| In the 16th century, OTOMO Sorin brought Western
culture into Oita. The Funai became more crowded as it developed into
a cosmopolitan city. In the Edo era, the Dutch merchant ship, De Liefde
drifted in from off Sashu in Usuki. Local people and the feudal clan
welcomed the crew, William Adams and Jan Joosten. Later, the Shogun
TOKUGAWA Ieyasu took them into confidence as diplomatic advisors.
It may be said that international exchange is a trait of Oita. |
Exchange through the One Village One Product Movement |
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As early as about 1965, Oyama To w n shifted
from rice-centered agriculture to more value-added agriculture such
as plums and chestnuts, and started the movement "Let' produce
plum and chestnut, and go to Hawaii", encouraging people to travel
abroad with the earnings. They have kept up international exchange
activities for more than 30 years. The effect has been manifested
in local community planning like "Konohana Garten", a local
market managed by the Agricultural Cooperative.
As information technology advances and the One Village One Product
Movement makes steady headway, friendship, as well as "Mutual
Understanding and Profits" have improved, and international relationships
focusing on both regional revitalizations have deepened.
In 1983, Governor HIRAMATSU was invited by the Mayor of Shanghai to
give a lecture about the One Village One Product Movement and the
Technopolis Project. It stimulated local-foreign diplomacy between
countries and regions in Asia, Europe, United States, Russia, South
America, Africa and other countries. Even now, mutual exchange of
trainers, producers and citizens is going on. In particular,exchange
with Korea based on the Saemaul-Undong Movement, which has the same
concept as the One Village One Product Movement, is lively. There
are youth, cultural, and student exchanges in each municipal based
on the "Saemaul-Undong Movement and One Village One Product Movement
Exchange". The 2002 FIFA World Cup Soccer co-sponsored by Japan
and Korea has enhanced this relationship. |
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The 21st Century as the Asian Era |
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The first Asia-Kyushu Regional Exchange Summit
was held in 1994 in Beppu, aiming at the realization of the Kyushu
Asia Economic Bloc with an active flow and circulation of manpower,
materials, and information. The summit has since been held in Asia
annually. The 7th Summit in 2000 returned to Beppu and representatives
from 37 regions in 12 countries discussed the present and future of
Asia. While we have laid emphasis on the solutions of environmental
problems as well as economic development, the 51st National Arbor
Day was held in Oita in April 2000, and advocated the "Green
Network Declaration" which focused at Asia. The proposal was
to build a network of tree planting activities in Asia beyond countries
and regions, and high school students and citizens in Oita have put
much effort into this activity. Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University
(APU) was opened in 2000. Half of the students are international,
and this has greatly increased the population of international students
in Oita. An estimated 2,500 international students in 2003 would make
APU one of the top 5 institutions in Japan with regards to the number
of international students, and this is a remarkable figure when considering
the population and number of education institutions in the country.
The Oita International Wheelchair Marathon counted its 20th anniversary
in 2000. More than 400 athletes from about 30 countries and territories
compete in the marathon.
Local-foreign diplomacy has contributed to the coexistence of people
of different countries and religions who have different culture and
lifestyles, helping them to understand and help one another to benefit
from mutual cooperation. |
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Kuroshima in the Offing of Sashu(Usuki City)
Konohana Garten (Oyama Town)
Asia-Kyushu Exchange Summit
The National Arbor Day
APU (Beppu City)
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