NEWS

A sketching event at Kannawa Onsen in Beppu City was held over the course of two days, November 11th (Saturday) and 12th (Sunday) in 2023, through the joint efforts of the College of Sustainability and Tourism Associate Professor YOUN Seung Ho's seminar class and the Kannawa Sketch Event Committee. Students have been researching tourism and marketing concerning Kannawa Onsen, and this event was part of collaborative efforts in the town planning of Kannawa.

On the first day, the "Kannawa Sketch Event Committee" took the lead in organizing the "Kannawa Sketch Event" at the Mushiyu Square of Kannawa. This event marked its 9th occurrence this year, where participants sketched the landscapes of Kannawa, followed by expert evaluations towards the end. Through the collaborative efforts of seminar students in pre-event preparation and promotion of the event, there was an increase in international student participation compared to previous years, with students from countries such as Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Australia joining. During the evaluation, students actively engaged in discussions, prompting comments from experts like, "It's very intriguing to see colors in the paintings that reflect memories of environments different from ours, such as painting the stone statues of Ojizo-san in colors we wouldn't think of."

On the second day, seminar students hosted "Autumn Sketch Kannawa" at Jigoku Mushi Kobo Kannawa. The event aimed to target a diverse audience including tourists and APU students. Organizers aimed to encourage these busy visitors to pause for a moment and appreciate the scenery of Kannawa, and to make the most of their waiting time at Jigoku Mushi Kobo Kannawa. To achieve this, they structured the event into three sections: sketching, coloring, and photography, allowing participants to choose freely according to their schedules. Moreover, amidst the event, seminar students conducted a "Kannawa Walking Tour," introducing participants to spots, history, and interesting facts about Kannawa's hot springs, fostering enjoyable conversations. The event attracted 67 participants, most of whom were tourists from various parts of Japan and overseas. APU students, gathered as volunteers and seminar participants, communicated with participants in multiple languages such as Japanese, English, and Chinese, ensuring a lively atmosphere despite adverse weather conditions.

After the event, on the 15th, representing seminar class, students HIGASHI Maki (College of Asia Pacific Studies, 4th year) and WATANABE Nene (College of International Management, 4th year) delivered a presentation to 250 students from Beppu Tsurumigaoka High School, discussing "Autumn Sketch Kannawa" as an example of collaborative town planning. They actively exchanged ideas with high school students regarding the future direction of tourism in Kannawa, the current situation, and the town planning process.