JAL, which has bases throughout Japan, has been continuously implementing regional revitalization initiatives (currently the “JAL Furusato Project”), and in August 2020 launched the “JAL Furusato Ambassadors,” cabin crew members selected through an in-house recruitment process who move to the area to promote initiatives in their respective regions. In December of the same year, JAL appointed “JAL Hometown Cheering Troops” who are involved in regional revitalization while serving as flight attendants. The aim is to develop products and solve regional issues for hometowns and other regions with which they have connections, utilizing the knowledge they have accumulated as flight attendants.
We spoke with Junko Kimura, a JAL Furusato Ambassador who is involved in the Nanaori Ume Festival in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture.
–What can you tell us about your initiatives?
Umeboshi are the soul food of the Japanese people! I, by the way, grew up with my mother’s homemade pickled plums. The “Nanaoirekoume” (small ume plums) that my mother uses every year are a specialty of the town of Tobe in Ehime Prefecture. It has a history of about 110 years, and is called “blue diamond” because of its high quality and is traded at a high price.
In recent years, however, the aging of growers, lack of successors, and declining production due to aging ume trees have become challenges. In order to solve these issues, JAL flight attendants have been participating in tree-planting events since FY2022 and helping to promote awareness of Nanaurai ume trees.
–How are you involved in this effort?
On January 19, we participated in a tree-planting event at Nanaori Plum Garden in Tobe Town, Ehime Prefecture. First, a farmer taught us how to plant, and then we planted a thin plum tree with an unfamiliar shovel in our hands. Nearby, a 25-year-old plum tree was in full bloom, and we hoped that it would soon take on this appearance. When we looked at the tree we planted last year, we found small buds on it! We were happy to see them again, growing little by little!
–What are your future plans and prospects?
The 34th Nanaori Plum Festival will be held at the Nanaori Plum Garden in Tobe Town from February 17 to March 3. More than 16,000 plum trees will be in full bloom in a beautiful natural setting, filled with the sweet fragrance of plum blossoms and the chirping of Japanese bush warblers. Please come and enjoy the beauty of plum blossoms.
In addition, the Nanare Ume Kumiai will be involved in the replanting of ume orchards and accepting trainees for new farmers. Japan Airlines Matsuyama Branch supports this effort and will continue to promote awareness of Nanaore Koume and to attract visitors to Tomochi.
–What is your message to travelers?
It would be a waste if you only visit for the Ume Festival! Let us introduce you to the attractions of Tomochi! Tomochi, a 20-minute drive from Matsuyama, offers a wide variety of fun activities for both children and adults, including the Tomochi pottery experience, Tobe Zoo, Ehime Children’s Castle, and the Tobemori Zip Line. Visitors can try their hand at a variety of pottery making techniques, from the relatively simple “painting” to the more advanced “hand-binning. The zipline connecting the Tobe Zoo and the Children’s Castle is one of the largest in Shikoku, with a total length of 730 meters! Tobe Town can be enjoyed by all ages. Please come and visit us.
© Source travel watch
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