The second term of the “Nagato Tourism Concierge Course” has started.

Aiming to improve the hospitality of Nagato City tourism

On October 7 (Wed.), the "Nagato Tourism Concierge Course Phase 2" sponsored by the Nagato City Tourism Convention Association started, with an opening ceremony and the first classroom lecture held at the Nagato City Hall.

The "Nagato Tourism Concierge" program is an initiative to train people who can provide hospitality to tourists to Nagato, similar to the "concierges" at hotels and department stores.

First, students study at the "Nagato Tourism and Culture Seminar" as the "Basic Course" and take the certification exam.

Successful candidates will take the next step in the Hospitality Course, which includes a practical workshop on hospitality, and will be certified as a "Nagato Tourism Concierge".

At the opening ceremony, Mr. Otani, chairman of the Nagato City Tourism Convention Association, gave a speech, expressing his hope that this initiative will not only improve the level of tourism in the city, but also the hospitality of the entire region.

Nagato Tourism and Culture Seminar Part 1: "Transition and Future of Hagi Ware Fukagawa Kiln" (Lecturer: Tohei Tahara)

In the first session of the seminar, Mr. Tohei Tahara from Tohei Tahara Kiln, one of the Fukagawa kilns of Hagi ware, took the podium. He spoke about the fascination of Hagi ware, including basic knowledge of its history and characteristics, as well as episodes from his past activities as an artist.

In the latter half of the talk, we heard Mr. Tahara's thoughts on "future Hagiyaki," including his expectations for the next generation and his aspirations for the future.

Various ceramic shards excavated from the area around the old kiln were on display.

Nagato Tourism and Culture Seminar Part 2: "Yasuo Kozuki and his hometown Misumi" (Lecturer: Ito Maruo)

The second seminar was led by Ito Maruo, curator of the Yasuo Kagetsu Museum of Art. In the lecture, he talked about Yasuo Kazuki, a Western-style painter from Misumi, Nagato City, and explained each of his works along with his own life in those days.

We were also able to hear about the charms of the works, which are not easily seen in catalogs, such as the "connection between the living landscape of Misumi and the works of Yasuo Kagetsu," which Mr. Maruo himself discovered while actually living in Nagato.

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