The Human Resource Development

Hello!

I’m looking forward to taking the winter vacation from tomorrow, will go to my hometown, Oita prefecture.

Today I will write about one of the three basic principles of the One Village One Product movement ( OVOP ); the human resource development. The three basic principles of this movement is “Local yet Global”, “Self-Reliance and Creativity” and “Human Resource Development”.

( The ultimate goal of the OVOP movement )

Mr.Hiramatsu put it, the ultimate goal of the OVOP Movement is people-based; the term “product” refers not just to physical goods, but to products and capabilities in the human sense- the cultivation of human resources. He also has insisted on the necessity of fostering global - minded, challenging leaders in every areas.

( The regional training schools )

A number of entrepreneurship related ‘academies’ were formed to train future leaders of local industry; there are now over 10 such academies covering a variety of areas. These students usually work by day and study by night. By 2002, 10 years after the schools first opened, there were 1,991 graduates, and they were all actively involved in OVOP Movement in their respective regions and sectors.

( The kind of academy )

 ・Toyonokuni Shirayuri Jyuku ( Toyonokuni Shirayuri Academy ) in 1984

 ・Toyonokuni Shounin Jyuku ( Toyonokuni Business Academy ) in 1987

 ・Oita Nougyou Heisei Jyuku (Oita Agricultural Heisei Academy ) in 1990

 ・Nougyou Mirai Jyuku (Academy for the Future of Agriculture ) in 1996

 ・Toyonokuni Kokusai Kouryuu Karejji

     ( Toyonokuni International Exchange College ) in 1998

 ・Chiiki Bunka Doujou (Regional Culture Forum ) in 1999

 ・Oitaken Fukushi Borantia Dagakkou

     ( Oita Prefectural School for Welfare Volunteers ) in 1999

 ・Toyonokuni Akinai Mirai Jyuku 

     ( Toyonokuni Academy for the Future of Business ) in 1999

 ・Toyonokuni Kankou Karejji (Toyonokuni Tourism College ) in 1999

 ・21-seiki Oita Nougyou Jyuku 

    ( Oita Agriculture Academy for the 21^st Century ) in 2000

     

( Toyonokuni Syounin Jyuku ~Toyonokuni Business Academy ~ )

I write about the curriculum of Toyonokuni Syounin Jyuku ( Toyonokuni Business Academy ) which is one of the academy of the human resource development.



Discussion about some agendas



The curriculum of academy has consisted of some lectures, investigations, symposiums, presentations and so on. Students have learned how to develop new some goods, how to have effect on the sales promotion, how to serve, and how to show products to customers and so on… in mimic stores. And they have presented some ideas about it. The lecturer of the academy has directors of the various companies, professors of some universities, authors and mayors and so on.



Visiting of local stores



 The NPC movement of Oyama town which is the origin of OVOP movement has also sent regional younger men and women abroad for learnning foreign agricultures. For example, the course of Israelite agricultures. The human resource development is indispensable to the regional community development policy.

The next time I will write second of the three basic principles of the OVOP Movement; The Self - reliance and Creativity. Thank you! Have a good holiday!

 

History ~The origin of the OVOP Movement~

Hello! How did you do on last holiday? I had a very good time at Christmas party with my friends.

Today I will write about the history (origin) of the One Village One Product Movement(OVOP).

【last review】The OVOP Movement is…

The OVOP Movement is one of the regional community development policy in Oita prefecture in 1979. When its movement began , Oita was facing a major depopulation problem which was particularly severe among the younger generation and the GDP of Oita prefecture had been at the bottom in the whole Kyusyu. Mr.Hiramatsu became a deputy governor in Oita prefecture in 1975 had visited each areas in Oita. He got some impressions that people live in Oita had depended on national or regional government policy and not taken action local communities themselves on their poor condition.

( The origin of the OVOP Movement )

This movement in Oita has its roots not only in regional government policy , but rather in the initiative and efforts of local communities themselves.

The origin of the OVOP movement has come the movement in Oyma town in Oita prefecture since 1961; It’s called “NPC” ( New Plum and Chestnuts ) Movement or “Let’s plant plums and chestnuts there and travel Hawaii together” (「梅栗植えてハワイへ行こう」), promoting the production of plums and chestnuts to take advantage of the town’s geographical characteristics.



