Minamisanriku Town and Australia cultivated a friendly relationship during relief activities following the Great East Japan Earthquake and have maintained that friendship. Given this relationship, Minamisanriku Town is planning to welcome Australian students on a school trip to Japan. The town also plans to release videos of this field trip and what the students actually experience to emphasize the appeal of Minamisanriku Town’s unique “experiential learning.”
Introduced experiential learning details include tours to check out how the region’s wealth of oysters and other marine products are harvested as well as traditional kiriko (paper cutout) creating experiences. We also release videos that enable viewers to enjoy a range of experiences, including seeing how students and others from overseas interact with local residents at minpaku (private lodging) as well as the Minamisanriku Town’s beautiful sea, the reconstructed townscape, and other interesting sights.
By utilizing these videos, we expect to encourage more inbound tourism to the region, including not only repeat visits by students who actually participated in the school trip but also a ripple effect that extends to their families and parents’ generation.