May
CCN (COR): Annual Resident Field Education Trip to Japan
22 delegates consisting of residents from member towns and directors of the Cittaslow Councils participated in a field education trip to some towns in Japan from 21st to 24th of April, and the trip includes a workshop and some education programs to help improve the ability to perform Cittaslow-related tasks.
On the first day, the delegates visited the aesthetic area of Kurashiki located in Okayama Prefecture and its townscape has earned recognition as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings.
On the second day, after a morning workshop people moved to Naoshima, an island located in the Seto Inland Sea where there is the Chichu (underground) Art Museum built by Mr. Ando Tadao, a Japan's most internationally famous architect and he also transformed abandoned houses into works of art as part of the Art House Project.
On the third day, the delegates visited Kamikatsu located in Tokushima Prefecture that earns 2.3 million USD every year by selling leaves used to garnish Japanese cuisines, even exporting them to France recently. For a sustainable recycling society, the town has been committed to zero waste and attained an 80% recycling rate by sorting its waste into 34 categories.
On the final day, the delegates moved to the city of Kobe has concentrated the reconstruction of the city after the Great Hanshin earthquake occurred on January 17, 1995.