Title: Obuse Mini-Marathon: a “Run & Eat & Interact” opportunity

to enjoy unexplored charms of rural Japan
Destination, Country: Obuse, Japan
Submitted by: Naoaki Shinjo, Obuse Town Sustainability Coordinator
In the category: ☒ Destination Management☐ Nature & Scenery☐ Environment & Climate☐ Culture & Tradition☐ Thriving Communities☐ Business & Marketing

The Story in a picture:
About 8 thousand runners enjoy true treasure of rural Japan.

Summary:
Obuse town is famous for its cultural heritage such as historic landscape, artwork by Katsushika
Hokusai, and chestnut confectioneries. Although more than 1 million visitors come to the town
annually, most visitors surge at a few specific blocks around the central area, where most culturalsights are located, and the number of visitors fluctuates heavily between the peak period in autumn
and other seasons.
“Obuse Mini-Marathon” (“mini” also means “to see” in Japanese) is held in July as an attempt totackle both geographical and seasonal concentration that the local tourism is facing, and provide an
opportunity for visitors to run through the beautiful nature and farm lands across the town and enjoy
the true treasure of rural Japan with theirs eyes, palates (full of local food and drinks at the aidstations), and hearts (interaction with local residents.)
It has also become an important occasion for local cultures, where many town residents not only
participate as volunteers, but also express themselves through music and performances, creating an
atmosphere of hospitality for the runners throughout the town.
Each year, approximately 8,000 runners and their families and friends visit the town for themarathon, out of which 70 percent have joined the event in the past. This high repeat ratio shows
the level of satisfaction by the participants and contributes to the town’s enthusiastic fan base, incontrast to unsustainable “one-off” visitors. There are even 30 runners who have participated inevery marathon from the first one in 2003 to this year's 20th marathon.

Good Practice Story:
Destination description
Brief background of the destination.
Obuse, a beautiful town blessed with an abundance of nature, prospered as a transportation andeconomic hub during the Edo period. It is now a popular tourist destination that draws nearly 1.0
million people every year as a "Town of Chestnuts, Hokusai and Flowers."
Obuse chestnuts have been renowned for their deliciousness since the Edo period, and were evenoffered as a gift to the shogun. Inheriting this tradition, many chestnut confectioners are located in
the town. One of the reasons Obuse became a booming tourist destination was the opening of theHokusai Museum in 1976, which exhibited the ukiyo-e and paintings of Katsushika Hokusai. Hokusai
stayed in Obuse in his later years and left many excellent works.
In the 1980s, the "Townscape Beautification Project" began, which was a bottom-up initiative by the
local stakeholders to discuss the ideal state of the town and redesign the town’s central area. Under
the concept of “Landscape Amendment,” instead of the traditional “Landscape Preservation,” thetown sought a community where residents and visitors could both spend time comfortably byintroducing new elements while also making use of the traditional assets.
Since then, the philosophy of "what's inside is yours, while what's outside is everyone's" has spreadthroughout the town, and the warm-welcoming attitude towards visitors by the locals has become
one of the town’s important charms. The "open garden" culture is a good example, in which the local
households let visitors enter and wander around their gardens to appreciate the beautiful flowers
together, lifting up Obuse to be known as the "Town of Flowers” by visitors.

Issues faced
Problems/issues solved with the Good Practice Story.
A large percentage of the visitors to Obuse has been participants of large-scale bus tours. Most ofthese visitors have come for the chestnut confections offered in town from September to November,with much of the visitors concentrated during this period. This has had a negative impact on the livesof the town's residents, as they are unable to enter restaurants as usual during the height of theperiod. Then as if the town were hit by an infectious disease or disaster, at the tailend of the period,
the number of visitors would decrease significantly, posing a major economic risk to the town'sbusinesses.
In addition, the area visited by visitors is concentrated in a small area in the center of town, causingroad congestion that has a negative impact on the quality of life of town residents and visitors’satisfaction. Visitors have had little opportunities to enjoy the charm of the beautiful rural landscapein the surrounding area of Obuse.
Besides its chestnuts, Obuse also has other specialty products such as grapes, apples and cherries,
along with their by-products. However, compared to the traditionally famous chestnuts and chestnut
confections, these specialty products have not received as much media exposure so their appeal has
not been fully communicated to visitors.

