In the University Student Tourism and Community Building Contest 2024, organized by the University Student Tourism and Community Building Contest Management Council (Management office: JTB Corp., etc.) and supported by the Japan Tourism Agency, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, etc., two teams from OKUYAMA Masayuki Seminar at the School of Political Science and Economics participated in the final selection of the Fukushima Reconstruction Stage. Team BBB (Book Big Bear) (FURUMORI Mayu, TAGAMI Taisei, WATANABE Saki, ABE Hinata, NAGASE Shota, OKURA Sota) won the Grand Prix: Commissioner of the Japan Tourism Agency Award, and the Audience Award, and Team Na Rushup (TAKAHASHI Ayumi, SAKURAI Manaka, KAMITANI Seitaro, SUGO Mai, ISHII Sho) won the Fuku no Kizuna Award.
In the contest, university student teams compete regarding tourism and community building plans, and this year’s contest is the 14th contest. This year, 112 teams from universities across Japan applied for the Fukushima Reconstruction Stage, and 10 teams that passed the preliminaries competed in the final selection held on September 13 at the Tomioka Town Cultural Exchange Center Manabi no Mori (Tomioka Town, Futaba District, Fukushima Prefecture).
BBB (Book Big Bear), OKUYAMA Masayuki Seminar, the School of Political Science and Economics
Starting from the idea, “What is a plan to create the future while learning about the past and feeling the present like?,” we created a plan focusing on the Town of Okuma, whose population once dropped to zero owing to the earthquake. In creating the plan, “Visit our forest of picture books and dreams: A picture book creation tour to know the town and draw the town,” we focused on 1st to 3rd grade elementary school children and their families living in the Kanto area and aimed to provide an opportunity where they could have an exciting time through creating picture books together with the children in the Town. We also aimed to create a future relationship population by utilizing books and kiwi fruits, which are the Town’s local resources and may connect the past and present of the Town. In addition, we hope to brand Okuma Town as a “town of picture books” through this plan.
In devising the plan, we conducted fieldwork in Okuma Town and talked with many key persons many times. Based on the Town’s attractions and challenges, all members discussed and finally completed the plan. Through these activities, where we felt the warmth of many people in the Town, we strongly felt the hope to stay connected with the Town. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the people of Okuma Town for their cooperation. We hope that this plan will convey the charm of Okuma Town to as many people as possible.
Na Rushup, OKUYAMA Masayuki Seminar, the School of Political Science and Economics
We met a family in Naraha Town, Fukushima Prefecture. Based on the concept, “A growth experience that can only be obtained in Naraha,” which was born from the encounter with the family, we created “Naraque: Naraha Family Quest,” a plan that can make both tourists and local residents smile. The special feature of the plan is that children can freely choose their own missions and enjoy them as if they were playing a game. By touring the Town with the whole family and completing missions, the children’s independence is fostered and the whole family can feel growth.
By interacting with the people of Naraha Town, we gained a deep understanding of the Town’s attractions and challenges and felt that the Town could become a place of growth. We hope the Town will become a place of growth for many families.