Learning about local pride through natural experiences
Award Winners
Iwate Prefectural Kamaishi Commercial and Industrial High School
Shuhei Maeda, Tsugumi Abe, Rin Sasaki
Rediscovering my hometown
There is a need to preserve the industrial revolution heritage site in Kamaishi City and find new ways to use the land. We would like to promote it nationwide as a symbol of the city of steel.
Ways to revitalize the local area
- Hashino Blast Furnace Camp: The camp aims to have participants learn about Kamaishi's "iron culture" and "spirit of manufacturing" through its activities.
- Target: Elementary and junior high school students from within and outside the prefecture
- Period: We were advised by local government officials that the best time to hold the event would be during the summer holidays.
- Contents: Camping, fishing, Tatara experience, visiting historical sites
- What you need: Accommodation, meals, instructor, Tatara experience furnace, transportation, capping tools
- Access to the venue: If you are coming from outside the prefecture, you can take the Shinkansen to Shin-Hanamaki Station and travel by tourist bus from there. If you are coming from within the prefecture, you can come to Kamaishi Station and travel by tourist bus on the day, which will help keep costs down.
By utilizing the Hashino Iron Mine, which combines vast land measuring approximately 5km north to south and 3km east to west with abundant nature, as a campsite, we can promote the industrial revolution heritage that our town is proud of to many people. It will also enable us to address the issue of land utilization. Through the campsite, people can learn about Kamaishi's unique "iron culture" and "spirit of manufacturing," and by attracting people to the area, we can revitalize the region.
Comments and points regarding the award
Kamaishi is well known throughout the Kanto region for its rugby. The Rugby World Cup, the "world championship" to be held in Kamaishi in 2019, is a project the city is concerned about, but it is making efforts to spread the word and promote the event to as many people as possible. This project also demonstrates the city's love for its local area, which I think is a good idea.
Japanese sweets made with local ingredients
Award Winners
Shizuoka Prefectural Hamamatsu Ohiradai High School
Yuna Suzuki, Ayuna Shibuya, Aina Uemura, Ayaka Arai, Fumiho Ishizuka, Tei Sugiyama, Misaki Eto
Rediscovering my hometown
The shop has been selling the cream dorayaki "Kogyo" for 30 years, and is now well-known even to people outside Hamamatsu City. Their other products, including various types of manju and seasonal fresh sweets, are a hit with both regular and new customers. Their "Iitora Kachi Shio Manju" was featured in the Chunichi Shimbun and Shizuoka Shimbun.
Ways to revitalize the local area
In recent years, a circular economy has been called for to address environmental issues. Focusing on "Reduce," one of the 3Rs, we developed "Melon Mitarashi Dango" to effectively utilize damaged and defective aroma melons. We created a sauce using aroma melons and placed the dumplings and sauce in a container. We proposed this new Japanese confectionery to Yamadaya Confectionery and commissioned them to manufacture it. "Melon Mitarashi Dango" is marketed as a Japanese confectionery that anyone can enjoy, without artificial colorings or flavorings, allowing farmers to enjoy the aroma and flavor of the ingredients themselves. Using defective melons not only reduces waste costs for farmers, but also increases income and allows manufacturers to purchase at lower prices, making it a mutually beneficial transaction that is both ecological and economical. It also raises awareness of local melon brands, which is expected to revitalize the region. Furthermore, this product development has created a relationship between melon farmers and Yamadaya Confectionery, which previously had no connection, and we hope to develop new business partnerships between the two.
Comments and points regarding the award
The proposal to connect local muskmelons with a Japanese confectionery shop is very unique and deserves praise. Melon mitarashi dango is a typical idea for a high school student. The fact that they actually visited melon farms and Japanese confectionery shops and even made a prototype is highly commendable from the perspective of feasibility. Furthermore, I think the idea of using defective melons to contribute to melon producers is also good.
Grand Prize Jury Recommendation Award
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