Phone Number

The Hana-Saku Iroha television anime premiered in Japan on Sunday with a surprise for eagle-eyed viewers — a phone number was shown onscreen that actually connects to a working phone with the main character's voice. In the first six minutes of the anime, the mother of the high school protagonist Ohana shows the name and phone number of Ohana's new home, the hot spring inn Kissuisō.

The onscreen phone number of the fictional Kissuisō, 076-235-1168, is an actual working number. ("076" is an area code in Toyama, the prefecture where Hana-Saku Iroha's studio P.A. Works is located.) People who successfully connect to the number — which has been very busy since its discovery — hear the following answering machine message from Ohana (Kanae Itō):

The story centers around Ohana Matsumae, a 16-year-old Tokyo native who suddenly ends up at Kissuisō after her mother flees town to avoid debts. The website Crunchyroll is streaming the anime outside Japan within 90 minutes of its original broadcast for premium members (and one week later for everyone else).

[Via Yaraon!]

Image © HanaIro Ryokan Kumiai

Update: While P.A. Works' phone numbers begin with "076," its full area code is 0763. Thanks, cucuc.