Public Diplomacy
The Regional Promotion Seminar in fiscal year 2019 (Results)
June 4, 2019
- On June 4, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted the Regional Promotion Seminar in fiscal year 2019 jointly with Chichibu city in Saitama Prefecture, Sakai city in Osaka Prefecture, Kyotango city in Kyoto Prefecture and Tateyama town in Toyama prefecture at Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo. Around 150 people from diplomatic missions stationed in Tokyo, foreign chambers of commerce in Japan, and journalists from in and out of Japan participated in the seminar.
- In the first part of the seminar, representatives from all four local governments made presentations of their regional attractiveness.
After the mayor’s remarks, Chichibu introduced one of UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, Chichibu Night Festival, which has a history of over 350 years. They also promoted Chichibu as a big tourist destination located only 80 minute-ride in train from Tokyo.
Sakai presented the magnificence of its aspiring World Heritage “Mozu-Furuichi Kofun Group” and the Japan’s largest keyhole-shaped mausoleum called Nintoku-tenno-ryo Kofun, with its popular character “Manager Haniwa”.
Kyotango explained its attractions of “Kyoto by the Sea”, being away from the noise of big cities, and of a kimono fabric, “Tango Chirimen” with its sophisticated tradition and progressive techniques.
Tateyama introduced its history, ancient mountain worship and mysterious beauty of “Tateyama-Kurobe Alpen Route”, a mountain trail which attract over one million tourists every year.
- In the latter part of the seminar, Tango Kimono Queen in brilliant Tango Chirimen Kimono presented traditional techniques of surface texturing, established in Kyotango 300 years ago, and new techniques of weaving mother-of-pearl layer into the threads, appealing to the audience’s eyes and sense of touch. In the booth area, beautiful original dishes with the regional ingredients of Kyotango, where you feel Japanese original landscapes and bountiful nature, named “Tantxos” (Spanish pintxos arranged as a Tango version by up-and-coming chefs) were served.
Chichibu city people performed powerful Yatai Bayashi (traditional drum performance) of Chichibu Night Festival, held every December, adding the festival mood at once. The festival has been developed as an event to celebrate the end of annual transactions of silk fabrics, flourished in Chichibu region. In the Chichibu booth, they provided the guests with opportunities to take souvenir pictures, wearing Haori (Japanese jackets) made of bold and gorgeous Chichibu Meisen (silk fabric). They also offered Japanese sweets made with syrup extracted from maple in Chichibu, where 87% of the land is forests, and the world famous hard-to-find whisky, “Ichiro’s Malt”.
In the Sakai booth, guests enjoyed overwhelming scenery of the Nintoku-tenno-ryo from an altitude of 300 meters with 360-degree view through VR devices. Sakai also proposes experiencing tea ceremony in Sakai, the birthplace of the grand tea master Sen no Rikyu. In addition, they performed high-quality knife sharpening techniques to show the reliable level of iron manufacturing derived from production of firearms introduced from Portugal. On the stage, they demonstrated various arrangements of Chusen-Washcloth, a traditional industry with a wide variety of colorful patterns.
Tateyama town promoted its attractions other than mountains. At first, an artisan introduced the slightest washi paper in the world, which is light enough to float in the air. This performance was so attractive that the audience gathered to see the delicate techniques closer in the Tateyama booth. The Ashikura-ji temple area of the town has long been known as the center of Tateyama’s history and spirit. In the booth, many guests tried out to make its traditional talismans called Gofu, using local washi paper and Japanese ink, and took them home as souvenirs. They also offered Masu-no-sushi (trout sushi) and Tateyama croquette made of taro produced in Tateyama.
- Through presenting each region’s attractiveness to the participants, this seminar contributed to enhancement of foreign diplomats’ and other participants’ understanding of each region in Japan and to networking between the local governments and the diplomatic corps or other foreign institutions based in Japan.