The Shimada Seminar in Department of Tourism Faculty of Collaborative Regional Development, is working with Fukuoka Kotsu Co., Ltd. (Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City), which operates sightseeing taxis, on a project to boost tourism in Fukuoka, which will begin in 2025.
This year, in addition to continuing our collaboration on the production of the "Fukuoka Tourism Newsletter" from last year, we are also jointly producing the "Fukuoka Tourism Map." As part of this activity, we conducted fieldwork in the old town area of Hakata on Saturday, June 6th.
During the fieldwork, guided by Fukuoka tourism volunteer guides, we visited places such as Shōtenji Temple, Tōchōji Temple, and Kushida Shrine. We took photographs and interviewed the guides with the question in mind: "What kind of information will pique people's interest and encourage them to actually visit these places?"
Regarding this project, Yukitsugu Nogami, Senior Managing Director of the company, said, "I believe Fukuoka has many attractions that are not yet fully known, such as the history and stories of its people that are unique to this region. We would like to work with students to discover and disseminate these attractions and create a map that will give both tourists and locals a chance to rediscover the charm of Fukuoka. Through this initiative, we hope that more people will learn about the diverse stories that Fukuoka has to offer, and that this will help Fukuoka continue to be chosen as an attractive tourist destination in the future."
Rika Terao, a third-year student and member of the project (Kita-Chiku High School), reflected on the activities, saying, "During the fieldwork, we visited many spots in Hakata for the first time, which was a refreshing experience. The guide's explanations were easy to understand, and we were able to feel the depth of Fukuoka's history and traditions, including Kushida Shrine. The 'Fukuoka Tourist Map' that we are currently creating is mainly targeted at tourists, but we also aim to make it something that locals can learn about Fukuoka's good old culture."
Moving forward, in preparation for publishing the "Fukuoka Tourist Map," we plan to conduct interviews in areas and locations other than the old Hakata town area where we conducted this fieldwork, and aim to complete the map by the end of the year.
Furthermore, details of this fieldwork are also being shared on the company's Instagram account.
[Department of Tourism]
