On Friday, August 22nd, Kyushu Sangyo University Faculty of Collaborative Regional Development and Faculty of Art and Design, together with Takahashi Co., Ltd. (Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture), which operates Gardens Chihaya, and NEXCO West Japan Kyushu Branch (Hakata Ward, Fukuoka City), launched the "KSU Chihaya Service Area*," a limited-time antenna shop promoting the attractions of various parts of Kyushu, within Chihaya Park (Higashi Ward, Fukuoka City), following on from last year.
The first step in 2025 was the opening of the Oita-Saiki Service Area in collaboration with the Saiki Tourism Town Development Foundation (Saiki City, Oita Prefecture).
<Oita/Saiki Service Area>
Period: Friday, August 22, 2020 - Tuesday, September 23, 2020 (holiday) 11:00-17:00
(Regular holidays are Mondays and Thursdays. Open on public holidays (September 15th))
Venue: Gardens Chihaya Chihaya Park (3-6-37 Chihaya, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture)
Products: "Non-melting ice cream bars made by a Japanese confectionery shop" made with fruits from Saiki, "sesame paste" a local flavor of Saiki, "shaved ice" made with marine lemons from Saiki, "seafood" that boasts one of the largest catches in Oita Prefecture, etc.
Under the guidance of Professor Okata Yuko of the Department Department of Tourism, Faculty of Faculty of Collaborative Regional Development, this project will see students from the department take the lead in running the brick-and-mortar store and playing a role in deepening ties between the city and various regions in Kyushu. To promote the appeal of Saiki City, fieldwork was carried out on-site for two days, on Thursday, July 31st and Friday, August 1st, 2025. The students are promoting the city's unique charms, such as its nature, food, and people, at the Oita Saiki Service Area.
Also starting this academic year, under the guidance of Professor Toru Kurita of the Department Department of Living Environment Design of Faculty of Art and Design and Lecturer Yuichiro Ishibashi Department of Visual Design, students from the same department have been working 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.
Mami Tateishi (Koryo High School), a second-year student Department of Tourism who is in charge of running the store, said, "When I actually did fieldwork, I got a firsthand feel for the richness of Saiki's nature and the warmth of its people. I was particularly impressed by the abundance of fresh, healthy food. I want as many people as possible to discover its charms, so please feel free to drop by."
Additionally, Sasaki Satoaki (Kasuga High School), a student in Department of Living Environment Design in Faculty of Art and Design, who was in charge of the store's spatial design (fixture design and production, display), reflected, "We were conscious of creating a design that would match the atmosphere of Gardens Chihaya and highlight the good things about the area. We hope that people who know the area and those who don't will stop by, and that it will inspire them to want to visit the area and return."
The second event will be led by students from Faculty of Commerce at our university, who will promote the attractions of other regions. 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 Collaborative Regional Development, Faculty of Art and Design, Faculty of Commerce, Industry-Academia Co-innovation and Research Promotion Headquarters]
