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The appeal of TAMASHIMA (western Tama area and Tokyo Islands) was showcased from September 20th to 23rd at a booth at Tourism Expo Japan 2018, one of the world’s largest tourism trade fairs. The booth hosted workshops and a demonstration corner, complete with a virtual-reality video experience that offered a fun introduction to the region based on the slogan of “TOKYO’s new LUXURY (Enjoy a new kind of Tokyo luxury in the Tama area and Tokyo Islands).”
A record 35,000 attendees stopped by the booth this year. Thank you all so much!
Thanks to the cooperation of people from all 18 parts of Tama and the Tokyo Islands, once again this year nearly 20 fascinating workshops were available for attendees, including unique programs from each region featuring locally sourced materials and artistic works. Approximately 4,500 attendees participated in the events at which they were able to experience the charm of each individual region through workshops. One of the most popular of these events was a special virtual-reality video experience in which participants could view scenery and activities through the eyes of animals such as dolphins and wild birds native to the Tama area and Tokyo Islands.
In the “Present from Nature” themed workshop that was so popular in 2017, attendees used white sand, seashells, branches, nuts and fruit as they combined the natural materials from both local mountains and islands to create fantastic original art.
| Region | Title | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| ①Ome-shi | Making hair ties with Omeyaguji fabric | Craft-covered button-style hair ties using Omeyaguji, a vintage fabric woven in Ome City |
| ②Fussa-shi | Sampling local sake with comedians | Introduction to Fussa City and Fussa’s local sake by comedic duo Nihonshu |
| ③Hamura-shi | Water tasting (taste test) | Taste test water from Hamura City vs. other cities to experience how good it tastes |
| ④Akiruno-shi | Making mossariums with Yozawa moss | Use Yozawa moss to create a mossarium (a terrarium with moss) in the style of a miniature garden |
| ⑤Mizuho-machi | Drawing beards on Tama-style Daruma dolls | Draw facial hair on a Tama-style Daruma doll using a pen. |
| ⑥Hinode-machi | Making a car or a strap from Hinoki wood | Use Hinoki wood sourced from Hinode Town, craft things like a rolling car toy or a strap. |
| ⑦Hinohara-mura | Log-sawing experience | Saw a log sourced from Hinohara Village. |
| ⑧Okutama-machi | Making a deer antler strap | Use the antlers of a deer native to Okutama Town to craft a strap. |
| ⑨Oshima | Oil-extraction experience with camellia oil | Experience steaming the fruit of a camellia flower to extract camellia oil. |
| ⑩Toshima | Butter knife crafting experience | Craft a butter knife by carving one out of a block of wood from a camellia tree. |
| ⑪Niijima | Making objects from Kohga stone | Craft objects from Kohga stone and other natural materials |
| ⑫Shikinejima | Drawing Shikinejima’s ocean in sand art | Experience sand art using a sand art kit. |
| ⑬Kozushima | Making an ocean kaleidoscope | Build a kaleidoscope using obsidian, beads and sea glass sourced from Kozushima. |
| ⑭Miyakejima | Crafting a herbarium with Miyakejima flowers | Craft a herbarium (plant display) using flowers sourced from Miyakejima. |
| ⑮Mikurashima | “Is it there or not?” Dolphin Quiz | Take a quiz about dolphins native to Mikurashima. |
| ⑯Hachijojima | Making a strap with Kihachijo fabric | Craft a strap using Kihachijo fabric, a silk fabric that is dyed with plants native to Hachijojima. |
| ⑰Aogashima | Aogashima Karuta card battle | Have fun while learning about Aogashima through a Karuta card game. |
| ⑱Ogasawara Islands | Designing a DVD jacket using 50 different colors | To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the islands’ return to Japan, design and decorate a DVD jacket using 50 different colors. A DVD introducing the history of the Ogasawara Islands history is included as a present. |
Nearly 60 insta-visual cards made using posts from Tama area and Tokyo Islands’ official Instagram account (TAMASHIMA.tokyo) were hung above the booth area for visitors to enjoy and were also used as part of a quiz event.
We will take to heart the voices of the 35,000 attendees who visited us at the expo, and use them as motivation to continue showcasing the wonderful place that is the Tama area and Tokyo Islands!
