Source: Peatix

Aoyama Gakuin University hosts seminar "Regional Revitalization through Pop Culture: Its Role in Disaster Recovery"

What role can pop culture such as manga and anime play in local communities and disaster recovery?
The Aoyama Community Lab (ACL, Director: Takeuchi Takahiro, Dean/Professor of the Faculty of Cultural Policy Studies at Aoyama Gakuin University) will hold a symposium on March 8, 2025 on the theme of "Regional Revitalization through Pop Culture: Its Role in Disaster Recovery."

This symposium will share successful examples of regional revitalization using pop culture and hold a multifaceted discussion on the possibilities of efforts to recover from natural disasters. Speakers include Masataka Naruo, former Tokyo office chief (KumaLab Fellow) who has been involved in regional branding in Kumamoto Prefecture, Nankichi Miyamoto, editor-in-chief of the Hokuriku Shimbun newspaper, who practices disaster reporting and regional revitalization in the Noto region, and Norio Tajima, professor at the Faculty of Commerce at Takushoku University, who is researching regional revitalization using anime and manga from an academic perspective.
This event will feature a multifaceted exchange of opinions through three speakers and a panel discussion, and will explore the potential of pop culture to impact local communities. This event is open to anyone interested in regional revitalization and pop culture.

<Overview>
Theme: Regional Revitalization through Pop Culture: Its Role in Disaster Recovery
[Date and time] Saturday, March 8, 2025, 14:00-16:00 (doors open at 13:30)
[Venue] Aoyama Gakuin University Aoyama Campus Building 17, 3rd floor, Room 17311 (4-4-25 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo) https://www.aoyama.ac.jp/outline/campus/access.html
[Format] Lecture + panel discussion (on-demand distribution scheduled at a later date)
[Participation Fee] Free (first 100 people, pre-registration required) *The first 5 people will receive a copy of "Marketing Regional Revitalization through Pop Culture"
【Speakers】
Masataka Naruo (CEO of Aeru Co., Ltd. / KumaLab Fellow)
Mr. Nankichi Miyamoto (Editor-in-Chief, Hokuriku Shimbun)
Norio Tajima (Professor, Faculty of Commerce/Dean, Graduate School of Commerce, Takushoku University)
Keiko Kawamata (Moderator: Professor, Faculty of Cultural Policy Studies, Aoyama Gakuin University)

Related book: "Marketing Regional Revitalization through Pop Culture"
A book co-authored by the speakers at the symposium, "Marketing Regional Revitalization through Pop Culture" (Chikura Shobo, 2025), was published in February. The book details practical examples and marketing strategies for regional revitalization using pop culture. It is highly thought-provoking for anyone interested in regional revitalization.

Related book: "Marketing Regional Revitalization through Pop Culture"
A book co-authored by the speakers at the symposium, Marketing for Regional Revitalization through Pop Culture (Chikura Shobo, 2025), was published in February. The book details practical examples and marketing strategies for regional revitalization using pop culture. It is highly thought-provoking for anyone interested in regional revitalization.

[Speaker profile]
Masataka Naruo (Director of Tsuruya Department Store Co., Ltd., President and CEO of Aeru Co., Ltd., Fellow at Kuma Lab)
He graduated from the School of Law at Waseda University in 1982. He joined the Kumamoto Prefectural Government in April of the same year. From April 2010, he served as a council member and section chief of the Kumamoto Brand Promotion Division for a total of five years, working with Kumamon to raise awareness of Kumamoto Prefecture. He retired at the end of March 2019, after serving as Tokyo office chief. He has been in his current position since June 2019. His books include "Kumamon no Himitsu" (Kumamoto Prefectural Office Team Kumamon, Gentosha Shinsho, 2013) and "Kumamon no Success Hosho" (Team Kumamon, Gentosha, 2018).

Mr. Nankichi Miyamoto (Editor-in-Chief of the Hokuriku Shimbun Newspaper)
Born in Ishikawa Prefecture in 1976. Graduated from the School of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Waseda University. Joined the company in 2000, and worked in the Social Affairs Department, Komatsu Branch, Culture Department, Toyama Head Office, etc., before assuming his current position in November 2024.

Norio Tajima (Professor, Faculty of Commerce/Dean, Graduate School of Commerce, Takushoku University)
Graduated from the Faculty of Commerce at Keio University in 1994. Completed the Master's course at the Graduate School of Commerce at the same university, and the Doctoral course at the Graduate School of Business Administration at the same university. PhD (Business Administration). Specializes in marketing strategy and consumer behavior theory.
Main publications: "A book to better understand supportive consumption" (co-authored, Hidewa System, 2023), "Changing society with intellectual property" (co-authored, Doyukan, 2022), "Marketing strategies for Japanese pop culture" (co-authored, Chikura Shobo, 2022), Managing Cultural Festivals between Tradition and Innovation (co-authored, Routledge, 2022), "Post-COVID marketing case studies" (co-authored, Sekigakusha, 2021), "Marketing that makes culture a competitive edge" (co-authored, Chuokeizai-sha, 2020), etc. https://researchmap.jp/read0064845

▼Contact information for inquiries
Aoyama Gakuin University Institute for Social and Intellectual Property Studies (SSP-IP) Secretariat
email：agu.sspip.2021@gmail.com

▼Contact information for interviews and filming
Aoyama Gakuin University, Policy and Planning Department, University Public Relations Division
TEL:03-3409-8159
To apply for an interview: https://www.aoyama.ac.jp/companies/interview.html

Venue