Cittaslow International in Maebashi-Akagi: institutional meetings and local experiences
MAEBASHI, JAPAN – Cittaslow International Secretary General Pier Giorgio Oliveti visited Maebashi and the Akagi area for a series of institutional meetings and activities aimed at strengthening cooperation with the Japanese Cittaslow community and exploring its local identity, traditions and sustainable development initiatives.
At Maebashi City Hall, Secretary General Oliveti was officially welcomed by Mayor Akira Ogawa. The meeting was attended by Vice Mayors Seiichi Hosoya and Rie Inomata, together with representatives of the municipal administration, including Sanae Katakai, Director of Culture and Sport, Masahiro Harasawa, Head of Public Relations and Brand Strategy, Mili Kobayashi and Aiko Enoura.
The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss Maebashi's experience within the international Cittaslow network and the role of the Akagi area in promoting a model of territorial development based on quality of life, local identity, environmental protection and community participation.
Maebashi, through the Akagi area, joined Cittaslow in 2017, becoming the first Cittaslow community in Japan. Since then, it has represented an important reference point for the development of the Cittaslow philosophy in the country.
The visit continued through the Maebashi-Akagi territory, from the outskirts of the city to the rural areas surrounding Mount Akagi (Akagiyama), which rises to more than 1,800 metres.
An important part of the programme was a meeting at a local temple with Kiyoshi Nara, President of the Tokizawa Daikon Revival Project. The initiative is dedicated to preserving and promoting the traditional local variety of daikon and its production, including dried daikon. Well known throughout Gunma Prefecture and beyond, this variety is particularly suitable for the preparation of takuan, the traditional Japanese pickled daikon.
The programme also included an open meeting with representatives of local institutions and the community. Among those attending were Noboru Kondo, Chairperson of the Maebashi City Council, and Masahiro Kaneko, President of the Maebashi International Association, together with city councillors, municipal managers, citizens and representatives of associations from the Akagi area.
A group of university students from Maebashi and Tokyo also took part in the meeting, contributing to an exchange focused on the future of the territory and the involvement of younger generations.
The visit highlighted the strong connection between Maebashi-Akagi's rural heritage, local food traditions, community participation and institutional commitment. These elements continue to form the basis of the area's Cittaslow identity and its contribution to the international network of communities committed to a more sustainable and people-centred model of development.
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