According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, the tourism industry is a major industry, accounting for approximately 10% of the world's GDP and accounting for one in ten employees worldwide. Discussions on sustainability are progressing in various places, and it is only natural that the tourism industry will be involved in many of the 17 goals and 169 targets of the SDGs. In this session, we will discuss how SDGs affect tourism business, especially attracting tourists.
Online seminar "Gastoronomy Tour in Senshu, Osaka: from an SDGs Point of View"
An online seminar on the theme of food culture tourism was held on February 18, 2022, sponsored by the Osaka Tourism Bureau, a public interest incorporated foundation, and co-sponsored by ANA Akindo Co., Ltd. and Jiji Press Co., Ltd.
Focusing on Osaka's unique food culture and spirituality of "getting things done," which has often been overlooked as a matter of course until now, Osaka's unique food culture and spirituality lead to the SDGs, we will create new ideas that "Food City Osaka" is aiming for in preparation for the 2025 Osaka/Kansai Expo. This seminar explored the state of the region, and took a new approach of food, tourism, and SDGs, based on examples from the Senshu region.
Focusing on Osaka's unique food culture and spirituality of "getting things done," which has often been overlooked as a matter of course until now, Osaka's unique food culture and spirituality lead to the SDGs, we will create new ideas that "Food City Osaka" is aiming for in preparation for the 2025 Osaka/Kansai Expo. This seminar explored the state of the region, and took a new approach of food, tourism, and SDGs, based on examples from the Senshu region.
Session1Why SDGs are necessary for future tourism
(Mr. Tanaka, Director, Japan Food Culture and Tourism Promotion Organization)
Misao Tanaka
PR planner/spatial producer (first-class architect) Director of Japan Food Culture and Tourism Promotion Organization Born in 1960. After working for a manufacturer, he joined Yomiuri Advertising Co., Ltd. in 1997. He led the business and content development department for about 15 years, and was involved in local government tourism PR, events, product marketing, etc. He retired from the company in 2020 and continues to work there.
PR planner/spatial producer (first-class architect) Director of Japan Food Culture and Tourism Promotion Organization Born in 1960. After working for a manufacturer, he joined Yomiuri Advertising Co., Ltd. in 1997. He led the business and content development department for about 15 years, and was involved in local government tourism PR, events, product marketing, etc. He retired from the company in 2020 and continues to work there.
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About global travel trends and SDGs
About 7-8 years ago, there was a growing awareness of global warming and reflection on overtourism, and a new approach to consideration for the environment and sustainability began to emerge. Recently, due to the influence of the coronavirus, it has suddenly emerged as one of the main themes of travel. A typical example of this is shown in the NY Times "52 Places to Visit This Year." This year's 52 locations were all selected from the perspective of SDGs, and the explanation is that "The 2022 list selects locations around the world where travelers can contribute to solving problems."
(Mr. Oshima, Jiji Press)
Seiichi Oshima (Jiji Press President's Office Director (International Planning))
Worked for a total of 8 years in London and New York as economics correspondent.
He is familiar with overseas SDGs and media trends. He also works as a media coordinator and edits and supervises English articles for an inbound tourism support project for local governments.
Worked for a total of 8 years in London and New York as economics correspondent.
He is familiar with overseas SDGs and media trends. He also works as a media coordinator and edits and supervises English articles for an inbound tourism support project for local governments.
Introducing global trends in post-corona travel
Trend 1: From staycations to short-distance trips to long-distance trips? Amid successive waves of the coronavirus, interest in domestic and short-distance travel has increased in Europe and the United States, and this trend has been reflected in travel media articles. It is predicted that as travel restrictions continue to be eased, long-term trips will increase, and that the desire for "dream travel" will increase as a result of staying home for a long time. Isn't this an opportunity for Japan? Trend 2: Going where no one goes and staying for a long time? In the future, the two trends of "off-the-beaten path" and long-term stays may be combined. People want to experience "authentic" and "real" places rather than touristized places, and there may be more opportunities for areas that have traditionally been less visited by tourists. Trend 3: Expectations for sustainability and diversity promotion in the travel industry are increasing Diversity is important. How can Japan accommodate more diverse travelers? A great example is Visit Gay Oska, a website for LGBTQ travelers in Osaka, which is Japan's first full-fledged English-language website for LGBTQ travelers. Efforts such as creating creative promotional materials, providing food that takes into account religious and ethical needs, and sending out messages are also effective.
