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Cool Japan, cool Kitakami

| 17 April 2014

Iwate prefecture is taking another cool initiative, the Iwate manga project, introducing the charm of the area by various comic artists who were born or lived in Iwate prefecture. Their third book was just published in March, and one of the stories featured the ILC, by famous comic artist Sensha Yoshida.

Sushi, anime, manga, Hello Kitty, and Harajuku fashion… Many aspects of Japanese culture are setting to tone of cool and trendy around the world. The Japanese government has started a “Cool Japan” branding initiative to explore attractive Japanese goods and services on a worldwide scale.

In keeping with the Cool theme, Japan’s Iwate prefecture released videos entitled “Cool Kitakami” on 8 April. Composed of four themes – Tourism and Culture, Life, Future and International Linear Collider, these videos introduce how cool it will be to live around the expected site for the ILC to a non-Japanese audience.

Last August, the Kitakami site in Iwate prefecture was evaluated as the best location for the ILC in Japan. “The Kitakami site is receiving increasing attention since the site evaluation. We produced these videos to introduce the life style in the area, share information regarding sightseeing and cultural resources, and our ongoing effort to get over the Tsunami disaster,” said  Hisashi Odaira, Deputy Director General of the Office of Policy Promotion in the Iwate Prefectural Government, the chief producer of the videos. “I believe that the Kitakami site provides convenient access, beautiful nature, and comfortable lifestyles which will be perfect for the future research environment. Please come visit us. Local government officials as well as local residents are all welcoming you.”

The first video, sightseeing and culture, is presented by Amanda Krips, Coordinator of International Relations at Iwate prefecture, who has been living in Iwate for five years. Krips said that there has been a real push to produce more information about Iwate in English since the evaluation last summer. “I’m very proud to have taken part in that. It was exciting to get to talk about places in Iwate that made me fall in love with the region in the first place,” she said. “The videos showcase a lot of the charm of Iwate, but I can’t wait for viewers to see the real deal themselves. It’s just such a great place to live, and the people here are so friendly. Above all, Iwate is serious about creating an international community where everyone is welcome, so your opinions are important as we proceed down the road to the ILC. Looking forward to seeing you in Iwate!”

Below, view these videos in four languages: English, French, Chinese and Japanese.

English Versions

1. Tourism and culture
2. Lifestyle and Location
3. The Future
4. ILC

French Versions

1. Tourisme et culture
2. Art de vivre et géographie
3. L’avenir
4. L’ILC

Chinese versions

1. 观光、文化
2. 生活、位置
3. 未来
4. ILC

Japanese versions

1.  観光・文化
2.  生活
3. 未来
4. ILC

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