## (5) Case studies on initiatives capitalizing on local key industries

## [Tomiura-machi, Chiba Prefecture: “loquat club project”]

Tomiura, a production base for Boushu loquat for more than 250 years, was seeing its key industries—agriculture, fisheries and tourism—on the decline. The town was also facing a serious problem of a decreasing population.

These circumstances prompted the town mayor to exercise strong leadership and establish within the municipal government a taskforce aimed at rejuvenating these key industries. The taskforce studies ways to connect resources scattered throughout the town to launch rejuvenating projects. This led to the establishment of the “loquat club project.” As a base for this project, the municipality opened “Road Station Tomiura—Biwa Kurabu (loquat club)” in 1993.

In addition to Roadside Station Tomiura, other facilities are scattered throughout the town, including "Hana Club," a flower examination station where visitors can pick up flowers; "Strawberry Experimental Farm" where visitors can pick up strawberries; and "Biwa Picking Experimental Farm," where visitors can pick up loquats grown in greenhouses as well as open fields. These hands-on facilities are part of the effort to develop a resort farming system that even pursues plant breeding and innovative planting methods in order to attract tourists. They have also developed new products such as jams, soft serve ice creams, and jellies made from loquats that have failed to meet market standards. Such loquats were once regarded as having no commercial value and were disposed of. In 2003, "Hana Club" was designated as the second roadside station in Tomiura.

Roadside Station Tomiura

The loquat club project is committed to promotion as well. It works with loquat and flower growers and small-scale operators of tourism-related businesses such as Japanese Inns (an inexpensive Japanese-style accommodation like a bed-and-breakfast), restaurants and bars to promote tourism resources scattered in the region (Minami Boso) as a whole to traveling agencies. The loquat club project has an integrated system for placing and receiving orders, which makes it possible to charge a travel agency—which offers bus tours and other forms of packaged tours—in a lump. This system is also aimed at ensuring that tourists will not flock to a tourist attraction at one time.

As part of culture promotion initiative, Tomiura organizes a puppet play festival, supports “Watching Tomiura,” a group of people who explore local treasures, and sponsors “Biwa Club Salon,” a series of lecture meetings where local intellectuals and audience talk over a cup of loquat tea.

The “loquat club project” has succeeded in division of labor for viable and efficient management. The municipal government takes charge of the sectors that have public implications and a large impact on the town, including the management of the above-mentioned facilities and cultural programs. Commercial business such as shop operation and tourist promotion is taken care of by Tomiura Co., a private company wholly owned by the municipal government.

Thanks to the project, a total of 4,000 tour buses come to Tomiura and some 670,000 people visits Roadside Station Tomiura every year. Tomiura Co. has been in the black. The project has created jobs that account for one percent of local employment. It has many spin-off effects, including stable production for local farmers and development of