JAL, which has bases throughout Japan, has been continuously implementing regional revitalization initiatives (currently the “JAL Furusato Project”). In August 2020, flight attendants selected through an internal application process moved to the area and launched the “JAL Furusato Ambassadors” to promote regional initiatives, and in In December of the same year, JAL appointed “JAL hometown supporters,” 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 interviewed Ms. Kinuyo Mochiki, a Furusato Ambassador who was involved in the collaboration dinner project at the Kagoshima Branch Amami Sales Office.
–What can you tell us about your initiatives?
As part of the “JAL Furusato Project,” Japan Airlines and Ore no Kabushiki Kaisha, Ltd. launched an initiative in November 2022 to attract customers to the region by introducing local food ingredients and products and stimulating interest in the region.
My French Grand Maison Otemachi, located in Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, has been holding regular dinner events utilizing local ingredients. This time, as the third such event, we will hold a “Traveling Makers Dinner” on March 19, where you can enjoy a menu using ingredients from Amami Oshima in Kagoshima Prefecture paired with wine!
It has been a year since I moved to Amami Oshima as a JAL Furusato Ambassador. What I have learned since moving here is that the five municipalities of Amami Oshima (Amami City, Setouchi Town, Ryugo Town, Yamato Village, and Uken Village) and the five islands of the Amami archipelago, although they may seem similar, each has its own unique charm. Each region and island has its own unique characteristics and delicious ingredients that are not yet well known. How can we make more people aware of this? Over the past year, we have been searching for ways to do so through trial and error.
We planned this event with the hope that people would become interested in Amami Oshima through dishes using ingredients grown on the World Natural Heritage island of Amami Oshima and feel “I want to visit there next time! We have planned this event with the hope that people will become interested in Amami Oshima and feel “I want to visit there next time!
–How are you involved in this effort?
Each of the five municipalities on Amami Oshima has its own unique charm, which is why we had a strong desire from the beginning of the project to use ingredients from all five municipalities. We started by selecting the ingredients, but we also consulted with the local government offices and islanders, asking ourselves, “How can we convey the charms of each of the five municipalities? We proposed the ingredients to the restaurants, while consulting with the town halls and islanders to determine how we could convey the charms of the five municipalities.
When the manager and chef of Ore no French Grand Maison Otemachi actually visited Amami Oshima to inspect the ingredients, they made a round trip around Amami Oshima, one of the largest islands in Japan, and selected ingredients while conveying the charm of the island, despite the short schedule of two days and one night. We are sincerely grateful to the manager and the chef who met seriously with the producers and the people of Amami whom they visited, and selected the ingredients while listening to their voices.
On the day of the event, I will also be wearing “Oshima tsumugi”, a traditional craft of Amami Oshima, at the venue, and will be waiting for you with the thought, “Mishore”, or “Bon appétit” in the Amami Shimaguchi (dialect). I would like to be involved in the management of the event so that I can directly convey to our customers the charms that I have experienced since I moved to Amami Oshima as an ambassador and make them fall in love with Amami Oshima.
–What are your future plans and prospects?
I would like to use this event as a springboard for planning events that will help more people to understand the charms of Amami Oshima and the next five islands of the Amami archipelago (Kikaijima, Tokunoshima, Okinoerabujima, and Yoronjima), and to work with the people of the islands to enliven the Amami archipelago. I will continue to work as an ambassador for the Amami Islands, with respect for the feelings of the people living on the islands and connecting them to new ideas as the axis of my activities.
–What is your message to travelers?
First of all, we would be happy if our guests could enjoy the atmosphere of the venue with dishes prepared with care by our chefs and wines selected by our sommelier to match the dishes, making the dinner a memorable experience for them.
As I myself felt on my first trip to Amami Oshima, “This is an interesting island, I want to live here,” I think Amami Oshima is a mysterious island with charms that cannot be understood unless you visit it. I think Amami Oshima is a mysterious island that has charms that cannot be conveyed without visiting. These charms include the nostalgic atmosphere of the island, the distance between nature and people, and the warmth of the islanders.
In terms of food, there are many delicious foods to enjoy on the island, such as brown sugar shochu (shochu made only in the Amami Islands), seasonal fruits such as mandarin oranges, plums, passion fruit, dragon fruit, and island bananas, traditional chicken rice, and miki (a fermented drink). We hope that this dinner event will help you to become more interested in Amami Oshima, which is made up of five municipalities: Amami City, Setouchi Town, Ryugo Town, Yamato Village, and Uken Village, and we would be happy to welcome you to the island next time you visit.
© Source travel watch
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