Taipei, Aug. 29 (CNA) "One Town, One Product" (OTOP) , an initiative which was born in Japan 28 years ago, has now become a global concept in developing local cultural industries, especially in Asia, representatives from Asian countries said in an international conference said Tuesday.
The OTOP initiative was the brainchild of Morihiko Hiramatsu, former Governor of Japan's Oita Prefecture. Hiramatsu started the campaign in order to raise incomes in local communities in the prefecture and make citizens feel proud of their hometown.
In Hiramatsu's own words, the initiative was aimed at boosting GNP (gross national product) as well as "GNS (gross national satisfaction)."
The success of the campaign in Oita Prefecture led other countries, including Taiwan, Thailand, Korea and China, to follow the model. Similiar programs have been implemented in more than a dozen countries to date.
Taiwan started its OTOP project in 1989 under the supervision of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and it now has over 110 towns with developed cultural products or events which helps local tourism as well.
According to a report by Global Vision magazine, "the Yilan International Children's Folklore and Folkgame Festival", "the Pingtung Black Tuna Season, " and "Yilan Green Fair" are the three most successful culture tourism seasons in the country.
The project is also an integral part of small- and medium-size businesses (SMEs) promotion in Thailand, which launched its "One Tambon (Town) , One Product" project in 2001, said Nitnirun Suwannagate, deputy director general of the Thailand Office of SMEs Promotion.
"The Thai government is now using the OTOP as the new tourism promotion, " she said, adding that by the end of this year, 60 OTOP villages will be developed and promoted as tourism villages.
The project has been transformed into different names and slogans in various countries, such as "One Company, One Village" in Korea, "One Village, One Treasure" in China, and "One Parish, One Product" in the U.S. state of Louisiana.
As successful as the OTOP was in Oita Prefecture 28 years ago, the worldwide OTOP phenomenon has definitely been well beyond Hiramatsu's expectations, said Kimoto Shoji, planning director of Oita's OTOP International Exchange Promotion Committee.