The result of the OVOP Movement

Hello, everyone. Today I will write the result of the One Village One Product (OVOP) Movement.

< The number of the OVOP Movement products>

The OVOP Movement is practiced in 58 communities in Oita prefecture. The number of the OVOP Movement products was 143 at first, but 20 years later the figure had increased more than two-folds to 336.1) The main products of Oita prefecture are the Kabosu, the dry shiitake mushroom, the yield of hot spring water and the shochu. Especially the kabosu, the dry shiitake mushroom and the yield of hot spring have most quantity of production in Japan.



Doro yu(泥湯) in Beppu Onsen



at Yufuin Onsen



< The OVOP Movement is introduced to home and abroad >

Mr. Hiramatsu, a pioneer of the OVOP Movement and the Oita governor in those days, had promoted making human resources and held actively events for exchange between community and community. Consequently the OVOP Movement was introduced to home and abroad by governments and the organization which supports to developing countries, such as JICA and JETRO. In 2008, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs appointed him to be a goodwill ambassador of the OVOP Movement on the International Workshop of the OVOP Movement in Africa.

<The annual income per capita of Oita people>



in Yufuin town  



Oita prefecture has been known well by the activities of the OVOP Movement in Japan and other countries. The tourists who go over ten million every year come to Beppu city; there is famous hot springs, Beppu Onsen. Yuhuin city has also about three million tourists every year.



in Beppu city



The annual income per capita of Oita people was 1,405,000 yen when the OVOP Movement started in 1980 and was the 4th annual income per capita in Kyusyu area. In 1990, it was 2,387,000 yen and ranked the 2th annual income per capita in Kyusyu area. In 1997, 1999 and 2000, Oita prefecture was most the annual income per capita in Kyusyu area.

The factors of these results are not only the activities of the OVOP Movement. Mr. Hiramatsu has accepted actively the private enterprises with the head office in another prefecture, the high-technology industry and the activities of the Industrial Relocation Policy by ministry of economy, such as Canon and TOSHIBA and so on. I guess that his actively has led to increase the annual income per capita of Oita Prefecture.





< The problem of the OVOP Movement>

Finding the problem of this movement was difficult for me. So I think of a problem of this movement under the OVOP Movement in Malawi. The problem is that the human resource development, it is the most important for this movement, may decline hereafter. Especially the communities where started for this movement quickly, it may stop itself by not going the process of the OVOP movement business. They need to think of how to pass down as oral traditional to a young generation.

I have written 8 topics on my blog. Next week, I will write the KABOSU, a specialty of Oita prefecture.  See you next class!

1)    Website, www.ovop.jp