Summary● Opening Article
A salt reduction initiative, without compromising taste for a healthier and sustainable society“Let's eat tasty, enjoyable, and healthy diets!”
HAYABUCHI Hitomi
Grand fellow
Fukuoka Asian Urban Research Center
Salt reduction is a vital nutritional step for good health and longevity. The world is striving to achieve theWorld Health Organization target of 30% salt reduction by 2025, but no country has achieved it yet. Thereis an urgent need to promote a food environment where people can eat delicious, enjoyable, and healthy
diets with reduced sodium effortlessly. In this report, we present an initiative for salt reduction withoutcompromising taste, based on two of our research findings. First, we focused on soups to assess the effectof umami substances on the saltiness and palatability of low-salt solutions and investigate the preferred salt
concentration in soups for the purpose of salt reduction. Laboratory-level experiments and a randomized
blinded study conducted in multiple locations in Japan (n=651) found that low-concentration salt solutions
enhanced saltiness and palatability with an optimum amount of umami substances. Additionally, 0.3%
sodium chloride with 0.3% monosodium glutamate was validated as the most preferred concentration ofsalt in soups. These findings suggest that using the right amount of umami seasoning can reduce excessive
salt intake. Second, we aimed to verify the feasibility of interventions using the new low-sodium, highpotassium foods in free-living settings and to evaluate their effects on blood pressure. The study participants(n=187) were randomly allocated to an intervention group (n=93) and a control group (n=94). They consumed
a boxed lunch and miso soup for their weekday lunch every day for 6 weeks in a double-blinded manner.
Compliance between the groups was found to be similar, suggesting successful blinding. The low-sodium,high-potassium lunch consumption was found to promote urinary excretion of sodium and reduce theincrease in systolic blood pressure. In conclusion, the combination of umami substances with the new lowsodium, high-potassium foods may prove to be an effective strategy for improving the food environment andpromoting a healthier and sustainable society.
Keywords: salt reduction, Umami, food environment improvement, sodium, potassium, blood pressure,
hypertension, double-blind, randomized controlled trial, free-living settings● Research Report
Challenges and Prospects concerning Exhibition Facilities for “Traditional Crafts of Fukuoka and Hakata”-Consideration using Designated Manager Administration Evaluation Sheet and Consumer Attitudes SurveyOBUCHI Kazunori
Researcher
MIRAI Research Center for Traditional Crafts, Kyushu Sangyo University
This paper focuses on the Hakata Traditional Craft and Design Museum, the Hakata Machiya Furusatokan
and the Takumi Gallery in ACROS Fukuoka as public exhibition facilities that exhibit and sell traditional crafts
in Fukuoka City. Each facility conducts various activities as a base for disseminating traditional crafts. Inparticular, the author grasped the current situation by comparing the operational status of these facilities withthat of the Kumamoto Prefectural Traditional Crafts Center and the Kumamoto Handicrafts Promotion Centerin Kumamoto City. In addition, the results of awareness surveys of citizens and nationwide consumers
suggested that there is room for public facilities to respond to various consumer needs. Based on theseanalyses, the author proposed measures to increase awareness and visitor numbers of public facilities thatexhibit and sell traditional crafts of Fukuoka and Hakata. Conducting questionnaires that citizens and tourists
can easily answer may not only lead to the improvement of the administration evaluation sheet, but also be
an effective means of understanding the current state of consumer needs. There is a possibility that it canalso be reflected in the formulation of efficient placement of public facilities.
Keywords:Traditional Crafts of Fukuoka and Hakata, Designated Manager, Administration Evaluation Sheet,Consumer Attitudes Survey

87Changes of Talent Attraction Policies in Shenzhen
and Their Implications to Japan’s Major Cities
PENG Xue
Assistant Professor
andDAI ErbiaoProfessor
Asian Growth Research InstituteThe sustainable development of a city needs its total factor productivity（TFP）to keep rising, in which
the contribution of creative talents is indispensable. In recent years, the competition for talents amongmajor cities in various countries has become increasingly fierce. As the fastest growing city in China, one of
the main reasons of Shenzhen’s 40 years of strong growth lies in its talent attraction policy, which always
goes compatible with the city’s development strategy and industrial structure transformation. There aremany introductions about the general characteristics of Shenzhen's talent policies in different periods inthe existing literature, but there is a lack of systematic investigation on various aspects of these talent
policies and analysis on the reasons for their changes. This paper analyzes the changing characteristics ofShenzhen's talent policies from four aspects: types of target talents, institutional support system, preferentialmeasures to the talents, and preferential measures to stimulate output. It also discusses the reasons ofpolicy changes in Shenzhen from the perspectives of push-pull theory of migration, industrial development
law, urban development law, and Hierarchy of Needs theory. The analysis results of this study can shed lighton talent policies of major cities in Japan, including Fukuoka.
Keywords: Talent Attraction Policy, Changes, Reasons, Shenzhen‘Social Upheaval’
The Impact of COVID-19 on Statistics and the ‘New Normal’ Today
HATAKEYAMA Naohisa
Senior ResearcherFukuoka Asian Urban Research Center
The report summarizes how the attitudes and behaviors of Fukuoka City residents have changed dueto the expansion of COVID-19 infection after 2020, focusing on statistical data, and examines the socialfluctuations and the current state of the "new normal" in Fukuoka City. As a result, the level of impact seenin the statistics was at its maximum when the first declaration of a state of emergency was issued in 2020,
and the impact has not been proportional to the increase in the number of infected people since then. On theother hand, many statistics have not fully returned to 2019 levels, and the number of public transportation
users remains at 70% of the 2019 level. As the consciousness and behavior of consumers indicated by thesestatistical data, shopping behavior tended to be more selective in purchasing products and services. In termsof eating and drinking behavior, there is a noticeable trend to refrain from eating out, especially drinking, butthere are signs of recovery in 2022. In terms of working style, the case of remote working increased rapidly
in 2020, but the momentum has declined since then and will remain at a certain level. Fukuoka citizens are
more satisfied with their lives than they were before the coronavirus pandemic, perhaps because they haveturned their attention to the fulfillment of their lives, such as by becoming more family-oriented. This trend
is consistent with the advent of a society that emphasizes well-being, and gives us a glimpse of the newnormal of the image of consumers.
Keywords: C OVID-19, Pandemic, State of Emergency Declaration, Statistical Data, Civilian Life, “NewNormal”

