【Hitotsubashi University x Kyotamba Town】Tokyo Students Produce Kyotamba Town Tourism Video “A Town You Want to Return To” Released
Kyotamba Town collaborated with students from Hitotsubashi University to produce and release a tourism promotion video, "A Town You Want to Return To - Kyotamba Town." The video, created based on the students' experiences and feelings in the region, aims to foster continuous engagement rather than just one-time visits.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 12, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 12, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 14, 2026 at 07:20 (44h 49m after Collected)
Kyotamba Town (Mayor: Genichi Hatanaka), in collaboration with the 4th-generation students of the Data Design Program (DDP) at Hitotsubashi University's Faculty of Commerce, has produced a tourism promotion video titled "A Town You Want to Return To - Kyotamba Town." This work, crafted by the students themselves based on their experiences and feelings gained from immersing themselves in the region, aims to create "relationships that make you want to continue engaging," rather than just "tourism that ends with a visit."
Background of the Project
In October 2023, Kyotamba Town formulated a town promotion policy and has been working to create a "related population"—people who maintain continuous connections with the region beyond temporary relationships like tourism or relocation—through operating a fan club and holding exchange events.
However, a challenge within the town has been that tourist stays concentrate in specific locations, making it difficult for visitor activity to spread across the entire region. This situation, where visits are limited to "points" and do not lead to "area-wide circulation," is one of the factors preventing the town's charm from being fully conveyed.
In response to these challenges, Kyotamba Town and Hitotsubashi University have been jointly promoting research on the "Kyotamba Town Promotion Strategy" since 2023, building a collaborative relationship between university students from urban areas and mountain-village communities. Furthermore, last fiscal year, they deepened their collaboration by utilizing the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' "Furusato Mirai College" system. By positioning the NPO Kyotamba Innovation Lab as an intermediate support organization, a practical project management system involving the administration, university, and community has been established.
Project Overview
This project was led by the "Kyotamba Movie Team," composed of 4th-generation students from Hitotsubashi University's Faculty of Commerce Data Design Program (DDP), who took charge of everything from scenario construction to visual expression.
For the production, the Kyotamba Town Hall and the NPO Kyotamba Innovation Lab cooperated in planning, location support, local guidance, scenario accompaniment, and filming adjustments, with students and the community working together to create the piece.
The video adopts a fusion of live-action and animation, combining realistic landscapes with narrative character depictions to convey the charm of Kyotamba Town in a new way.
Video Content
The video "A Town You Want to Return To - Kyotamba Town" tells the story of a parent and child who, after an argument, visit Kyotamba Town for their own reasons and gradually bridge the distance between them through their experiences in the region.
The students perceived the region not as a "subject to be introduced" but as a "place to build relationships," visiting the site repeatedly, interacting with people and landscapes, and incorporating the emotions born from these interactions into the story.
It is not merely an introduction to a tourist destination, but a presentation of one answer to the question, "Why are people drawn to this town and want to return again?"
Future Developments
This video is now available on the official Kyotamba Town website and has also been shared on the official Kyotamba Town Instagram.
Furthermore, screenings are planned at tourist facilities within the town, aiming to create new relationships with Kyotamba Town starting from this video.
Video Outline
Title: A Town You Want to Return To - Kyotamba Town
Release Date: May 12, 2026
View URL: https://youtu.be/wv7_E0A8moI?si=U-8BHup7eshZ5fD8
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYN8uuGzYqc/?igsh=MWhiYjh0ZXZnN2ozdA==
Stakeholder Comments / Student Representative Comments
Riko Miyashita, Riko Nakazawa, Sumika Yamaguchi, 4th-year students, Hitotsubashi University Faculty of Commerce
In this project, our student team actually visited Kyotamba Town, and based on the insights gained through repeated fieldwork and interviews, we worked consistently from planning to production.
What particularly impressed us during our visits was the warmth of the people we met, which cannot be found just by visiting famous tourist spots, the nostalgic atmosphere, and the appeal of the rich local specialties that color the food scene. Through our experiences in Kyotamba Town, we realized that tourism is not merely about visiting a place, but something that arises from relationships with people and the region. Based on this realization, we created a scenario that conveys the charm we felt fresh, from a relatable student perspective living in Tokyo.
