Description
Moe Uzumasa, a second-year high school student residing near Uzumasa Tenjingawa Station, developed her fondness for the subway system through her father's influence. Photography is her hobby, and she actively avoids using escalators.
Her origin traces back to a 2011 Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau initiative aiming to boost subway ridership by 50,000 passengers. Conceived by the 'Moe-Moe Challenge team,' her character design underwent refinement in 2013 by illustrator Kamogawa and design studio GK Kyoto. This redesign established her as the central figure alongside friends Saki Matsuga and Misa Ono within promotional materials bearing the campaign's name.
Family connections include an older sister, Rei Uzumasa, who works as a Kyoto museum curator and shares Moe's interest in sake and pickled vegetables. A cousin, Sono Uzumasa, attends Kyoto Gakuen University near the station and shares Moe's appreciation for the Parantica sita butterfly. Among her close friends, Saki Matsuga excels in track and field, while Misa Ono plays guitar in the light music club. Misa's older brother, Ryō Ono, studies design at university and occasionally interacts with Moe's social circle.
Moe's narrative unfolds across multiple media. Early 15-second anime commercials from 2014–2015 depicted her daily commute. A crowdfunded 10-minute short anime premiered in May 2017, focusing on her first day of high school with Saki and Misa, portraying her as cheerful, level-headed, and the emotional anchor of her friend group. Light novel adaptations further explore her experiences, including the "Kyo Girls Days" volumes (2015–2016) and the ongoing "Uzumasa-so Diary" series (2018 onward).
Collaborative expansions introduced new dimensions. Male characters Ryō Ono (Misa's academically focused brother) and Takeru Jūjō (Ryō's friend pursuing baking) joined the campaign in 2016. Cross-promotional characters like Miyu Karasuma (Kyoto International Manga Museum) and Kyōka Ise (JR Kyoto Isetan department store) became part of her extended network through workplace or social ties.
Real-world promotional activities feature her extensively, including special subway passes, campaign posters, and limited-edition merchandise. Themed cafés, like a 2017 collaboration at JR Kyoto Isetan, offered dishes inspired by her preferences, such as cheese hamburg steak and strawberry-based non-alcoholic cocktails. She also appears in crossover media, notably as a playable character in the mobile game "The Battle Cats," where her unit description reiterates her hobby and escalator avoidance.
A 2025 animation exhibition showcased original production materials related to her animated appearances, including storyboards and character design drafts, highlighting her role in the campaign's evolution from transit promotion to multimedia project.
Her origin traces back to a 2011 Kyoto Municipal Transportation Bureau initiative aiming to boost subway ridership by 50,000 passengers. Conceived by the 'Moe-Moe Challenge team,' her character design underwent refinement in 2013 by illustrator Kamogawa and design studio GK Kyoto. This redesign established her as the central figure alongside friends Saki Matsuga and Misa Ono within promotional materials bearing the campaign's name.
Family connections include an older sister, Rei Uzumasa, who works as a Kyoto museum curator and shares Moe's interest in sake and pickled vegetables. A cousin, Sono Uzumasa, attends Kyoto Gakuen University near the station and shares Moe's appreciation for the Parantica sita butterfly. Among her close friends, Saki Matsuga excels in track and field, while Misa Ono plays guitar in the light music club. Misa's older brother, Ryō Ono, studies design at university and occasionally interacts with Moe's social circle.
Moe's narrative unfolds across multiple media. Early 15-second anime commercials from 2014–2015 depicted her daily commute. A crowdfunded 10-minute short anime premiered in May 2017, focusing on her first day of high school with Saki and Misa, portraying her as cheerful, level-headed, and the emotional anchor of her friend group. Light novel adaptations further explore her experiences, including the "Kyo Girls Days" volumes (2015–2016) and the ongoing "Uzumasa-so Diary" series (2018 onward).
Collaborative expansions introduced new dimensions. Male characters Ryō Ono (Misa's academically focused brother) and Takeru Jūjō (Ryō's friend pursuing baking) joined the campaign in 2016. Cross-promotional characters like Miyu Karasuma (Kyoto International Manga Museum) and Kyōka Ise (JR Kyoto Isetan department store) became part of her extended network through workplace or social ties.
Real-world promotional activities feature her extensively, including special subway passes, campaign posters, and limited-edition merchandise. Themed cafés, like a 2017 collaboration at JR Kyoto Isetan, offered dishes inspired by her preferences, such as cheese hamburg steak and strawberry-based non-alcoholic cocktails. She also appears in crossover media, notably as a playable character in the mobile game "The Battle Cats," where her unit description reiterates her hobby and escalator avoidance.
A 2025 animation exhibition showcased original production materials related to her animated appearances, including storyboards and character design drafts, highlighting her role in the campaign's evolution from transit promotion to multimedia project.