No.55 Inagi Communication Base Pair Terrace's Birth

(Inagi Newsletter published on June 15, 2016)

On April 23, 2016, a tourism information center was opened under the elevated tracks of Inagi-Naganuma Station on the JR Nambu Line. The opening of this facility was made possible by the completion of the grade separation project, and we would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Construction and JR East Hachioji Branch.
We would like to express our gratitude to Mr. Kunio Okawara, a local mechanic designer, and Mr. Jet Inoue, a multi-creator, for making it possible to launch this facility with such a concept.
The city has developed in line with urban infrastructure improvements such as the Land Readjustment Project and the Tama City New Town development. However, on the other hand, it also faces typical urbanization issues as a bedroom community, such as the outflow of daytime population and the weakening of local communities.
I believe that in order for new citizens to continue living here, it is necessary for them to feel attached to the community and recognize Inagi as their hometown. Therefore, I consider community development centered around tourism as an important method and have made it a key pillar of my promises.
As part of tourism initiatives, we are utilizing the cherry blossom trees along the Misawa River roadside and other everyday scenery that has been overlooked, as tourism resources. We have also established a certification system called "Inagi's Seal of Approval" to promote local specialties as souvenirs. Additionally, we received characters created by Mr. Okawara and Mr. Inoue as part of the 40th anniversary of the city's establishment, and we have been participating in the Yuru-Chara Grand Prix with "Inagi Nashinosuke."
In the process of creating these new tourism businesses, various challenges have emerged, such as whether we can gather the stamps of approval from Inagi at a single store for permanent sales, and whether we can continue events like the "Kunio Okawara Exhibition" held as part of the 40th anniversary of the city’s establishment as regular events rather than one-time occurrences. To solve these issues, we believe it is necessary to establish a facility similar to an antenna shop within the city, and we have launched a concept for a tourism promotion base.
In order to concretize the concept, the location of the facility is planned to be at Inagi-Naganuma Station, which can effectively utilize the space under the elevated tracks, and it has been assumed from the beginning that one of Professor Okawara's works will be permanently displayed as a large monument as an ancillary facility.

These plans were compiled into a proposal called the "Inagi City Charm Promotion! Town Vibrancy Creation Project," and the start was marked by a visit to JR East Hachioji Branch in May 2013 to present the proposal. However, it took a long time and coordination among stakeholders to solidify the original plan. In particular, regarding the production of the large monument, we received both material and moral support from Professor Okawara, who helped us decide on Gundam and Char's Zaku, which is a significant achievement. We would like to express our gratitude to Professor Okawara once again.
The operation of this facility is entrusted to private Business Operators to ensure a close and flexible response to citizens, and it is commissioned to the Commerce and Industry Association of Inagi City as the designated manager. In addition to a promotional space that disseminates new information through videos and flyers, there is also a market space selling local specialties such as pears and grapes, as well as the "Inagi City Seal of Approval," and a gallery space for displaying works.
This is how a new landmark in Inagi was born. Along with the attraction effects of various projects and facilities, we hope that more citizens and visitors from outside the city will enjoy using this facility, and that you will also utilize it for events that you take the lead in. We expect that this will spread vibrancy throughout the city and contribute to the dissemination of information about Inagi.