In the "Regional Brand Planning Workshop IIA" course (taught by Professor Takao Ito) in the Department of Department of Social Design Faculty of Art and Design, we worked on a "Yanagawa Rebranding Project" using Yanagawa City as our field of study.
This project is a practical course that investigates the current situation and challenges of a region from a social design perspective, and plans and proposes new measures that will lead to regional rebranding.
On Sunday, June 21st, the students visited Yanagawa City for a field survey. In addition to visiting tourist spots, they deepened their understanding by listening to people involved in the tourism industry and local businesses talk about the region's history, the current state of tourism, and future prospects. Based on the knowledge gained on-site and their conversations with local stakeholders, the students rediscovered the unique charm and value of Yanagawa and proceeded to consider plans that would lead to regional rebranding.
On Tuesday, July 7th, our university hosted a project presentation event with guests including Mr. Tachibana of "Yanagawa Hanshu Tachibana Tei Ohana," who is in charge of tourism and culture in Yanagawa; Mr. Kaneko of "Yamahira Co., Ltd.," which promotes Yanagawa's food culture through eel dishes and catering businesses; and Mr. Noritomi of "Noritomi Iron Works Co., Ltd.," which supports local industries from a manufacturing perspective. They presented project proposals from diverse angles, including events, products, and apps, that will lead to the creation of new value utilizing local resources and the promotion of sightseeing in the area.
The special guest commented, "The students connected the dots of existing attractions and elements that we were already aware of, using a fresh perspective, resulting in many innovative and excellent ideas. We will immediately share the ideas proposed today with our colleagues who are working to boost tourism, starting tomorrow, and work towards their realization. After entering the workforce, the important thing is not just proposing great ideas and plans, but also how far you can bring them to fruition. We hope that this project will help you develop that skill in the future." The students received concrete advice on feasibility and how to engage with the community from the perspective of local businesses, which allowed them to re-examine their own plans and deepen their practical learning of social design aimed at solving local issues.
[Department of Social Design]
