During the past two years of the corona crisis, there is a man who appears in a park in Kansai on weekends and instantly makes children smile.
His name is "Shabota Awao".
Can you guess from this name?
When Mr. Sakuta throws "That", the whole area is surrounded by the loud cheers of children.
(Osaka Broadcasting Station Happiness News coverage team Mayumi Onoda)
Very popular with children!
Awao Soapta is a little known presence in Umekoji Park near Kyoto Station.
When they appear on the lawn square, children naturally gather, shouting, "Shabota-san!"
Mr. Sopuda wrapped his wrist with taping and attached a supporter to his arm.
At first glance, he looks like an athlete.
Tie the ends of the two fishing rods that you take out slowly with a string or chain and apply liquid to them.
Swinging a fishing rod...
Countless soap bubbles appear.
danced over the children's heads.
One of the children said, 'I feel like I'm running in a soap bubble! It was like a dream!'
An adult who was watching said, "It feels like the soap bubbles and the children play naturally. It's a feeling of 'natural happiness.'"
The true identity of "Shabota-san"
The real name of Awao Sakuta, who is affectionately called "Shabota-san" by children, is Hiroshi Tsuda.
He lives in Kyoto City.
He works at a company in Osaka on weekdays, and has appeared in parks in Kyoto and Osaka on weekends for nearly two years.
With his own tools, he creates soap bubbles of various sizes.
Some of them are soap bubbles over 1 meter.
A fishing rod soaked in liquid is heavy and puts a strain on your arms, but I fly it for about two hours each time.
Mr. Sakuta:
“My arm hurts a lot. I swing the fishing rod hundreds of times, so it’s a burden, but the children say things like ‘thank you for my dreams’ and ‘I’m glad I’m alive’. It is."
The reason was “I want to make my daughter happy”
It was her daughter, Nanami, who made Soapuda fall in love with soap bubbles.
Mr. Nanami has loved soap bubbles since he was little, and Ms. Soapuda has become immersed in making soap bubbles, saying, "I want to make them more happy."
Ms. Sopuda said,
"I got hooked on the soap bubbles that were meant for her daughter
. "
The children around them also started chasing the fluttering balls.
Soap bubbles instantly make children smile.
Even during the corona crisis, Mr. Sopuda continues to blow soap bubbles with the desire to "entertain the children who are spending cramped days."
“One and a half years of hard work” Development of soap bubble solution
However, we had to face many difficulties before we could make many children happy.
The hardest part was developing the soap bubble solution, which took a year and a half.
When the activity started, it broke immediately, and it is said that there were times when children sighed.
Big, long-lasting, safe soap bubbles!
With this in mind, Mr. Sopuda devoted himself to researching ingredients and formulations at home while learning from "Uncle Soap Bubbles" in various places.
Then, by combining a certain “magic powder” with gum syrup, etc., a viscous liquid that prevents soap bubbles from breaking was completed.
Ms. Sopuda:
“I was like, ‘This is it!
Requests for "performance" one after another
Requests to blow soap bubbles began to come in one after another, and the field of activity has expanded.
This September, I visited a kindergarten in Izumi City, Osaka.
Requests without hesitation from children, "Do the most amazing thing!"
Mr. Sopuda demonstrated a number of techniques, such as blowing many soap bubbles at once and creating soap bubbles so large that children could fit them in them.
The children are in high spirits with roaring cheers.
One of the children said, "I can't believe I can play with bubbles, I want to say 'thank you' to Mr. Shabota."
The kindergarten principal said, "It's been a long time since I've seen children bursting with smiles like this."
My dream is to deliver soap bubbles to children all over the country.
Mr. Sopuda has performed about 200 “performances” so far, showing soap bubbles.
The exceptional smiles shown by the children, who are living a cramped day due to the corona wreck, are the power to connect to the next.
Ms. Sopuda:
"The smiles and laughter of the children, who yell, yell, yell, are the driving force. Soap bubbles can burst and disappear, but I believe that the connection between people will never disappear. I want to travel around the country in my camper van and deliver these soap bubbles to children."
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