Miyazaki Prefecture opens Taiwan school, hoping for more equal exchanges between Taiwan, China and Japan in the agricultural and food industries
By Takamine Yumi (たかみね ゆみ / TakamineYumi)
Hello, everyone! I am Takamine Yumi from Kyushu, Japan. I am currently commissioned by the Japanese central government and the Miyazaki Prefectural Government to help promote the plan for the sixth industrialization of the food and agriculture industry as a consulting advisor. My main work includes a year-long "Taiwan Juku," which I am responsible for planning and executing. It runs for one year starting from December 2014, and offers in-depth study and exchange activities on various topics for agricultural practitioners from Taiwan, China and Japan (Miyazaki Prefecture).
However, the purpose of holding this "Taiwan Juku" is not simply to expand Japan's agricultural exports to Taiwan, China. Rather, it is to use this opportunity to give Japanese people a deeper understanding of the agri-food industry in Taiwan, China, build greater mutual trust between Taiwan, China and Japan, and on that basis explore further cooperative partnerships. The friendliness and warmth of the people of Taiwan, China are world-renowned, and they also possess highly advanced technology. I believe that if Japan and Taiwan, China have the opportunity to learn from and exchange with each other, they will surely develop many mutually beneficial and prosperous models of cooperation.
Therefore, starting in October 2014, I began actively visiting various places in Taiwan, China, directly visiting sites of agricultural production to deepen my understanding of the current state of agricultural development in Taiwan, China. At the same time, I extended invitations to farmers I found particularly interesting, hoping they could come to Miyazaki Prefecture to share their own experiences and bring the stimulation of Taiwan, China's unique agricultural culture and business philosophy to local Japanese farming families.
The origins of the idea for Taiwan Juku
These are the voices (some of them) of the farmers and farming enthusiasts from Taiwan, China and Japan whom I interviewed
About the author: Takamine Yumi (たかみね ゆみ / TakamineYumi). Current position: contract marketing consulting advisor. Resume: Graduated from the University of Tsukuba. After graduation, worked at a private company; after leaving to go independent, signed with a Korean cosmetics company and helped it expand into the Japanese market. Afterwards, returned to her hometown of Miyazaki Prefecture in Kyushu, where she makes use of her rich marketing experience to provide local companies with business consulting, product development, marketing and promotion strategies, and overseas business development; on the other hand, she also helps groups for people with physical and mental disabilities fight for more reasonable wages and so on.