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 interviewed Ms. Naoko Wakasugi and Ms. Manami Tonegawa, JAL Furusato Ambassadors for the Chubu region, who are involved in planning JAL Furusato Project products in Nagano Prefecture.
–What can you tell us about your initiatives?
Iizuna Town, located in northern Nagano Prefecture, is a gently hilly area with elevations ranging from 500 to 900 meters above sea level. The average temperature is 11.3°C. Because of the inland climate, there is a large difference in temperature between daytime and nighttime. This cool and cold climate is ideal for agriculture, especially apple cultivation, where the cold temperature difference allows the apples to store plenty of nutrients and produce a rich flavor. In fact, it is said that about one out of every 100 apples distributed in Japan is grown in Iizuna Town.
JAL hometown ambassadors are working together with local residents to make more people aware of the charms of Iizuna Town.
–How are you involved in this effort?
More than 50 varieties of apples are produced in Iizuna Town, Nagano Prefecture, and are one of the town’s major attractions. The Izumigaoka Café, a tart specialty store and café, is located in the “Iizuna Connect EAST” complex, a renovated closed elementary school in the town.
The store is popular for its apple tarte tatin, baked whole apple tart, and other sweets filled with the deliciousness of Iizuna-machi apples. Izumigaoka Cafe’s wish to “enable apple growers to continue to produce many varieties of apples by commercializing products using apples that are not available in other regions due to their low production numbers or out of standard,” and JAL’s desire to revitalize the region, led to the launch of this initiative. JAL’s desire to revitalize the local community coincided with the launch of the project.
On March 16, JAL Furusato Ambassadors, JAL Furusato Supporting Team (Chubu region) and Chubu Branch employees cooperated in the commercialization of “Iizuna Ringo 50 Varieties Apple Juice”. It is 100% apple juice from 50 different varieties of apples produced in Iizuna Town. This product allows consumers to enjoy the differences in taste, color, and appeal of each variety. We participated in the harvesting of the apples, considered the label design, devised a concept for a set of products, and proposed the creation of a chart showing the different tastes of each variety.
–What are your future plans and prospects?
In the future, JAL plans to release a travel-themed “Iizuna Ringo no Hometown Travel Set” featuring 50 varieties that are native to the countries JAL flies to. The six-piece set will include “San Fuji,” which is a representative of the familiar taste of Japanese people, “Terramont,” which is native to England, “Granny Smith,” which is native to Australia, “Benidama,” which is native to the United States, and “Geneva” and “Macintosh,” which are native to Canada, allowing customers to enjoy the differences in color and flavor of each variety. This set is available at the JAL Hometown site. This set will also be posted on the JAL Hometown Tax Payment website.
–What is your message to travelers?
We will be selling “Iizuna apple juice of 50 varieties” at various events in the future. We hope that this will be an opportunity for more people to enjoy the delicious taste of Iizuna apples and the characteristics of each variety, and to learn more about the charms of Iizuna Town. We hope you will visit Iizuna in spring, when the town is filled with the fragrance of apple blossoms and the beautiful scenery of the five Kitashin peaks!
© Source travel watch
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