NTU Beyond Borders: Island of Japanese Myth Origin | Awaji Island Regional Revitalization Tour

During the seven-day revitalization tour on Awaji Island, students witnessed how Pasona Group, a company rooted in human resources, perfectly exemplifies the ultimate model of co-prosperous regional revitalization. By investing its urban corporate human resource capital into rural areas, Pasona leverages the countryside's lower costs and high quality of life to benefit the enterprise in return, creating a highly inspiring and mutually reinforcing closed-loop system.

Throughout the journey, students deeply experienced the interplay of technology, art, and humanity on Awaji Island. Pasona's collaboration with Osaka University on Avatar technology integrates remote tech to maximize human resources. Along the coast, its unique restaurants cleverly incorporate the "Musical Island" initiative, allowing musicians to sustain themselves through a blend of performances and part-time work, thereby endowing Awaji Island's natural beauty with an artistic soul of music. Furthermore, the Awaji Youth Federation (AYF) program rallies passionate young minds from around the globe, empowering them to utilize their strengths to connect Awaji Island with the world and revitalize local resources.

The study tour also offered a profound encounter with Zen philosophy integrated with nature. Students visited "Zenbo Seinei," designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate Shigeru Ban using Japanese cedar, where they experienced meditation and calligraphy amidst mountain mists and winds, while savoring "Zenbo Cuisine" prepared entirely without refined sugar, gluten, animal products, or refined oils. At the Pasona Challenge Farm’s young farmer cultivation program, students harvested fresh tomatoes, green peppers, and kale to prepare their own lunch, embracing the true farming spirit of coexisting with nature. Meanwhile, the abandoned Nojima Elementary School (Nojima Scuola) showcased a miracle of spatial revitalization, beautifully transforming into a new community landmark complete with family spaces, a multifaceted agricultural product showcase, restaurants, and a pet-friendly cafe.

Valuable local perspectives and cultural insights were gained by meeting with the Taiwanese founder of "TAINAN HOUSE" on Awaji Island, allowing students to better understand the workplace culture differences between Taiwan and Japan, and to examine the tangible impacts of Pasona Group’s presence on local residents. Although an unexpected typhoon caused class cancellations at Osaka University and prevented the in-person exchange, the students’ enthusiasm remained undiminished as they quickly pivoted to an online session, sparking vibrant cross-border dialogue.

The tour further explored the synergy between traditional and modern industries. The Awaji roof tile factory successfully transformed traditional craftsmanship into the "Korate" tourism experience, seamlessly blending martial arts with heritage to showcase the power of culture. Students also visited Izanagi Jingu, the oldest shrine in Japan; Honfukuji Water Temple, Tadao Ando’s masterpiece built beneath a lotus pond; and Nijigen no Mori, an anime, gaming, and manga theme park. These visits provided a comprehensive analysis of Awaji Island’s cultural industries spanning from the classical to the contemporary era.

Through the seamless fusion of talent, technology, and culture, this study tour successfully expanded the students' international horizons and unveiled the diverse possibilities of regional sustainability.