Oyama town in Oita

This movement in Oyama town was eventually in direct contrast to the national agricultural policy of the post-war period when the increase of food supply was the national agenda and national government vigorously encouraged the production of rice above any other agricultural products. But Oyma people definitely determined to grow other products by their own initiatives even if it was against the national policy and lost chance to get subsidies from central government.

( The movement in Oyama town )



~Plums~Specialty of Oyama town



Oyama town ( It was village in those days ) nestled in a mountainous region far from the urban centers of the prefecture, had 6,168 population in 1960. There consisted of forests 80 % of the town, so many Oyma people was forestry. In those days annual income average of a household of farmers in the national was 400 thousand yen, in Oyama was 170 thousand yen. Since this movement started, They had tried to producing plums and chestnuts because it was light work and could expect to get a lot of moneys. There had many older people in Oyma town.

 





~Enokidake~

This first period of time the challenge had been in the quite severe condition because they didn’t have any experience except their spiritual braveness. However their direction was right. After two years it started, Plums revenue were made 10 million yen by 500 producers, chestnuts was 15 million yen. Sixteen of producer could travel Hawaii. Then Oyama town produced not only plums and chestnuts, but also Shiitake, Sumomo and Enokidake. And local people opened some stores and restaurants. In 1993 total sales of its agricultural products had 2.3 billion 70 million yen.

Second and third stage of NPC movement incorporated human resource development initiatives, and tackled the issue of improving the living environment and lifestyle conditions for local residents.

Mr.Hiramatsu refined this model into a prefecture-wide policy of industrial rejuvenation.

The next time I will write the policy of the OVOP Movement.Thank you! 

The One Village One Product Movement is

Hello!

Do you have heard the One Village One Product Movement ?

The One Village One Product Movement is one of the regional community development policy ,and was advocated by Morihiko Hiramatsu (The Oita governor those days )in Oita prefecture in1979.It’s called OVOP and known about its activity globally now.

I’m from Oita and have seen advertisements of the OVOP in department stores and events when I lived in Oita. But I’ve never known what the One Village One Product movement is. When I found the OVOP movement by JICA on Internet before a few years, it surprised me the OVOP in Oita has contributed to community development and local industrial promotion in the developing country.

Today I will explain what the One Village One Product movement is .



The OVOP  project in developping country



(The OVOP movement is ...)



 

 This movement is activity that people live in each cities, towns and villages in Oita prefecture find the valuable local resources which it can boast of nationally, and raise that value through processing, sale, marketing, and so on. Mr. Hiramatsu is now 88 years old, he has been visiting other countries for the One Village One Product movement promotion.

(The OVOP movements in Japan)



"道の駅" Ogata town in Oita prefecture



This movement had extended some prefectures in Japan since it started in Oita ,The One Village One Product movement in Hokkaido, The HURUSATO One Village One Product movement in Hiroshima,新ひむかづくりmovement in Miyazaki,シゲおこしmovement　in Tottori,くまもと日本一づくりmovement in Kumamoto、ふくしまふるさと産業おこしmovement in Hukushima.We can sometimes see“農産物直売所”and“道の駅”in some department stores and so on. The foods and ornaments sold there may be one of the activities of the OVOP .



(The income gap between urban and rural after the world war Ⅱ)

After the world war Ⅱ, in 1948,the government had started the project for improvement of life for exhausted farmers and fishermen, and in 1969 had aimed at promotion of local industry and correction the income gap between urban areas and rural areas by Comprehensive National Development Plan(1962). But development of urban areas had progressed, so many people of rural areas had moved from rural to urban .Consequently it had taken the local economic deterioration. Depression due to the oil crisis in1973 had made the income gap between urban and rural be seriously problem. Local communities had come up with measures to deal with economic deterioration.

The condition of Oita was in the similar condition in the 1960s and 70s. The GDP of Oita prefecture was at the bottom in the whole Kyusyu and the mountainous rural regions were isolated and suffered depopulation phenomena and their indigenous industries was stagnated with little hope. Under these conditions the OVOP movement has brought a certain lustering light to the local communities to be able to tackle these difficult conditions.

My blog will show amply activity of the OVOP movement.I hope this blog is useful for you. Thanks!