Methods, steps, and tools applied
Solutions implemented to address the sustainability problems or issues.

- A half marathon to enjoy Obuse's food and culture was planned to attract visitors during thesummer season, rather than the busy fall season.
- Named "Obuse Mini-Marathon" with the concept of "going to the embankment, running on thefield roads, running in the alleys of a town unlike a city with many visitors, the event is designed forrunners to enjoy the beautiful rural scenery of Obuse Town and discover new attractions. Since therunners would be running on roads that are among residential roads and farmland, theunderstanding and cooperation of the townspeople was essential, and the consent of the leaders of
all 28 neighborhood associations in the town at the time was obtained. Discussions were also heldwith the police to ensure safety.
- Planning began in April 2003, and the first event was held three months later in July 2003, with 752
participants.
- With the cooperation of local businesses and farmers, the support provided along the route are notlimited to chestnut confections, but also include a variety of local specialties, such as locally grownfruit, sweets made from locally grown fruits, and milk produced by local businesses.
- With the cooperation of local companies that handle EVs, a small EV will be used as the leadvehicle. In 2022, Allbirds will sponsor the event to calculate CO2 emissions and offset carbon dioxide
emissions, and there will be teams of "Zero Garbage Runners" who will pick up trash after theparticipants run. Also, the event will be operated in consideration of environmental sustainability,such as local train operators will run extra trains to reduce the use of private cars.
- Not only do many local residents participate in the event as volunteers, but they also perform
traditional musical instruments such as taiko drums, shamisen, and shakuhachi (bamboo flute) andgreen tea ceremony along the route, providing opportunities to preserve and pass on the culture ofthe town.

Key success factors
Critical elements that led to successfully solving the issues.
- Not only do many town residents participate as volunteers, but in addition play traditional musicalinstruments, play in bands and dance, providing an opportunity for the town residents to express
themselves and creating an atmosphere of hospitality for the runners throughout the town. Forrunners, the constant cheering is the biggest reason for their high satisfaction, and 70% ofparticipants are repeat runners.
- In the 1980s, the town initiated a “Townscape Beautification Project" to create a townscape space
where residents and visitors can spend time comfortably. This heightened the townspeople's
awareness of the landscape, and the concept of "what's inside is yours and what's outside is
everyone else's" permeated the entire town of Obuse. This concept is to use the areas along thestreet that are visible as public space, even if they are on private property. This culture that had been
fostered also influenced Obuse to accept marathons on the streets of part of daily life.
- Businesses in the town offer their products as aids at aid stands and sponsorships to promote theevent to participants, and the event is managed with the cooperation of the businesses in the town.
- Unlike most marathons, “Obuse Mini-Marathon” is easy for people to participate in, with specialties
from Obuse available at the aid stand to eat, a "Best Costume Award" that allows participants towear a costume, and a longer time limit of 5 hours due to the small differences in course elevation.
The course is designed to make it easy for participants to enjoy the charms of Obuse.

Lessons learned
Challenges faced while implementing the Good Practice and their solutions.
- Initially, there was much opposition and concern from the townspeople about using residential
roads and farmland as the course, and police permission could not be obtained.

