Ongoing project: the story of the collaboration between Anko-san and Camellia Oil, showing off the appeal of Oshima

Oshima's Anko-san is famous as a symbol for tourism, but originally, this was a word for the real women who worked hard day after day to support people living on Oshima. We are working to show the island's appeal by conveying the original meaning of Anko-san.

Our website, Oshima Navi, (https://oshima-navi.com) is central to our efforts to publicize Anko-san, by creating opportunities for people to gain a deeper understanding of Anko-san, and through activities to spread awareness.

One of the core elements of these efforts is using the website, which is already popular as a portal for Oshima activities and tourism, to effectively spread the word about Anko-san.

Oshima is also famous for camellias and camellia oil. On the grounds of Oshima High School, there are over one thousand camellia trees, which produce high-quality seeds. Local oil refiners are entrusted with taking the seeds harvested from the school's trees, and then extracting and refining camellia oil to sell. We have begun work in an effort to add further value to the oil beyond the practical aspect, by telling the story of Anko-san as well.

By publicizing the connections between Anko-san and camellia oil, such as their work in harvesting camellia seeds, we would like to encourage people to think about Anko-san's role in the background of camellia oil and related products.

The Anko-san pictured here is "Miss Anko," an ambassador who was hired this year to promote the allure of Oshima. Taking on the appearance of Anko-san, she was photographed harvesting camellia seeds. We hope this will help to convey to younger generations the appeal of Anko-san and a feeling of affinity.