Creating spaces to nurture Fukushima's leaders

“Odaka Manhole Cover Art Project” + Zero Gomission

 As one idea that arose from the Asubito Fukushima Community intergenerational entrepreneurs' camp, a project incubator for high school and university students and adults in August 2017, the Manhole Cover Art Multigenerational Exchange Event was held on July 22, 2018. This Odaka Manhole Cover Art Project was part of a concept to create art in Odaka ward (in Minamisoma City), and to discover charms that locals may not have noticed. It was promoted as a university student-led way of preparing to create future touristic resources. This project was organized in an area that had been declared an evacuation zone after the 2011 nuclear accident and where evacuees were still slow to return to even after the evacuation order was lifted. On the day of the event it attracted about 60 persons, mainly the local elementary school kids and high school students who had been invited. 

The first half of the event was designed for people to experience the charms of Odaka with a walk around town doing a Zero Gomission activity (a play on words of “zero emissions” and “gomi,” which means waste or litter in Japanese), which was planned and run by local high school students. The event was designed to make people aware of history, culture and garbage through litter collection. Participants were able to connect with each other and create good memories in Minamosoma, through a participatory physical activity with the purpose of reviving the town environment and atmosphere. Minamisoma high school students did the planning and operations, with support from Asubito Fukushima. The participants split into teams and competed on the weight of garbage collected and other tasks.

The second half of the event was for review and discussion, and participants shared their observations about the charms of Odaka that they had noticed while walking around doing the Zero Gomission event. Also, former city waterworks employees who had actually thought up the idea of putting designs on the manhole covers to depict the local dragon legend, spoke about the dragon idea and the history of Odaka. To finish off, the group painted colors on manhole covers near the venue and made T-shirts on the same dragon theme.

By their involvement, students were able to gain various experiences through cooperation with the local government staff who gave permission to paint the manhole covers, communication with local residents leading up to the event, and collaboration with adults who supported the event. Overall the event was a great opportunity for the entire region, including elementary school kids, to reconfirm the charms of their community of Odaka.

Links:

• Asubito Fukushima