【Summary Report 2018｜Kouzushima】Tokyo Treasure Islands Project

Many treasures including the vast natural landscape, specialty products, and unique traditions and cultures can be found in the 11 islands of Tokyo. The Tokyo Treasure Islands Project, which began in FY 2018, is an initiative carried out by the inhabitants of the islands that aims to brand the Tokyo Islands region through polishing and widely communicating these treasures.

In FY 2018, island meetings were held in Oshima, Kouzushima, Miyakejima, and Hachijojima, in which residents participated to discuss the branding of the islands.
The following is a reflection of the initiatives that Kouzushima took in FY 2018.

Contents
What are Kouzushima's Treasures? A Consideration of the Island's Treasures
Setting Kouzushima's Target Persona
Kouzushima's Brand Concept and Action Plan
Presentation at the Tokyo Treasure Islands Museum
FY 2018 Kouzushima Initiatives
Participant Feedback

What are Kouzushima's treasures? A consideration of the island's treasures

The first island meetingbegan with a discussion of the island's treasures. Kouzushima has an abundance of nature including Mt. Tenjo, which is a symbol of the island, beautiful oceans, and a sky full of stars at night. Among the them, the bright red golden eye snapper that grows in the waters of Kuroshio, legends and rituals related to water, and the vishing village culture that surrounds the island environment were raised as some of the island's treasures that the participants wanted to leave behind.

In the second island meeting, the venue was moved to the capital and the meeting was held jointly with Oshima, Miyakejima and Hachijojima. The participants learned about branding through case studies presented by experts in regional branding and by visiting facilities and companies that have succeeded in branding in the capital. Using the knowledge obtained, the participants will polish the appealing individuality unique to Kouzushima from the third meeting onwards.

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Setting Kouzushima's Target Persona

The third island meeting, the target persona was discussed. To call in people who've never visited the island, the target persona was set as foreign couples in their 30's.

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In the fourth island meeting, the treasures to communicate to the target persona were discussed. The treasures included the fishing village culture, blessings from the sea, Konokuchi*, a secret place not on guidebooks that tell the mystique nature of Kouzushima, the appreciation of the blessings of the mountains and seas, and time to think about the meaning of happiness.
*One of Kouzushima's secret areas that can only be accessed by boat.

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Kouzushima's Brand Concept and Action Plan

In the fifth island meeting, Kouzushima's brand concept and action plan was discussed.

The brand concept of the island is "An island with an abundance of water that'll make you realize ordinary miracles."
It illustrates the bright red golden eye snappers that grow up in the Kuroshio waters, water-related legends and rituals, and the fishing village culture that surround the island's environment. The action plan was decided as a water tour that is reminiscent of the island's waters.

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The focus of the plan, which is the Tokyo Fishing Village Experience Tour, incorporates the wishes of the islanders who believe that the fishermen are the island's treasures and that the vitalization of the island's fishing industry will lead to the vitalization of the entire island. That's why in the fishing experience, experiences involving the fishermen's beliefs and fish processing are being considered in addition to actually eating the fish. In terms of plans to revitalize the fishing industry, branding the golden eye snapper, preservation methods, and improvement of distribution routes including sales routes was considered.

In addition, there were opinions on creating a water touring map of Kouzushima for foreign tourists and promoting a framework for communicating the island's appeals.

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Presentation at the Tokyo Treasure Islands Museum

The Tokyo Treasure Islands Museum was held in Tokyo Midtown on March 22, 2019. Those that participated in the island meetings presented their brand concept and action plans to business operators in the mainland.

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After the presentation, companies specializing in outdoor gear and lease manufacturers that transport fish, as well as various other companies that were interested in the contents of the presentation exchanged opinions with the participants, making it a business matching opportunity for the future.

FY 2018 Kouzushima Initiatives

September 25, 2018 First Island Meeting | Consideration of the island's treasures
October 23, 2018 First Tokyo Treasure Islands Meeting (Comprehensive Meeting) | Joint ceremony with 11 islands
October 24, 2018 Second Island Meeting | Fieldwork by four islands and lecture on regional brands
December 3, 2018 Third Island Meeting | Consideration of the target persona
December 26, 2018 Fourth Island Meeting | Creating the island brand and concept sheet; consideration of the action idea
January 29, 2019 Second Tokyo Treasure Islands Meeting (Comprehensive Meeting) | Interim presentation of the brand concept and action plan
February 13, 2019 Fifth Island Meeting | Brush-up of the brand concept and action plan
March 22, 2019 Tokyo Treasure Islands Museum | Presentation

The Tokyo Treasure Islands Project continues to polish the treasures of Kouzushima that spread mainly in the water to allow more people to know its appeals.

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FY 2018 Kouzushima Initiatives

The Tokyo Treasure Islands Project continues to polish the treasures of Kouzushima that spread mainly in the water to allow more people to know its appeals.