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 on board. 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 Eriko Kobayashi, a JAL Furusato Ambassador who is involved in collaborative projects with other companies in Hokkaido.
–What can you tell us about your initiatives?
My name is Kobayashi, a JAL Furusato Ambassador for Hokkaido, and I am currently living and working in Sapporo, Hokkaido.
One of the initiatives of the ambassadors in charge of the Hokkaido region is a three-company collaboration project with JR Hokkaido and travel agencies.
JAL Hokkaido Branch received a proposal from JR Hokkaido for a JAL/JR Hokkaido Charter & Charter Project in 2020, and together with travel agencies, developed a plan for the “HOKKAIDO LOVE! HITOMEGURI-go” tour, which has been carried out since 2021.
A total of 17 charter trains have been operated to date, with over 600 passengers boarding last year.
The concept of the “HOKKAIDO LOVE! Hitomeguri-go” is “One train, one tour, Hokkaido,” and local governments and people from various regions along the route through which the “HOKKAIDO LOVE! Local governments and people from various regions along the “HOKKAIDO LOVE!
Customers are so impressed by the hospitality of the local volunteers and “yurukyara” that greet them at every station stop that the station and train are filled with laughter and smiles.
The guests of the Hitomeguri were welcomed by small children from nursery schools and kindergartens singing songs, a brass band performance by local high school students, taiko drumming by young people, and so on, in a variety of ways.
We recommend taking a chartered train as it is a very comfortable and efficient way to get around Hokkaido without worrying about train transfer times, but the “HOKKAIDO LOVE! One of the attractions of the “HOKKAIDO LOVE! Hitomeguri-go” is that it offers a special experience that “brings people together and strengthens bonds between people in Hokkaido.
–How are you involved in this effort?
The “HOKKAIDO LOVE! Hitomeguri-go” is a special experience that is enhanced by the “JAL Furusato Ambassadors” who live in Hokkaido and the “JAL Furusato Ouen-tai” who have ties to Hokkaido, adding a touch of “hospitality”.
In addition to the greeting, farewell, and greeting by cabin attendants at station platforms, we also provide special in-train announcements that make passengers feel as if they are on an airplane, introduce hometown messages received from local government officials, and help distribute novelties that introduce the local community.
The quiz jointly organized by JAL hometown ambassadors and JR Hokkaido conductors is also very popular, and the rock-paper-scissors tournament to determine the ranking of each car when the prizes are handed out is very exciting.
As cabin attendants are required to be physically fit, we do simple preparation exercises before each flight. For passengers who spend long hours in the train, the “Original Gymnastics” event is also popular, in which they can refresh themselves by moving their bodies together with the cheering squad and ambassadors to promote “circulation of blood”. I need to strengthen my legs and back so that I can participate in the next year’s event! said a customer with a smile.
The program of hospitality and commemorative photo wearing JAL’s past uniforms was also very popular, and customers commented, “I was very happy to have a commemorative photo with a CA in a precious uniform. Unlike on the plane, we had a lot of time to talk, which was friendly and brought us closer. The precious uniforms of past generations were a great surprise! I felt the history and weight of Japan’s world-class hospitality and the pride of the CAs.
This year, for the first time, inbound passengers from Taiwan also joined us. JAL Global Ambassadors, crew members from Taiwan, boarded the train and were in charge of in-train announcements, interpretation, and hospitality, allowing passengers to experience the Hitomeguri-go and the hospitality of the local people of Hokkaido, regardless of nationality.
The hospitality that only JAL can provide in this way has been very well received by our customers, helping them to create memories of their travels, and has strengthened our ties with the local community and customers, and thankfully, we have an increasing number of repeat customers.
–What are your future plans and prospects?
The ties that “HOKKAIDO LOVE! HITOMEGURI-go” has established with JR Hokkaido, travel agencies, and local residents have led to new initiatives.
Have you ever heard of the “SL Winter Marshland”? If you are an SL or railroad fan, you may have heard of this special limited-time-only train operated by JR Hokkaido between Kushiro and Shibecha Stations, which is so popular that reserved-seat tickets are sold out as soon as they go on sale every year.
This year, the SL Winter Marshland is available only on February 27 and March 6, in cooperation with JR Hokkaido and travel agencies, and is available as a chartered train tour!
Passengers participating in the tour will be guaranteed a seat on the SL Fuyu-no-Shitsugen, so they can enjoy the scenery of Kushiro Marsh in a relaxed and leisurely manner. Although cabin attendants do not accompany the SL Winter Marshland, passengers can enjoy a drift ice tour of the Sea of Okhotsk before and after the SL Winter Marshland tour, allowing them to fully enjoy the charms of East Hokkaido in winter.
In addition, JAL hometown ambassadors and JAL hometown supporters will announce about Kushiro Marshland and other attractions along the route and provide hospitality on the SL Winter Marshland train.
Those who have participated in the East Hokkaido Course on the Hitomoguri will discover the charm of Kushiro Marsh in winter, which is different from that of the autumn season.
Encounters with local people, yurukyara, and the Ezo sika deer and red-crowned cranes that you will encounter in Kushiro Marsh are also a soothing moment that is “unique to Hokkaido.
We are waiting for you on the SL Shitsugen in winter with special gifts such as sweets developed by JAL Kushiro Branch in cooperation with Tsurui Village.
–What is your message to travelers?
We introduced some of the initiatives that JAL Furusato Ambassadors have planned in collaboration with JR Hokkaido and travel agencies to revitalize the region.
Some of the customers who have participated in the Hitomeguri-go and train trips have experienced a variety of life dramas. The life dramas of customers who participate in the Hitomeguri-go and train tours are varied.
It is a valuable experience for us to be able to spend time with our customers on their precious trips and help them create memories that will last a lifetime, and it is also very rewarding for us.
Japan is facing a variety of challenges, such as a lack of successors to industries due to a shrinking population and environmental changes caused by global warming, but I would be happy if our efforts to connect Hokkaido and its regions by air and land, through the ties with local residents and the smiles that fill the stations and interior of the trains, could help to revitalize the region, however small. I would be happy if our efforts to connect air and land could help to revitalize Hokkaido and its regions, however small.
We would also like to cooperate with our fellow JAL hometown ambassadors throughout Japan, and work toward the development of similar regional revitalization through cooperation between air and land throughout the country in the future.
I didn’t know they were doing this!” I would like to further enhance our ability to disseminate information to the world. I hope you will continue to pay attention to the activities of the JAL Furusato Ambassadors and the JAL Furusato Support Team!
I’ll be back in Hokkaido!
© Source travel watch
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