Local yet Global

Hello!  This morning I have been difficult to go to school by bicycle because it snowed yesterday.

Today I will write third of the One Village One Product Movement’s principles ; Local yet Global. It is creating globally accepted products that reflect pride in the local culture.

< Local diplomacy of Oita prefecture >

The One Village One Product Movement ( OVOP ) has promoted making human resources and held actively events for exchange between community and community. Consequently the OVOP Movement was introduced to home and abroad.  

Mr.Hiramatsu;a pioneer of the OVOP Movement

The OVOP Movement was introduced to abroad for the first time in 1983. Mr.Hiramatsu ( a pioneer of the OVOP Movement and Oita governor in those days ) was invited to the mayor of Shanghais in China. Then Shanghais city started to the One Factory One Product Movement (一廠一品運動). In 1984 other area in China started also the One Village One Product Movement (一郷一品運動, Jiangsu) and the One Village One Treasure Movement(一村一宝運動,Wuhan). President of the People’s Republic of China visited Oita prefecture after several years. The OVOP Movement was introduced to Asia in 1990 and started in Malaysia(1991), Philippine(1993) and Indonesia(1995).

JICA noticed the local diplomacy of Oita prefecture, held the workshop purposing support to Malawi in Africa. Afterward the OVOP Movement started in Malawi in 2003. The workshop has initiated into government of Japan and held partnership with The United Nations, The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and The Work Bank and so on.

The OVOP Movement by JICA expanded in Africa. I will write the OVOP Movement in Malawi the week after next.

< Mr.Hiramatsu received a Asian Nobel prize >

Mr.Hiramatsu received a Asian Nobel prize ( It’s called “Magusaisai prize” ) in 1995 because he contributed independence and development of region economy in Asia. He was also gave a “友誼奨” by China government in 2002. He has held the summit for exchange between country in Asia and Kyusyu area in Japan, discussing about the environmental problems, human development and how to activate the region economy and so on. He had aimed at making a free trade zone ( FTZ ) between countries in Asia and Kyusyu area in Japan.

The Oitakenjinkai ( 大分県人会 ) has eight countries in Asia, Hong Kong, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippine, Indonesia. It has held ‘the Asia Oitakenjinkai summit’ once a year, considering of exchange between countries in Asia and Oita prefecture.

Many foreign presidents and mayors have visited Oita prefecture since the OVOP Movement started. Mr.Hiramatsu had also been invited to lecture about it by many foreign governor. Oita airport had first international airline by this background in 1992.



the university of Ritsumeikan Asia Taiheiyo



Then Oita prefecture had university of Ritsumeikan Asia in 2000, receive many overseas students. And Oita prefecture was chosen as the soccer game place in the World Cup 2006.



Oita people has aimed exchange with every countries in the world through this movement, had a slogan “Think Globally, Act-Locally”.