What’s Great About Your Hometown…!? We Asked Our Members to Brag About Their Hometowns! | PR Company Member Survey

Hello, everyone! I am Hirahara, the Smile Keeper.

We bring you the second installment of our “SUNNY DAYS” series, “We Asked Our Members.” What products, people, and topics do PR professionals, who encounter various trends daily, pay attention to? We deliver the authentic voices of our diverse members!

Read the previous survey article here.
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Many people are feeling lonely because they cannot easily return home due to COVID-19 prevention measures, or are frustrated that they cannot travel freely. For those who want to experience the feeling of traveling, even just a little, we asked our members: “Tell us what you’re proud of about your hometown!“

Please enjoy the charms of each prefecture shared by our members as if you were traveling!

Hokkaido

The great northern land, Hokkaido! The magnificent natural scenery that colors each season is beautiful, and just being there feels wonderful. And above all, Hokkaido is a treasure trove of gourmet food! Survey responses included vegetables, Genghis Khan (grilled mutton), soup curry, ramen, soft-serve ice cream, shrimp, horsehair crab, hanasaki crab, scallops, farmed oysters, sea urchin, salmon roe… too many delicious items to list! Some members mentioned that New Chitose Airport has many delicious gourmet options, so even busy travelers on business trips can enjoy delicious Hokkaido cuisine.

Tohoku

The Tohoku region received many responses about festivals, including Aomori Prefecture’s Nebuta Festival, Akita Prefecture’s Omagari National Fireworks Competition (one of Japan’s three major fireworks festivals), and Yokote’s Kamakura Festival. One member also responded about the local character, saying, “I think there are many simple and kind people!” showing their love for their hometown. Recommended gourmet foods from Yamagata Prefecture included cherries (unanimous!), imoni (potato stew), and Yonezawa beef!

Kanto

The Kanto region, home to SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP’s headquarters at the Sendagaya office. Many responses, especially from Tokyo-born members, mentioned excellent transportation access. Popular date and outing spots included Tokyo Disneyland in Chiba Prefecture and Setagaya Park in Tokyo. Kasukabe in Saitama is also famous for Crayon Shin-chan. Additionally, there is something called “Jomo Karuta,” which all Gunma Prefecture residents can recite from “a” to “wa.” I plan to ask a Gunma member to teach me when I meet one (laughs)!

Chubu

The Chubu region received many responses about abundant nature and pleasant air. The scenery is excellent, making it recommended for relocation! Many responses said, “The charm is that there’s nothing here!” suggesting you can relax peacefully in beautiful nature. Proud gourmet foods include oyaki, soba, sauce katsudon, and sanzokyuyaki from Nagano Prefecture, and miso katsu, hitsumabushi, chicken wings, and miso nikomi udon from Aichi Prefecture—all delicious items! (We can’t list them all here…)

Kinki

The Kinki region is proud of its abundant entertainment, including comedy and Universal Studios Japan! Centered around Osaka, responses mentioned easy access to surrounding tourist destinations like Kyoto, Nara, Hyogo, Wakayama, and Shiga, making it perfect for travel. And of course, Osaka Prefecture’s recommended gourmet food is takoyaki! Additionally, Hyogo Prefecture offers takosen—takoyaki sandwiched in shrimp crackers. We need to buy a takoyaki maker right away! (laughs)

Chugoku Shikoku

The Chugoku region has many beautiful spots, including art museums and World Heritage sites. Particularly notable were wonderful responses like “Everything is just right!” and “Just the right amount of city, just the right amount of countryside. Very livable!” Izumo Taisha in Shimane Prefecture is famous for its deity of matchmaking, which is also very romantic. Hiroshima Prefecture had a large gathering of proud gourmet foods, including conger eel rice, oyster sauce, Otafuku sauce, and okonomiyaki! Yamaguchi Prefecture, which has produced the most prime ministers in Japan, is famous for fugu (blowfish), but locals call it “fuku,” playing on the word for “happiness.” In Shikoku’s Ehime Prefecture, sea bream rice is said to be delicious, and the Chugoku region seems to offer various seafood delicacies.

Kyushu

The Kyushu region received many responses about proud gourmet foods! Fukuoka’s proud gourmet foods include tonkotsu ramen, mentaiko, ika ninjin, keiran somen, Sukiya udon, and seafood—a diverse lineup. It’s an attractive selection that makes you want to drink (laughs)!

It’s also a point of pride that many celebrities and famous people are from this region. Oita Prefecture, called “Onsen Prefecture,” naturally boasts very attractive hot springs! In addition to highly alkaline “simple springs,” there are various types of spring qualities including “hydrogen carbonate springs,” “sulfur springs,” and “sulfate springs.” Responses suggested enjoying various hot springs when visiting. You can eat lots of delicious food and relax in pleasant hot springs.

Okinawa

When it comes to Okinawa, it’s the beautiful blue ocean! The breeze is pleasant and there’s lots of delicious food. Okinawa soba in particular varies completely by region in terms of noodle thickness and soup stock preparation, so comparing Okinawa soba from different areas is recommended! The phrase “nankurunaisa” is also a very warm, kind, and wonderful expression. It’s a happy spot where you want to play in the beautiful ocean, then relax while eating delicious awamori and sea grapes.

International

SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP has many members with overseas living experience! Responses included being able to walk to the beach in 5 minutes from home in New Zealand, and Los Angeles boasting the beautiful Malibu Beach! Being able to enjoy the ocean in daily life is wonderful. Korea has many proud gourmet foods like rosé tteokbokki and croffle! Recently, Korean cuisine has become available at Japanese supermarkets, making us want to visit and experience the authentic flavors even more.

How was it? Please enjoy it in various ways, such as creating a list of places you want to visit someday or ordering gourmet foods you want to try from online shopping sites!

Finally…

We specialize in PR for prefectures, local governments, and municipalities! Our members, overflowing with the “hometown love” introduced today, will passionately promote your hometown (laughs)! Please contact us anytime through our inquiry form. This has been a PR moment from your Smile Keeper.
https://www.ssu.co.jp/contact/

Look forward to future survey projects collecting diverse responses from SUNNY SIDE UP members!