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What Okinawa Teaches Us About Building a Sustainable Economy Through Local Culture and Products (English Edition) Kindle版

(著) 宮城弘岩

作品詳細

[About the Book]
How can a region’s culture and way of life be transformed into a sustainable and successful economy?

This book confronts that question head-on.

Is it truly possible for local communities to thrive through their own efforts, without relying on government subsidies or tourism? Drawing on firsthand experience in Okinawa, the author searches for an answer.

Okinawa possesses a rich cultural heritage and a wealth of distinctive local products. Yet many of these products have enjoyed only temporary popularity and struggled to develop into lasting industries. Why have so many excellent products failed to achieve long-term success? Why have local communities often been unable to build and sustain their own markets? This book carefully examines these questions one by one.

Although the discussion centers on Okinawa, the issues explored here extend far beyond a single region. Communities distant from major urban centers, islands and peripheral areas, and regions that have reached the limits of depending on tourism or external support will find valuable insights within these pages.

This is a thoughtful yet practical book that invites readers to reconsider the relationship between local communities and economic development.

[Author's Biography]
Hiroiwa Miyagi

Born 1940 (Shōwa 15), from Haebaru Town, Okinawa Prefecture
Graduated from Waseda University; earned an M.A. at the Institute of Economics, National Taiwan University
After serving at Price Waterhouse (international audit firm); Yamazaki Iron Works Co. (robot maker; now Yamazaki Mazak), Nagoya; Executive Director and then Vice Chair of the Okinawa Industrial Federation; Representative Director and Executive Managing Director of Okinawa Prefectural Products Corporation Co., Ltd., he is currently President & CEO of Okinawa Products Company Alliance Co., Ltd. He is a director of the Japan SME Management Consultants Association, deputy head of its Okinawa branch, and a certified SME management consultant (industry).

[Areas of Expertise]
Promotion of local industries and regional economic issues; development of regional products and channel cultivation; industrial-promotion theory via FTZs (Free Trade Zones)
[Activities]
Member of various national/prefectural committees and local economic bodies; founder of the Prefectural Products Corporation; head of a training program for young business owners
[Major Works]
“Characteristics of the Formation of China’s Modern Market” (in Chinese), 1969
A Frank Diagnosis of Okinawa, Vols. 1 & 2 (1986–1987)
The Era of “From Okinawa” — Exploring Its Economic Principles, 1988
Beyond Okinawa (co-authored with Hiroyoshi Sai), 1990
Post-Hong Kong and Okinawa, 1991
On Free Trade for Okinawa, 1998
[Selected Papers & Studies]
“The Location of Value-Added Industries and Processing/Assembly Industries in Okinawa” (1991, p.116)
“The Formation and Potential of OEM Industries in Okinawa” (1993, p.136)
“A Study on Effective PR Strategies for Prefectural Products” (1993, p.112)
“Okinawa in East Asia” (1994, Okinawa University Regional Studies Yearbook)
“Export Processing Zones and Special Economic Zones as Regional Development Methods” (1995, Okinawa University Regional Studies Yearbook)
“Washita Shop — Marketing Prefectural Products via a Hub Model” (1996, Okinawa Development Finance Corporation)
“SMEs and OEM in Taiwan” (1997, Okinawa Development Finance Corporation)