We will expand the field of view from efforts focused on satoyama, the natural areas around farmlands, to include satokawa and satoumi bordering rivers and the sea, and will collect, share and disseminate a wide range of practical information such as matching these efforts with existing industries, sales and distribution networks for new products, and tourism from abroad.
Self-taught father, son further French cuisine in Mito
TAEKO TERAO Contributing writer
Although every prefecture promotes tourism through cuisine, Ibaraki’s initiatives have been particularly ambitious. In a program called Ibaraki Food Selection...
How the mail reaches even remote Seto citrus island
Maiko Muraoka Contributing writer
Shikoku, the fourth-largest island in the Japanese archipelago and home to four prefectures, is surrounded by more than 600 scattered...
Tsukihi’s wood-fire cuisine conveys Echizen terroir
TAEKO TERAO Contributing writer
Energized by the extension of the Hokuriku Shinkansen line to Fukui and Tsuruga in March 2024, Fukui Prefecture’s tourism scene...
Yamagata’s mayor tells how city is advancing attractions, potential
Maiko Muraoka Contributing writer
About a year has passed since the city of Yamagata was honored by The Japan Times as the Destination Region...
Old Yamagata school is now a creative laboratory
Maiko Muraoka Contributing writer
A former elementary school building located a 15-minute walk from Yamagata Station has been transformed into a commercial facility and...
Yamagata documentary festival enlightens global audiences
Maiko Muraoka Contributing writer
The Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival began in 1989 as an event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the establishment...
Necchu Elementary School builds thriving communities via learning
Emi Maeda Contributing writer
As many rural communities across Japan grapple with population decline and aging, new ways to sustain local vitality are increasingly...
Uchiko mayor discusses preservation and development
MAIKO MURAOKA Contributing writer
Uchiko is a town of 14,000 people encompassing what once were three towns that merged 21 years ago, making it...
Wakayama startup Nakagawa rooted in sustainable reforestation
Emi Maeda Contributing writer
Nakagawa Co. Ltd. is a forestry startup built around an unconventional idea: “forestry without cutting trees.” Based in Tanabe, Wakayama...
Yamagata Symphony Orchestra plays part in community synergy
Maiko Muraoka Contributing writer
Yamagata, the city selected in 2025 as the first Destination Region — a Japanese municipality The Japan Times wishes to...
Pure southern flavors at Italian restaurant Senti.U
Taeko Terao Contributing writer
The Italian restaurant Senti.U is located in the southern Kagoshima Prefecture city of Kanoya, on the Osumi Peninsula, which is...
Professor propels new networks to revive rural Yamagata ways
Maiko Muraoka Contributing writer
Go Matsumoto is an anthropologist and professor specializing in Peruvian archaeology at Yamagata University in Yamagata, the city selected in...
