On Sunday, February 8th, students from the Faculty of Commerce and Faculty of Art and Design at our university, in collaboration with Takahashi Co., Ltd. (Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture), which operates the facility, and NEXCO West Japan Kyushu Branch (Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City), launched the fourth installment of the "KSU Chihaya Service Area *," a limited-time antenna shop promoting the attractions of various parts of Kyushu, at Gardens Chihaya no Chihaya Park (Higashi Ward, Fukuoka City).
The fourth installment is Asakura SA, in collaboration with Asakura City, Fukuoka Prefecture.
<Asakura SA>
Period: February 8, 2026 (Sunday) - March 8, 2026 (Sunday) 11:00-17:00
(Closed on Wednesdays)
Venue: Gardens Chihaya Chihaya Park (3-6-37 Chihaya, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture)
Product: Made with whole Kyoho grapes, no sugar or preservatives added.Kyoho 100% Juice Asashizuku
Sweets made with persimmons and strawberries
Packed with the delicious flavor of "Kodokoro Chicken" raised in a natural environment"Bite-sized gyoza"etc.
In this project, under the guidance of Associate Professor Yanagida Shigaku of the Department Department of Business and Marketing Faculty of Commerce, students from the department will take the lead in running the store and play a role in deepening the ties between the city and various regions in Kyushu. To promote the appeal of Asakura City, fieldwork was carried out on-site on Sunday, December 14th. The students are promoting the city's gentle and peaceful charms at the Asakura Service Area.
Additionally, under the guidance of Professor Toru Kurita Department of Living Environment Design Faculty of Art and Design and Lecturer Yuichiro Ishibashi Department of Visual Design, students from the same department worked on the spatial design of the store and the creation of the logo and posters. The logo is based on a houndstooth pattern, with the "weave" of the "Woven Tree," a tree in the park that is the symbol of Gardens Chihaya, as its motif. The store fixtures are designed to be stacked, with a basic cube shape that can be combined with the houndstooth pattern, aiming to express the pattern in three dimensions.
An opening event was held on Sunday, February 8th, where Hibiki Tashiro, a fourth-year student Faculty of Commerce (Fukuoka Institute of Technology Joto High School), gave a speech on behalf of the students, saying, "After actually visiting Asakura City and experiencing its nature and local products, I have become a big fan of the city. I would like to give back in some way by promoting Asakura City from Chihaya."
Please stop by if you are in the area!
*A local antenna shop, modeled after a service area on a highway, planned and run by students. It will be opened for a limited time at Gardens Chihaya as a base for promoting the charms of the region, with the aim of acting as a bridge connecting each region of Kyushu with the Fukuoka metropolitan area. (Inspired by the functions of a service area, such as information dissemination, sales, rest, and gathering.)
[Faculty of Commerce and Faculty of Art and Design]
