On Thursday, October 9th, five second-year students from Fukushima Prefectural Fukushima High School visited the laboratory of Associate Professor Masaaki Honda of the Department of Tourism of Faculty of Collaborative Regional Development, on a study trip to participate in an exploratory study on revitalizing the area around Fukushima Station from the perspective of landscape creation.
The theme of this event was "Landscape and Urban Development." From the perspective that landscape is not simply a "scenery" but "the human rules for arranging the landscape," we considered how to create vibrant towns that young people would want to visit.
Associate Professor Honda introduced Ouchijuku in Fukushima Prefecture, Murakami City in Niigata Prefecture, Kurokawa Onsen in Kumamoto Prefecture, Yufuin in Oita Prefecture, and Itoshima City in Fukuoka Prefecture as good examples of landscape preservation and regional revitalization. "If a town becomes an environment where it can only survive on tourism, it will become impossible to sustain local life. It is best to avoid that," he advised, explaining the importance of considering the balance between tourism and daily life.
Through this inquiry-based learning, the students felt the need to create new attractions for Fukushima City with their own hands, and also became more motivated to learn more about the region. "A new perspective has emerged: urban development is not about making all-at-once changes, but rather about gradually building up acceptance through a series of small changes. Learning the definition of landscape has also given us an opportunity to look at the issue of how to make use of the 'greenery' that symbolizes Fukushima," said the student.
This inquiry-based learning experience was a valuable learning opportunity that fostered a perspective that will shape the future of the region.
[Department of Tourism]
