Launch of 'Boso Craft Tourism': An Experiential Training Program Transforming Regional Issues into Hands-on Learning and Creation

The Boso Craft Tourism Council has launched 'Boso Craft Tourism,' an experiential corporate training program set in the Minamiboso area of Chiba Prefecture, where participants engage with nature and regional issues through hands-on activities and team dialogue. The setting is the Minamiboso area, where the sea and satoyama (managed woodlands) are in close proximity. There, one finds 'regional issues' such as abandoned bamboo forests, wildlife damage, abandoned farmland, and underutilized resources. However, we view these not merely as problems, but as materials for learning, gateways to creation, and seeds of new value. By cutting bamboo, touching leather, walking on the beach, and creating from satoyama materials, participants do not just understand sustainability intellectually; they feel it physically, think as a team, and rethink their connection to work and society. Unlike training that concludes within a conference room, this program addresses the reality of the region—abandoned bamboo forests, increasing wildlife damage, and underutilized resources—and turns 'knowing the issues' into a learning experience that includes 'experiencing, creating, and discussing.' The program consists of three core experiences: 1. Hands-on craft work with regional materials (bamboo, wild animal leather, etc.), 2. Physical activities in nature (bamboo forest maintenance, beach cleaning, etc.), and 3. Classroom learning about regional cycles through dialogue with local craftsmen and producers. We offer three main categories: A) Corporate Retreats (deepening knowledge of the region through creation), B) Corporate Training (generating new ideas from regional resources), and C) Retreats (refreshing oneself and the team in non-daily scenery).