The title "A Town You Want to Return To - Kyotamba Town" has two meanings. One is the desire to revisit Kyotamba "Town," which feels like a nostalgic hometown, and the other is the meaning of a new start, returning positively to our daily lives in our own "cities" through our experiences in Kyotamba Town.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all those involved, including the people of Kyotamba Town, who cooperated in our production.
We hope this video will be an opportunity for many people to form new connections with Kyotamba Town.
Professor Yuichi Washida, Hitotsubashi University
Seen from the perspective of university students from the Kanto region,
Background of the Project
In October 2023, Kyotamba Town formulated a town promotion policy and has been working to create a "related population"—people who maintain continuous connections with the region beyond temporary relationships like tourism or relocation—through operating a fan club and holding exchange events.
However, a challenge within the town has been that tourist stays concentrate in specific locations, making it difficult for visitor activity to spread across the entire region. This situation, where visits are limited to "points" and do not lead to "area-wide circulation," is one of the factors preventing the town's charm from being fully conveyed.
In response to these challenges, Kyotamba Town and Hitotsubashi University have been jointly promoting research on the "Kyotamba Town Promotion Strategy" since 2023, building a collaborative relationship between university students from urban areas and mountain-village communities. Furthermore, last fiscal year, they deepened their collaboration by utilizing the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' "Furusato Mirai College" system. By positioning the NPO Kyotamba Innovation Lab as an intermediate support organization, a practical project management system involving the administration, university, and community has been established.
Project Overview
This project was led by the "Kyotamba Movie Team," composed of 4th-generation students from Hitotsubashi University's Faculty of Commerce Data Design Program (DDP), who took charge of everything from scenario construction to visual expression.
For the production, the Kyotamba Town Hall and the NPO Kyotamba Innovation Lab cooperated in planning, location support, local guidance, scenario accompaniment, and filming adjustments, with students and the community working together to create the piece.
The video adopts a fusion of live-action and animation, combining realistic landscapes with narrative character depictions to convey the charm of Kyotamba Town in a new way.
Video Content
The video "A Town You Want to Return To - Kyotamba Town" tells the story of a parent and child who, after an argument, visit Kyotamba Town for their own reasons and gradually bridge the distance between them through their experiences in the region.
The students perceived the region not as a "subject to be introduced" but as a "place to build relationships," visiting the site repeatedly, interacting with people and landscapes, and incorporating the emotions born from these interactions into the story.
It is not merely an introduction to a tourist destination, but a presentation of one answer to the question, "Why are people drawn to this town and want to return again?"
Future Developments
This video is now available on the official Kyotamba Town website and has also been shared on the official Kyotamba Town Instagram.
Furthermore, screenings are planned at tourist facilities within the town, aiming to create new relationships with Kyotamba Town starting from this video.
Video Outline
Title: A Town You Want to Return To - Kyotamba Town
Release Date: May 12, 2026
View URL: https://youtu.be/wv7_E0A8moI?si=U-8BHup7eshZ5fD8
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYN8uuGzYqc/?igsh=MWhiYjh0ZXZnN2ozdA==
Stakeholder Comments / Student Representative Comments
Riko Miyashita, Riko Nakazawa, Sumika Yamaguchi, 4th-year students, Hitotsubashi University Faculty of Commerce
In this project, our student team actually visited Kyotamba Town, and based on the insights gained through repeated fieldwork and interviews, we worked consistently from planning to production.
What particularly impressed us during our visits was the warmth of the people we met, which cannot be found just by visiting famous tourist spots, the nostalgic atmosphere, and the appeal of the rich local specialties that color the food scene. Through our experiences in Kyotamba Town, we realized that tourism is not merely about visiting a place, but something that arises from relationships with people and the region. Based on this realization, we created a scenario that conveys the charm we felt fresh, from a relatable student perspective living in Tokyo.
The title "A Town You Want to Return To - Kyotamba Town" has two meanings. One is the desire to revisit Kyotamba "Town," which feels like a nostalgic hometown, and the other is the meaning of a new start, returning positively to our daily lives in our own "cities" through our experiences in Kyotamba Town.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all those involved, including the people of Kyotamba Town, who cooperated in our production.
We hope this video will be an opportunity for many people to form new connections with Kyotamba Town.
Professor Yuichi Washida, Hitotsubashi University
Seen from the perspective of university students from the Kanto region,