Hamamatsu to Become a Creative Hub for University Students: The "WA-Creative Tour 2026" Practicing Happy Relationships Between Region and Future
The Waguri Council, together with five regional companies including Shizuoka Shimbun and Suzuki, will launch the "WA-Creative Tour" in 2026. This industry-academia-government collaborative program targets university students in Tokyo and Kansai, offering fieldwork in Hamamatsu's industrial and food sectors to solve regional issues and provide new perspectives on career paths.
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- 📰 Published: May 22, 2026 at 20:00
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The Waguri Council, along with key regional companies acting as the study tour secretariat—including Shizuoka Shimbun & Shizuoka Broadcasting, Suzuki, Enshu Railway, Somic Management Holdings, and Shunkado—will officially launch the "WA-Creative Tour," a practical educational program based on industry-academia-government collaboration, starting in fiscal 2026.
Building on two years of previous study tours, this program is a practical fieldwork initiative targeting university students in the Tokyo and Kansai metropolitan areas, focusing on the "manufacturing industry" and "food culture" of the Enshu-Hamamatsu region. Through company visits, agricultural experiences, and workshops, the program provides opportunities to practically address regional issues, aiming to revitalize the regional community and nurture next-generation talent.
In fiscal 2026, the program will collaborate with multiple universities including Ritsumeikan, Rissho, Hosei, Aoyama Gakuin, and Rikkyo, with a total annual enrollment of approximately 70 students. Teams will be organized by themes such as "Food," "Information Content," "Mobility," "Music," and "Learning." Through dialogues and feedback from management and young employees of participating companies, they will ultimately present solutions to regional issues. The 2026 program kicks off with a lecture at Ritsumeikan University on May 22. The period until August will be an input phase to deepen understanding of the history, culture, and industry of the Enshu area, followed by fieldwork in the region in September. Afterward, students will engage in project design and output creation from October toward a pitch contest scheduled for January.
Furthermore, this initiative goes beyond mere company visits. It is characterized by enabling students to concretely imagine working and living in the region, offering a new perspective on career choice: not just "which company to join," but "which region to work in." For companies, it is positioned as an initiative to connect with future talent and reduce recruitment mismatches.
From this year, the collaboration with universities has been further strengthened, and the program is being implemented as an accredited educational course.
Building on two years of previous study tours, this program is a practical fieldwork initiative targeting university students in the Tokyo and Kansai metropolitan areas, focusing on the "manufacturing industry" and "food culture" of the Enshu-Hamamatsu region. Through company visits, agricultural experiences, and workshops, the program provides opportunities to practically address regional issues, aiming to revitalize the regional community and nurture next-generation talent.
In fiscal 2026, the program will collaborate with multiple universities including Ritsumeikan, Rissho, Hosei, Aoyama Gakuin, and Rikkyo, with a total annual enrollment of approximately 70 students. Teams will be organized by themes such as "Food," "Information Content," "Mobility," "Music," and "Learning." Through dialogues and feedback from management and young employees of participating companies, they will ultimately present solutions to regional issues. The 2026 program kicks off with a lecture at Ritsumeikan University on May 22. The period until August will be an input phase to deepen understanding of the history, culture, and industry of the Enshu area, followed by fieldwork in the region in September. Afterward, students will engage in project design and output creation from October toward a pitch contest scheduled for January.
Furthermore, this initiative goes beyond mere company visits. It is characterized by enabling students to concretely imagine working and living in the region, offering a new perspective on career choice: not just "which company to join," but "which region to work in." For companies, it is positioned as an initiative to connect with future talent and reduce recruitment mismatches.
From this year, the collaboration with universities has been further strengthened, and the program is being implemented as an accredited educational course.
FAQ
WA-クリエイティブツアーとはどのようなプログラムですか？
遠州・浜松の「ものづくり産業」と「食文化」を軸に、首都圏や関西圏の大学生を対象とした産学官連携の実践型フィールドワーク教育プログラムです。
プログラムの目的は何ですか？
学生に対して地域課題の解決を考える実践的な機会を提供し、地域社会の活性化と次世代人材の育成、および地域への就職を含めたキャリア選択の視点を提供することを目指しています。
どのような大学が参加していますか？
立命館大学、立正大学、法政大学、青山学院大学、立教大学など、複数の大学と連携しています。
プログラムではどのような活動を行いますか？
企業訪問、農業体験、ワークショップを通じて地域を学び、チームで地域課題に対する解決アイデアを立案し、最終的にピッチコンテストで発表します。
企業側にはどのようなメリットがありますか？
将来を担う学生との接点創出や、学生の地域への理解を深めることによる採用ミスマッチの低減といった効果が期待されています。