88Policy Framework for Well-beingKIKUSAWA Ikuyo
Chief Researcher
Fukuoka Asian Urban Research Center
There is a growing movement to apply well-being as a new indicator for cities. However, little progress has
been made in examining the political process and the effects of measures to deploy well-being as policy
indicators. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to help develop a policy framework for well-being byorganizing related research. As a result, 1) the concept or compass of well-being, 2) the measurement andunderstanding of well-being situation, 3) the determinants of well-being, and 4) the effects of well-being areshown to be the key research fields of well-being. Of these, the first three fields are considered as a cyclicalseries of processes for policy development. Measurements are needed in both steps 2) and 3). At the second
step, it measures the subjective well-being of citizens, and at the third step, it measures the implementation
status of policies, such as the progress of policies. Through this, the framework will allow us to confirm
whether the implementation of the policy is effective to the expected fields of well-being. However, it is also
necessary to take into consideration the fact that there will be a time gap between the implementation ofmeasures and their effects being apparent.
Keywords: Subjective well-being, city index, application of well-being to public policy, flourishing

Fukuoka City Citizen Attitude Survey and Well-Being Index
YAMADA Misato
Chief Researcher
Fukuoka Asian Urban Research Center
This research note compares two citizens’ awareness surveys that have been conducted by Fukuoka City,"Survey of Attitudes toward City Administration" and "Survey of Attitudes toward the Performance Indicatorsof the Fukuoka City Master Plan," with reference to existing urban well-being indices (happiness indices),
to identify items and elements necessary for understanding the subjective well-being of citizens. As aresult of the comparison, it became clear that it is necessary to consider the following two points: 1) setting
indicators and questions according to the underlying urban vision and basic policies, and 2) understanding
residents' well-being as a set of values and current conditions. On top of this, it is necessary to consider
well-being indicators while incorporating new perspectives such as "comfort and excitement," "fulfillment,"and "altruism," as well as considering personal, emotional, and specific questions in order to respond to adiverse society and diverse values.
Keywords: Well-being, Happiness, Subjective Well-being, Subjective Satisfaction, Attitude Survey, Regional
Policy, Gross Arakawa Happiness, Aggregate Kumamoto Happiness, Liveable Well-Being City
Index, World Happiness Report, Canadian Index of Wellbeing89

Learning From “Yanesen” How to Create a Local Brand-The Possibility of Re-Recognizing the Attractiveness of the Region Through Local Media ProductionYAMADA Misato
Chief ResearcherFukuoka Asian Urban Research Center
The term "Yanesen," a popular sightseeing area in Tokyo, originated from the local media magazine "Yanaka,Nezu, Sendagi," which was first published by community residents in 1984, and later established a local
brand that attracted people's attention. On the other hand, in Fukuoka City, although the number of tourists
is on the increase, citizens have a negative perception that there are no outstanding tourist attractions in thecity, and there have been no cases of tourism areas being developed out of attachment to specific areas of
the city. The factors that led to the formation of the "Yanesen" regional brand were 1) people, 2) content, 3)
mass media and tourism, and 4) community involvement. Therefore, a possible clue for creating a regional
brand would be for 1) members of the community, 2) along with a variety of community activities, 3) to deliver
the content that readers can relate to.
Keywords: Yanesen, local magazine Yanaka, Nezu, Sendagi, local brand, regional branding, charming town,
town development, local media, regional media, community movements

A Study on the Resistance of Companies and Cities to Change-Reflecting on the URC City Seminar “How to create a resilient company”KIKUSAWA Ikuyo
Chief ResearcherFukuoka Asian Urban Research CenterIn August 2022, City Seminar was held by the Fukuoka Asian Urban Research Center (URC) in conjunction
with the 2021 URC Research Report on the theme of "Resilience of the Local Economy". The seminar
aimed to develop further discussions with managers of SMEs and start-ups, as well as experts who support
corporate management. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the lectures and panel discussions heldby the speakers, and to present further suggestions for building resilience in local economies. As a result,the following three points were extracted as keywords: "internal communication," "employee engagement,"and "sharing of local resources". These were found as important for "local economy resilience," in which
companies face changes and grow further by taking advantage of those changes.
Keywords: SMEs, organizational resilience, internal communication, employee engagement, sharing of local
resources90