神戸大学英語エッセイコンテスト 応募エッセイ 氏 名（漢字） 田中香子 氏

神戸大学英語エッセイコンテスト
氏 名（漢字）
田中香子
氏 名（ローマ字）
Tanaka Kyoko
所属学部
国際文化学部
応募エッセイ
学 年
2年
学籍番号
電子メールアドレス
タイトル（英語）
How can Kobe University Contribute More to Kobe and
Kansai? - Contribution to Tourism Industry in Hyogo
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In Hyogo prefecture, more and more places are suffering from depopulation
nowadays. In particular, one-fourth of the gross prefectural area are specified as
underpopulated area. It is caused by the decrease in population, which is coming
from the lack of local jobs. I believe tourism industry will be the key to a solution of
this problem. And Kobe University can help tourism industry by creating a new
system contributes to the development of local tourism. If students and local
people can work together for using local facilities effectively as much as they can in
order to make it more attractive for tourists, more regular jobs will be provided,
and lots of new people will visit and live there.
Hyogo contains big cities, residential suburbs, agricultural zone, farming area,
and separated islands. It is said that Hyogo is “Japan in microcosm” on account of
its wide range of weather, geography, and cultural climates. Hyogo also has social
problems just like Japan, for example, a problem of decentralization of population.
So I want to consider a solution to this problem in any aspect of Kobe University’s
contribution to the local area, especially in Hyogo.
First, I refer to the current situation in Hyogo prefecture. The prefectural
capital of Hyogo is Kobe, and the development of Hyogo is strongly connected to
the prosperity of Kobe Port. The history of the port goes back to the 8th century
when it was constructed at first. In the 19th century, it became an entrance of
European culture. A lot of foreign people have visited and introduced their culture
to Japan via Kobe, so Kobe became active, cross-cultural area. And now, it is one of
the main five international ports in Japan. Therefore, Kobe has developed more
神戸大学英語エッセイコンテスト
応募エッセイ
and more as a central place of Hyogo. But I do not feel that we can say every place
in Hyogo has developed as well. Yabu city, Awaji city, Sayou town, Kami town, and
Shinonsen town are categorized as an underpopulated area in Hyogo prefecture,
and four city/town of these five are located in the north and west part in Hyogo. I
cannot even say every place in Kobe is an urban area. Also in Kobe city, North
ward and West ward account for more than half of the area in Kobe, are regarded
as rural areas. So I think we have to consider how to activate these areas.
In my opinion, the two reasons for the problem. First is the lack of effort to
make it catchier and second is the lack of a number of jobs. I think employment is
an essential point to ameliorate this condition. Especially, the number of regular
employees is important. Even if manufacturing industries are invited to the
underpopulated area, almost every provided job is part-time job. Such temporary
job does not lead people to live there. So, we have to try to attract companies which
provide long-term jobs. I think sightseeing would provide the trigger for it.
Because some place which is easy to visit and see for strangers is the place very
lively and comfortable to live for everyone. Tourism industry contains not only
travel agencies or hotels but also local restaurants, public transportations,
manufacturing companies and so on. And it can make the best of local advantages
since sightseeing has several genres. For example, eco-tourism, green tourism,
health tourism, industrial tourism and so forth. There is a big future of traveling
as it is often said that the biggest industry in the 21th century will be the tourism
industry. When the industries which are related to sightseeing strengthened, there
are many new full-time jobs for local people. Then many people choose to live in
such underpopulated area, it make there a more active place, and it leads to the
activeness that attract tourist. So, there a virtuous circle between tourism and
employment.
Secondly, I want to say the solution by cooperation with university students.
According to a survey by the Japan National Tourism Organization, 90.8 percent
of foreign travelers are using the internet during their trip in Japan. So, the
quantity and quality of information and reviews online are very important to
invite additional tourist. Nevertheless, in the underpopulated area, we seldom find
suitable information online. For example, Sayo town is famous in the field of
sunflower and Monkey Park. However, there is no official website and not enough
material written in English. We cannot figure out how to get there and what we
can expect there, so this situation is spoiling the possibility of these valuable
tourism resources. In other words, there is a lack of perspectives of younger
神戸大学英語エッセイコンテスト
応募エッセイ
generations and foreigners.
Then, how can Kobe University contribute more to Hyogo? I do not think such
rural area can be an attractive area without any support. My idea is creating new
partnerships with local area in Hyogo and sending domestic and international
students there. By sending Kobe University’s students to the underpopulated area
regularly and improve the quality of sightseeing based on their opinion and senses.
Because I think the power of the younger generation is necessary, especially
university students who are very sensitive to the sense of ‘Kawaii’ and ‘Kakkoii’,
which are important points to attract travelers. Kobe University has eleven
faculties, about sixteen thousand students, and over one thousand international
students. This is top class size in Japanese national universities. It means that
there are many people who have various kinds of perspective to think about the
solution in order to help the underpopulated area to be more attractive for
travelers. For instance, students who are studying nursing might consider ways
how to reduce physical barriers which prevent elderly from traveling freely.
Students from intercultural studies might try to remove the language barrier for
foreigners. As I wrote before, online media has a big influence towards to travelers,
so students studying IT can help in that field. Furthermore, the idea of
international students would be very useful. This system contributes not only to
local but also to Kobe University. Because it provides students with opportunity to
practice their studies. The main problem of Kobe University is that students
rarely recognize relations between the local area and there. This indifference is a
big issue, but I think the foundation of this system will break down it.
There are lots of interesting place and culture to see or experience. The
underpopulated area is actually suffering from the lack of population, but I do not
think it means that the rural area is not popular or not interesting. Needs for
Japanese rural experience and its beautiful landscape are much bigger than we
expect. Travelers can see ‘real Japan’ there, not in cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, or
Osaka. In that respect, Hyogo has many possibilities to be more alluring, and Kobe
University students can contribute to its development based on a new system
provided by the university.
Reference
Hyogo Municipal Development Corporation. (2013). Prefecture Survey 2013;
conditions in underpopulated area.
神戸大学英語エッセイコンテスト
応募エッセイ
Retrieved from <http://www.sichouyouran.jp/document/list/24.html>.
Japan National tourism Organization. (2012, March). Survey about foreign
tourists who used TIC in 2012.
Retrieved from
<https://www.jnto.go.jp/jpn/reference/tourism_data/pdf/tic_report_2012.pdf>.
（1146 words）
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