[Report] Learning from the Practical Wisdom of Hokota City, Ibaraki Prefecture: How to Build a 'People x Experience x Base' Connection to Create Relational Population

## Report: Learning from the Practical Wisdom of Hokota City, Ibaraki Prefecture: How to Build a 'People x Experience x Base' Connection to Create Relational Population

Future Link Network (FLN), a company promoting the creation of 'relational populations' (headquartered in Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture; Representative Director: Takeharu Ishii), held an online seminar on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, titled '[Relational Population Strategy Seminar #7] Learning from Advanced Examples in the Agricultural Town of Hokota City, Ibaraki Prefecture: How to Build a "People x Experience x Base" Connection.' The seminar drew 184 applicants and delved deep into the practical wisdom of fostering relational populations in Hokota City.

Despite having the highest vegetable production in Japan for 10 consecutive years and an overwhelming star resource in 'melons,' Hokota City faced the struggle that 'while its products are chosen, the town itself is not.' In this seminar, Daichi Sakata, an FLN Regional Marketing Department manager who was dispatched to the city as a 'Regional Vitalization Entrepreneur' for two years, explained the practical regional design methods discovered through tourism trend analysis and the planning and operation of agricultural experience programs, which successfully shifted 'point consumption' into 'relational engagement.'

### Seminar Overview
- Title: [Relational Population Strategy Seminar #7] Learning from Advanced Examples in the Agricultural Town of Hokota City, Ibaraki Prefecture: How to Build a 'People x Experience x Base' Connection
- Date: Wednesday, May 27, 2026, 14:00–15:00
- Format: Online (Zoom Webinar)

### Background of the Seminar
Rich agricultural products, overwhelming awareness, and beautiful nature. Regions possess numerous unique charms. However, 'real struggles' persist for many municipalities and regional businesses because, even if people like the specialties, they often lack interest in the 'town' itself.

Hokota City was no exception. Despite being the national leader in vegetable production for 10 consecutive years and having 'melons' as a stellar resource, many visitors went only to buy melons and lacked the mindset of wanting to 'spend time in the town' or 'bring friends to visit.'

The common challenge faced by Hokota City and many other regions is connecting attractive individual resources into the 'experiential value of the entire town' and shifting the relationship from mere consumption to an engagement with the town as a whole.

### Key Insights Shared
Although approximately 480,000 people visit Hokota City annually, analysis of 400 tourism surveys revealed a gap: while individual facilities like direct sales centers were highly recommended, there was a negative evaluation when asked, 'Would you recommend the town as a whole as a destination?'

The two-year survey highlighted that strong individual resources were not connected into the town's experiential value.

To address this, Sakata focused on designing agricultural experience programs. A total of 20 people participated over two years. Post-experience surveys showed that almost everyone felt their impression of Hokota City had 'improved significantly,' and about 90% expressed a desire to 'stay engaged in the future.' Some participants even began incorporating Hokota-grown ingredients into menus at restaurants they manage, demonstrating how Hokota became part of their daily lives.

As Sakata noted, 'I heard voices saying not that the agricultural experience was interesting, but that Hokota itself was interesting.' Careful coordination that connects dialogues with farmers and regional stories turned single-time experiences into ongoing relationships.

Furthermore, practical wisdom for sustainable mechanisms was shared, such as the production of a 'Phenology Calendar' that visualizes local seasonal resources and agricultural cycles, and the design of an 'acceptance gradient' that allows farmers to choose their own pace of participation.

Throughout the session, the overarching theme was Sakata’s insight: 'Keep both the external and internal perspectives, and translate the region's charms. That is the essence of a regional coordinator.'

### Participant Response and Attributes
With 184 applicants, the event demonstrated a high level of interest in relational population initiatives and advanced case studies.

The most common pre-seminar challenge cited was, 'We have specialties, but they aren't leading to regional fan engagement.' This was followed by 'the local acceptance system and sustainable structure' and 'the planning and design of experience programs,' all of which aligned perfectly with the seminar's core themes.

Post-seminar survey feedback included comments such as, 'Hearing personal stories from the field was helpful,' 'The reality of initiatives started from scratch was impactful,' and 'I learned concrete methods for creating relational populations through agricultural experiences.'