Events and Announcements

First in Shikoku! Ozu City received the Silver Award at the World Sustainable Tourism Awards

愛媛県大洲市は、持続可能な観光の国際認証団体「グリーン・デスティネーションズ」が認証する「世界の持続可能な観光地アワード」にて、シルバーアワードを受賞しました。

＞Green Destinations Japan Official Website

What is the World Sustainable Tourism Destinations Awards?

国際認証団体であるオランダの「グリーン・デスティネーションズ」が、持続可能な観光の国際基準を元に、より良い地域づくりに努力している地域を毎年選出しているものです。

The certification is given to destinations that meet certain international standards and are assessed against 84 criteria categorized into six themes related to sustainable tourism (destination management, nature and landscape, environment and climate, culture and traditions, social welfare, and business and communication).

The Silver Award was awarded in the 2022 and 2023 "Top 100 Sustainable Tourist Destinations in the World" and the 2023 Green Destinations Story Awards in the "Cultural and Traditional Conservation Category" in the 2023 Green Destinations Story Awards Ozu.​ This award was given to the city's distinctive sustainable initiatives.

Certification standards and examples of certified areas

＞Extract from Green Destinations Award Destinations

Main items evaluated

Culture and traditions

Tourism using historical resources urban & community development

In 2016-17, Ozu City saw a period in which Ozu Castle Town townscapes were demolished, newly built, or renovated all at once. The loss of a large Ozu townscape would not only lose the historical character of the Castle Town, but also the loss of the local identity.

Therefore, in order to preserve and utilize the townscape of Ozu Castle Town, which is a historical resource, the city of Ozu has transformed old folk houses into old folk house shops and hotels. As a result, the town is gradually being revitalized by the flow of people called tourism.

>For more information on tourism-urban & community development utilizing historical resources, click here

Preservation and inheritance of intangible folk cultural properties

Ozu The city has four prefectural designated intangible folk cultural properties and six city-designated intangible folk cultural properties, and is engaged in the creation of mechanisms and activities for the preservation and inheritance of these cultural properties.

> Intangible Folk Cultural Property (Prefecture Designated)

＞Intangible folk cultural property (designated by city)

In addition, Ozu Castle Castle Stay was also highly praised for the reproduction of "Fujinawa Kagura," an intangible folk cultural property, and "Onari," which is the pace of the Ozu clan's change of attendance.

>For more information about Ozu Castle Castle Stay, click here

Business Communications

In Ozu City, "Ozu Machitsukuri Daigaku" is held in the Castle Town region, and cooperation and urban & community development promotion are being promoted together with local businesses. Discussions with local businesses have led to the creation of Sustainable businesses, which has led to the creation of liveliness and the fostering of awareness of Sustainable.

＞For more information about Ozu University of Ozu Machitsukuri Daigaku click here

>For more information on Sustainable urban & community development click here

Nature and Landscape

Initiatives by the Yanagisawa Genji Firefly Preservation Society

Ozu A section of about 12 km from Tadokoro to the Yaochi Bridge in Mt. Kita, upstream of the Yaochi River in the city, has been designated as a place where fireflies can be founded, and the "Yanagisawa Genjibotaru Preservation Society" continues to make efforts to protect the environment where fireflies can easily live, such as cultivating fireflies and maintaining habitats.

＞For more information on the Genji fireflies of the Yaochi River, click here

Environment and Climate

Ozu The city has established an energy vision, in which citizens, businesses, and governments are working together to prevent global warming and conserve resources, as well as to strengthen efforts to introduce and utilize renewable energy.

>For more information on Ozu City's Energy Vision, click here

Social Welfare

Ozu City conducts an annual resident satisfaction survey (Ozu Castle Town (Konan district) Questionnaire for the Conservation and Utilization of Historic Buildings) to survey residents' satisfaction and involve the local community.

In addition, public awareness activities on human rights are also carried out through the Human Rights and Dowa Education Conference and Kizuna.