(Travel writer Rob Goss)
Rob Goss (Travel Writer) A British travel writer based in Japan.
He contributes Japanese tourism information to National Geographic Travel magazines and other publications.
He is a finalist for the 2020 Global Travel Media Association (GTMA) Best Travel Writer Award.
He has written seven books so far, including "Japanese Inns and Hot Springs."
He contributes Japanese tourism information to National Geographic Travel magazines and other publications.
He is a finalist for the 2020 Global Travel Media Association (GTMA) Best Travel Writer Award.
He has written seven books so far, including "Japanese Inns and Hot Springs."
Session2About regional revitalization through “food”
Local gourmet food and its discovery from an SDGs perspective
I think you can understand that an everyday food that is commonplace in the local area and has been loved for many years may attract people from outside the area. The key point here is that it has been loved by locals for many years. I think that the fact that it has been around for a long time and that local people eat it on a daily basis is what makes it appealing to tourists. I realized that surprisingly many of these local gourmet foods actually have sustainability elements in their origins.
(Mr. Tawara, Managing Director of Ai B League Headquarters)
Shinichi Tawara
Managing Director, Ai B League Headquarters, General Incorporated Association Graduated from the Department of Electronic Engineering, Tohoku University. After working at Recruit in charge of local government planning for the travel information magazine business, he became independent.
He is well versed in regional foods and has been involved in food development in over 60 regions.
2009: Secretary-General of the Ai B League, the organization that hosts the B-1 Grand Prix. Current position since 2011.
Managing Director, Ai B League Headquarters, General Incorporated Association Graduated from the Department of Electronic Engineering, Tohoku University. After working at Recruit in charge of local government planning for the travel information magazine business, he became independent.
He is well versed in regional foods and has been involved in food development in over 60 regions.
2009: Secretary-General of the Ai B League, the organization that hosts the B-1 Grand Prix. Current position since 2011.
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"Fujinomiya Yakisoba" from Shizuoka Prefecture sparked a boom in local gourmet food. It is said that it was originally enjoyed by female workers in the silk industry, and its characteristics are chewy noodles, sardine shavings, and most of all, lard squeezed from pork backfat called ``meat lees.'' A crunchy and savory aftertaste. From the perspective of sustainability, the story of how food that was originally discarded was used because it was a waste, and the food became delicious, and has remained firmly established in the local area to this day, can be seen as cutting-edge food culture in a sense. I can say it.
In the Kansai region, Akashiyaki is from Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture. Locally it is called tamagoyaki, but egg whites were often used to make Akashi dama, a coral imitation that was a specialty of Akashi. It is said that it was the beginning of making use of it. Its roots are said to be that it was baked on a copper plate by mixing wheat flour with a powder called starch and egg yolk to make coral balls. The fact that leftover egg yolks were used to make something delicious, and it has captivated the tastes of many people and has become a local delicacy to this day, is a story of sustainability.
(Mr. Tawara, Managing Director of Ai B League Headquarters)
Session3Exploring the charm of food culture in the Senshu region of Osaka
Sustainable points in food culture tourism in Senshu
The first point is that Senshu is a "backyard of ingredients close to major consumption areas." Senshu is one of the treasure troves of ingredients that support central Osaka, the nation's kitchen. According to one producer, the voices of consumers and cooks can be heard directly by being close to each other, making them more sensitive to improving the quality of ingredients and production volume, reducing waste, and ultimately reducing food loss. I can say that. On the other hand, from a tourist perspective, if you come to Senshu, you can get and taste such carefully cultivated local ingredients, which is an attractive feature.
