A research team led by Professor Toshiya Hashimoto of the Faculty of Tourism, Rikkyo University has produced 2,000 copies of the walking map "Oshio Exploration Map / Kitashio Village Collection Tour" that lists tourism resources in Kitashiobara Village, Fukushima Prefecture.The purpose is to support the reconstruction of the areas affected by the rumors of the Great East Japan Earthquake, and distribution began on March 3.
Kitashiobara Village is one of the most natural land in Fukushima Prefecture with Urabandai, but the number of tourists has dropped sharply due to the rumors of the Great East Japan Earthquake, and it is in a pinch.For this reason, the research team has been cooperating with the village since 2013 to grasp and analyze the actual situation of reputational damage, while conducting eco-tours in the village to promote the charm of the village.
In addition, we devised an original dish "pumpkin croquette" using pumpkin and mountain salt, which is a specialty of the village, and sold it at a mock shop at a university festival to support reconstruction.
The map is compiled based on the information collected during the field survey, and is distributed to all households in the village, as well as to the Urabandai Tourism Association, Urabandai Eco Tourism Association, and Rikkyo University.
We hope that the research team will also utilize this map to promote new regional academic cooperation, create a system for accepting tourists, and introduce ecotourism to overcome the damage caused by rumors.
