#Japan #Tokyo #Japan Management Association #City Promotion Award #Regional Well-being

City Promotion Award 2024: A Celebration of Community Initiatives

On April 25, 2024, the City Promotion Award 2024 ceremony took place, aimed at encouraging initiatives that contribute to "regional happiness." The event was filled with excitement as award-winning organizations presented their impactful community projects. Detailed presentations by these organizations can be found on the special webpage for the Municipal General Fair.

The event is organized by the Japan Management Association (headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo), which plays a vital role in the coordination of this award. For more information, visit the official City Promotion Award website: City Promotion Award and the Municipal General Fair homepage: Municipal General Fair.

What is the City Promotion Award?

The City Promotion Award was initiated to promote effective initiatives that lead to the happiness of communities—an essential endeavor, particularly in a society facing population decline. Through a focus on data and logical frameworks, the award aims to showcase city promotions that genuinely enhance the well-being of local residents. It recognizes the valuable efforts of municipalities and organizations dedicated to this cause since its inception in 2021.

Winners of the City Promotion Award 2024

The award ceremony presented several prestigious awards:

• - Gold Award (Special Jury Prize): Machida City (Tokyo)
• - Gold Award (Excellence Award): Satte City, 3x3 Kuki Executive Committee (Saitama), Honjo City (Saitama), Memuro Town (Hokkaido)
• - Gold Award (Development Award): Oshu City (Iwate), Sakai City (Fukui), Tokai Village (Ibaraki), Mutsu City (Hiroshima)

During the ceremony, representatives from award-winning organizations, including Machida City, Satte City, the 3x3 Kuki Executive Committee, Honjo City, Memuro Town, Sakai City, and Tokai Village, gathered to celebrate their achievements. Special recognition was also given to notable organizations like Shimodate Kyoshi Kai and Kitakyushu City.

The event commenced with opening remarks from Takahito Kawai, the chair of the jury and a visiting professor at Tokai University's Faculty of Culture and Society. Following this, Kawai and fellow jury member Mototaka Hosokawa presented trophies and certificates to the recipients. The heartfelt speeches shared by award recipients added to the celebration's emotional resonance.

Presentation of Initiatives

After the ceremony, seven Gold Award-winning organizations took to the stage to present their initiatives:

• - Machida City: Focused on becoming a city recognized both internally and externally through its comprehensive city promotion efforts, the community prepared an extensive proposal that delves into both current analyses and actionable strategies.
• - Satte City: Emphasized community bonding through its initiative, “LINK SAYAMA,” fostering a cooperative culture between citizens and local government staff with remarkable success. Their customer journey map was particularly lauded.
• - 3x3 Kuki Executive Committee: Aiming to establish the region as a hub for basketball, they engaged not only the youth but also coaches to build multigenerational communities.
• - Honjo City: Highlighted their project which focused on citizen participation as the core element in city promotion, having won awards for their national public relations campaign.
• - Memuro Town: Announced their commitment to becoming the top producer of sweet corn in Japan, linking community aspirations with local branding strategies.

Further initiatives from Sakai City and Tokai Village will be shared on the Municipal General Fair special page soon, so don’t miss out on these updates!

Looking to the Future

The City Promotion Award 2025 has already been set in motion! This award will further encourage city promotion activities that connect to the happiness of community members. Participation continues to grow, attracting attention from municipalities and citizen groups alike. Details regarding the application process will be announced on the official website in early August.

For inquiries or participation in upcoming events, please contact:

City Promotion Award Executive Committee
(c/o Japan Management Association - General Fair Office)
Phone: 03-6632-7134
Email: c_award@noma.or.jp

About the Municipal General Fair 2025

The fair aims to promote innovative municipal management and create a community where residents can experience true richness. This year's theme revolves around public-private partnerships. The 2025 event will take place from July 16 to 18 at Tokyo Big Sight, with numerous collaborative projects featuring award-winning groups planned for the day.

Join us in celebrating community-driven initiatives that pave the way to a happier, more sustainable future!