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The second point is that there are already sustainable producers. Mr. Matsuda of Naniwa Kuro Cow, who practices eco-friendly and stress-free fattening by fundamentally changing the distribution method, and other representatives of Yataya Farm, which preserves Senshu's traditional agriculture that has been around since the Edo period. , Mr. Asai at Izumi Fureai Agricultural Village, whose activities are in line with the SDGs, and other farmers working so hard are wonderful and make me want to support them. The third one is "regeneration of fisheries resources to protect fish gardens". Conger eel is a specialty of the Senshu area, but as the catch is decreasing year by year, the Okadaura Fisheries Cooperative, located across from Kansai International Airport, is focusing on conger eel farming in cooperation with Kindai University. Preserving the rich ocean and eating local fish uses less energy than importing fish, and is in line with SDG goal 14, "Protect the abundance of the ocean." In addition, the planting of trees by local fishermen to preserve the environment falls under Goal 15, "Protect the richness of the land." From a tourist perspective, if you go to the fish markets around Senshu, you can get fresh local fish and enjoy local seafood dishes, so this is a worthwhile initiative for tourists. The fourth is "Sakai's existence that has supported Japan's food culture." Sakai cutlery, which boasts a history of 600 years, is most closely connected to food culture. According to Jun Mizuno, the fifth generation owner of the Mizuno Forging Works, which was founded in 1896 and is the only swordsmith in the prefecture, almost 100% of the craftsmen at Itaba Kappo use knives made in Sakai. In addition, since knives are the most important tool that supports Japanese cuisine, which is an intangible cultural heritage, I believe that this is also connected to SDGs Goal 11, 4, "Preservation of cultural heritage."
(Mr. Tanaka, Director, Japan Food Culture and Tourism Promotion Organization)
A trip to Senshu is interesting if you consider it a backstage tour.
Traditionally, tourism has been motivated by the desire to see famous places that everyone knows and goes to, such as visiting Ise Shrine, but since around 2000, people's There is a growing trend among regular travelers to want to travel to places they have never been to, where they can make discoveries and have their own unique experiences. Backstage is also one of those themes. To give you a simple example, day tours to see makeup and costume making sites and underground support tunnels at Disney World in Florida are very popular. There are also rides where you can take a quick look behind the scenes. USJ in Osaka was originally a backstage tour of Hollywood studios in Los Angeles, with special effects sets from Jaws among other attractions. There are now backstage tours at Universal Studios in the United States. It's backstage of backstage.
(Mr. Oshima, Jiji Press)
Impressions of the site visited, including an SDGs perspective
Mizuno Training School fits the criteria of "authentic" and I think it can be used as a tourist attraction without major changes to the materials. I think that by not making any changes, you can have a very high-quality experience in the sense that you can have the same level of experience as a Japanese person. Foreigners find it extremely valuable to take home a knife made by a swordsmith. Izumi Fureai Nono-Sato is not only an experiential tourist resource, but also a place where you can discover a hidden face of Osaka that is different from the image of Osaka being full of people. It's also great that you clearly explain tourism resources from the perspective of SDGs. Also, as a travel writer, I'm always looking for a different perspective on backstage tours like the sake brewery tour at Naniwa Sake Brewery, so I think it's very interesting to see Japanese culture from behind the scenes.
(Travel writer Rob Goss)
Potential of Senshu’s local menu
The theme of SDGs will become very important to foreign tourists, and I think sustainability will become an important theme in tourism in Japan as well. If you think about "food culture travel" and "SDGs," it might be a little difficult to travel for the purpose of SDGs, but if you go to eat delicious food and there is an element of SDGs in it, it will be a little difficult. I think it makes me a little happy to think that something has social significance. In the first place, the act of traveling and spending money in local areas supports regional revitalization and increases the sustainability of local areas. This means that doing so will be helpful to society. This time, we spoke to the Okadaura Fisheries Association, where Osaka Bay's representative conger eel is landed. A while back, aquaculture may not have always been highly regarded, but these days, by strictly controlling the feed and breeding environment, branded fish are appearing on the market, and are being highly evaluated by consumers. It has become. It is originally a famous area for producing conger eel, and the story of Kinda University being involved in conserving its resources in the same place is a very interesting topic, but most of all, I am fascinated by the way conger eel is eaten, which is unique to the area where it is produced. In the Kanto region, I have never heard of locally eaten "negiana tempura" and "negiana tempura bowl". For those who don't know this, I'm sure there are many customers who want to eat freshly fried food right where it's produced. I heard that they also eat conger eel sashimi. Conger eel are fast moving, and the way to eat them is unique to the region where they are grown, so I'm definitely looking forward to eating them once the coronavirus pandemic is over.
(Mr. Tawara, Managing Director of Ai B League Headquarters)
lastly
Through today's seminar, I felt that Senshu has the foundation for this. I dream of the day when tourists heading to Osaka-Kyoto, Koyasan, and Nanki-Kumano from Kansai International Airport will naturally include Senshu in their itineraries, and I hope that today's seminar will be of some help.
