Spotlight on Portland, the No. 1 city Americans want to live in! (Part 1)

Hello.
I am Yamashita from PR.

We have started seeing features on hit products of 2014, and trend forecasts for 2015 are also coming out. It feels like that time already… and lately I have been sensing the end of 2014. Many products that SUNNY SIDE UP was involved with have also ranked highly, and voices of delight are being heard throughout the office.

This time, we will discuss trends from 2014.
Suddenly, but do you know “Portland”?
It was selected as the No. 1 city Americans want to live in, and it has been attracting attention, including being featured in the July issue of “Popeye” in Japan this year. It is located in the northwestern part of Oregon in the United States.
Why is Portland receiving so much attention in Japan right now? This time, we went to uncover the secret!

There are many benefits to working at a PR agency, and I believe one of them is being able to meet people from a wide range of industries. In particular, people in the media are often very distinctive and share stimulating stories, and personally, I often find it enjoyable to work with them. (I generally enjoy working with anyone, though… haha.) Providing information to editors is one of our important roles, but in fact, we also have many opportunities to receive valuable information from them.

Recently, there was something I found particularly interesting among the information I received. It came from the deputy editor-in-chief of a lifestyle magazine, who said,

“Portland is the next big thing!”

—and I thought so!

Portland is certainly a city I have been seeing more often in magazines, and it has caught my interest. I had a vague sense that its popularity and profile were rising, but not enough to confidently explain its appeal and the background behind the trend.

When I asked a friend, “What do you think of Portland?”
they replied, “Huh? Poland?”
That is the name of a different country!!

Portland, USA, is still not a widely known city, but I was curious why it is attracting so much attention…
Just then, I remembered that a former SUNNY SIDE UP employee (a senior colleague) was working on Portland-related projects! Thinking I had to get the scoop, I immediately contacted him and went to hear his story!

First, let me introduce him!

Mr. Hiroki Udagawa

Profile:
As a child, his dream job was working in the city office’s “Town Development Promotion Division.” After entering university, he became an action-oriented traveler, interviewing companies as an environmental magazine reporter while traveling around the world. He joined the company after being moved by an NGO campaign led by SUNNY SIDE UP that aimed to “make poverty a thing of the past through the power of communication.” He later founded Baum, a creative company that solves social issues by “creating places,” and works with various companies, government bodies, and NGOs/NPOs to tackle challenges in the social sector.

I interviewed him while trying to contain my excitement and happiness at seeing my senior colleague again after so long!

Yamashita: I came today to ask you about Portland! Thank you for your time!
Why is Portland attracting attention in Japan right now? Why did it become a trend? It is trending, isn’t it?

Udagawa: That is a lot of questions all at once. (Laughs) Why do you think it is?

Yamashita: Hmm… there are a lot of companies with a creative image, aren’t there… W+K, Nike, and other sports-related companies too… Creative companies increased, and stylish communities formed among the people who work there…
Does Portland have its own unique lifestyle, and that is what is drawing attention?
…I do not know. (Tears)

Udagawa: You still have a long way to go. (Laughs)
First, let me explain the historical context behind why Portland began attracting attention!
As you know, in the United States, the Lehman shock triggered a major shift in lifestyles. Many people began searching for new values to replace purely economic value, and started living in a way that sought “comfort.”

Yamashita: Teacher!! You mean that “value beyond money” idea!

Udagawa: Exactly. And now, in Japan as well, the Great East Japan Earthquake has served as a catalyst for a major shift in values, similar to what happened in the United States.

In addition, the American countryside used to be seen as not very cool, but the atmosphere and culture of the city depicted in the hugely popular U.S. TV drama “Portlandia” helped spread the perception across the country that people living in Portland are stylish and ahead of the curve. With abundant nature, great food, a stylish vibe, and an easy-to-live-in feel, Portland suddenly drew intense attention and became the No. 1 city Americans want to live in. As a result, more and more people began visiting from New York and Los Angeles. Since trends in NY and LA often become trends in Japan, especially in Tokyo, Portland—now drawing attention from people in NY and LA—likely caught the eye of trend-sensitive Japanese as well.

Yamashita: There have been many examples in the past where trends in LA and NY became trends in Japan too—music, food, lifestyles, and so on… (cupcakes, cronuts, organic cosmetics, etc.).

Udagawa: With conventional trends, Japan was in the position of consuming cultural aspects such as American style, fashion, and culture. This time, however, there is the possibility that, rather than simply consuming, Japanese cities themselves may be influenced and lifestyles adopted. In the long term, Portland’s popularity could even lead to the creation of a new culture that takes root. It may be a little different from past “trends.”

Yamashita: Even when we say “trend,” there are many different forms, aren’t there?
In Japan, Portland is well known as a successful case study in urban policy, but is it only Japan that is paying attention to it?

Udagawa: Because I work with Portland, I am in contact on a daily basis and have visited countless times. People come from many countries besides Japan, and attention from Asian countries such as Seoul, Taipei, and Hong Kong is definitely increasing as well.

Yamashita: It would be wonderful if, outside Tokyo as well, Japan had more areas like Portland—places with globally recognized companies, unique enough to draw attention from all over, and where creative, stylish people can live comfortably…

Udagawa: That is right.
I think Portland’s current lifestyle is strongly influenced by America’s origins. Long ago, when people came to America from Europe, those who loved money went to California and San Francisco during the Gold Rush, those interested in business and city life gathered in New York, and the people who came to Oregon and stayed were the ones who loved nature—Portlanders often tell this as a cynical joke. (Laughs)

However, I do feel that this is the DNA of the people of Oregon and Portland. It is similar to today’s younger generation in Japan as well. More people find it more enjoyable to casually have a barbecue with friends than to do something extravagant. In Portland, with that kind of sensibility, you can finish work and go hiking, or go camping as a regular part of weekend life—an environment is in place where you can naturally coexist with nature in everyday life.

Yamashita: I agree. I also find it more appealing to have a barbecue with friends and breathe fresh air than to eat luxury cuisine every day.
Now I understand why Portland is attracting attention, but there is something I am curious about…
I think many Japanese people visit Portland on study tours—what are they going there to learn?

Udagawa: Hmm… I think that can change in any number of ways depending on one’s attitude…
If you truly want to learn something, no matter what country, city, or place you go to, you will not gain much unless you are the kind of person who can find what to learn for yourself, rather than being someone who is “made” by others. For example, if you want to learn something in Portland, you first need to be able to speak English; otherwise, the information you can obtain is limited. If you study English, find a company you are interested in on your own, and even go so far as to set up an appointment saying you want to talk with someone there about ○○, then you will likely be able to return home with a great deal of knowledge and information.

America is a welcoming place for proactive people like that, but conversely, it is also a place where you gain little if you go in a passive way. In that sense, it depends on you!

Yamashita: Oh!!
Even in Japan, there are many things you cannot obtain unless you take action yourself and make an effort to gain something, rather than staying passive!

So, while my beloved senior colleague—whom I had not seen in a long time—taught me about Portland, he also advised me on my approach to work. But I want to know more: what is Portland’s appeal, and how do people live there?

With that in mind, in the second half of the interview, I will share Portland’s appeal—insights you can only gain by working with people on the ground!

(To be continued in Part 2)