Following persistent negotiations with the leaders of the 28 neighborhood associations in the town
at the time, the executive committee members were able to obtain the approval of all leaders.
After repeated discussions with the police, we were able to obtain permission to review the course
more than 10 times.
- The time limit was set at 5 hours, a very long time for a half marathon, to make it easier for people
to participate and to allow them to enjoy the charms of Obuse, but this required longer hours oftraffic control and safety for participants.
With the cooperation not only of the town of Obuse, but also of the sports associations, trafficsafety associations, and schools in the surrounding areas, we were able to double the number ofvolunteers as planned. As a result, we were able to gain the understanding of the police.
For many elementary school students, this was their first volunteer experience, and in addition tothe learning experience, the number of town residents who supported the project through theirchildren as a family increased.
- Many participants visited the town in their own cars to participate in the event, which caused
greenhouse gas emissions and congestion along the town's roads, negatively impacting the lives of
the town's residents. There is also the issue that a lot of garbage is generated as a result of theprovision of aids.
By working with local train operators to provide temporary train service, we were able to reduce
the use of private vehicles and alleviate road congestion in the town.
Greenhouse gas emissions from the convention were calculated and partially offset in 2022 withthe sponsorship of Allbirds.
As for waste, we are working with Zero Waste Japan to determine the amount of waste emissions
and formulate measures to reduce them, and plan to implement measures from 2024 with a focus
on reducing plastic containers and packaging used in providing aids.

Achievements and Results
Direct and indirect results of the Good Practice.
- With a population of 11,000, it is the smallest municipality in Nagano Prefecture, yet about 8,000
runners and their families and friends visit the town each year to watch the marathon. The firstedition had 752 participants, but from there the number has increased by about 1,000 each year, andsince the 8th edition in 2010, about 8,000 people have participated each year, excluding the periodof the COVID-19 Pandemic. Seven in 10 of the participants are repeaters, and there are 30 runners
who have participated in every race from the first race in 2003 to the 20th race this year.
- Approximately 1,500 volunteers, mostly town residents, participate in the operation of the event
annually.
- Due to the long time limit of 5 hours for a half marathon, the finish rate has exceeded 99% everyyear since the fourth race in 2006, suggesting that participants have plenty of time to enjoy theattractions of Obuse. The oldest runners are over 70 years old every year (the oldest being 93),
making the event accessible to people of all ages.
- Approximately 15 aids featuring local specialties, such as local agricultural products including
apricots in syrup, nectarines, tomatoes, and nozawana(a local species of turnip greens), as well asprocessed local agricultural products such as gelato, fruit crepes, and miso pickles, are displayed eachyear, contributing to the support and promotion of local businesses and farmers in the town. The
event is sponsored by Allbirds.
- Through the sponsorship of Allbirds, CO2 emissions from the event were calculated (approximately
180 tons), 50 tons of which were offset through forest planting activities in Nagano Prefecture.

Tips for other destinations
Your suggestions or recommendations for other destinations facing the same issues or implementing
similar solutions- By including in the course places that are not visited by many visitors, but places that are notusually visited by out-of-towners, it is possible to show visitors new attractions of tourist attractions.
- By providing local specialties as aids, it will support local businesses and encourage the localproducts.
- By creating opportunities for local residents to showcase their traditional culture, in addition tobeing involved in the event's operation, the event will contribute to the preservation andtransmission of culture and provide an opportunity for self-expression by local residents.
- Understanding and cooperation from the local community is essential, and dialogue withcommunity leaders, such as the head of the local community, is important.
- By allowing various ways of participation other than competition, such as lengthening the time limit
or allowing participants to dress up in costumes, a wide range of participants can be attracted, and as
a result, the charm of the tourist attraction can be conveyed to many people.

Recognitions and Additional references
Recognitions and awards the Good Practice received and supporting evidence.
- “Obuse Mini-Marathon” official website
https://www.obusemarathon.jp/- The highlight of the 19th “Obuse Mini-Marathon” (movie)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x91yDiKJdjA- The collaboration website of Allbirds with “Obuse Mini-Marathon”
https://www.allbirds.jp/pages/obuse- The RUNNET (the largest portal website for runners in Japan) page for “Obuse Mini-Marathon”
https://runnet.jp/entry/runtes/user/pc/competitionDetailAction.do?raceId=313353&div=1- NHK World “Creative Solutions Spark Rural Revival, Journeys in Japan” (issued on September 28,2021, retrieved on June 30, 2023)
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/journeys/20210928/2007454/