The population of Yamagata Prefecture continues to decline, except for Higashine City. Last year (2019), the population decreased by 972 in the four cities and towns of Nagai, Nanyo, Shirataka and Iide. If the annual consumption per person is 1.25 million yen according to national statistics, the total consumption will decrease by about 1.22 billion yen. The local consumption will be exhausted and tax revenue will also decrease. Although there is a growing sense of crisis that the region will disappear, there are limits to how one town or city can aim to revitalize the local economy through inbound tourism and tourism consumption. Therefore, the idea of discovering and refining the charm of the Okitama region as a whole was born. It has the advantage of increasing the number of materials that can be proposed, such as tourist attractions, food, and transportation areas.

It was brought forth by discussing with other members for dozens of hours. Rather than asking a professional writer, we thought using language that the locals contemplated over and over about would be more authentic. Because we aren’t using borrowed terminology, it’s taken more seriously and promoted with confidence. We want to offer experiences and relationships that create a concept of what Arcadia’s endeavors are, and that locals and tourists alike will be able to define those endeavors. We want to create a region where first-time visitors feel at home.