NEWS

Since 2021, APU has been offering an endowed course in collaboration with Oita Bank. This course primarily focuses on utilizing tourism resources within Oita Prefecture, and this year’s main theme was “Sustainable Tourism and Community Development.” Under the guidance of Professor Takayuki Kubo and part-time lecturer Joji Naramoto from the College of Sustainability and Tourism, APU students participated in this course along with some citizens who joined online or in person.

This year, the target areas were Bungo-Ōno City, Nakatsu City, and Kusu Town. With the support of Oita Bank, the course featured lectures from regional experts, where students acquired essential knowledge, followed by on-site studies where students engaged in fieldwork with stakeholders at several local facilities.

The final session took place at Sourin Square in the Oita Bank Sourin-kan building, where four student teams presented their findings. The judges included Mr. Ken Sato, Head of Tourism Division, Nakatsu City Industrial and Economic Department; Ms. Kuriko Hata, Head of Commerce and Tourism Policy Division, Kusu Town; Mr. Hiroyuki Nawa, Deputy General Manager, Regional Development Department, Oita Bank; and Associate Professor Tomomi Yamane from APU’s College of Sustainability and Tourism. The students presented the tourism revitalization plans they developed through lectures and fieldwork, offering creative ideas such as training local residents as coordinators to uncover regional attractions, transforming an entire town into a fairy tale-themed “Kids’ Museum,” hosting a music festival to grow into Kyushu’s leading “Chill Fest,” and introducing shared electric bicycles alongside rice field art. Each team also proposed funding strategies to demonstrate feasibility. The judges asked detailed questions on research methods and differentiation, prompting deeper discussion. In the end, the team that focused on family-oriented tourism plans for child-friendly experiences won first place for its clear target and high level of feasibility.

This course will continue to be offered annually with the aim of developing actionable projects that increase tourism consumption in the Nakatsu and Kusu areas based on student proposals.

Comment from Professor Takayuki Kubo

“This year’s endowed course by Oita Bank incorporated significant improvements thanks to the efforts of the Regional Development Department at Oita Bank. By narrowing the fieldwork areas to Nakatsu City and Kusu Town and carefully planning the program, students had more time to develop their proposals. We also received tremendous support from Nakatsu City and Kusu Town for lectures and site visits. Given these favorable conditions, I believe the students delivered more than expected in their proposals. I hope this course will continue to evolve and contribute to sustainable tourism and community development in the Oita region.”