Bringing the power of design to Japan’s tourist resources Bringing the power of design to Japan’s tourist resources Bringing the power of design to Japan’s tourist resources
Sharing existing value with the world
Yoshifumi Nabeta
Chief Producer/Production Division No. 3 Studio
Born in Tokyo in 1973. Nabeta received a master’s degree in Intelligent Machinery and Systems from the Faculty of Engineering at Kyushu University. After working at NTT Docomo, he joined Nippon Design Center. Having worked at the Hara Design Institute, he currently is a member of the Production Division. His hobbies include music and mountain climbing.
Hello, my name is Yoshifumi Nabeta. I am a producer at Nippon Design Center.
In a word, my job is to connect creators with people and things around the world. This work is wide-ranging; it means always being on the lookout globally, thinking with creators, communicating the intentions of creators, and so on. Recently, I worked on the branding of a website for a traditional ryokan inn located in a mountainous area of Kagoshima Prefecture. The number of projects related to the Japan’s tourism industry is increasing. I strongly believe that our design capabilities are something that we can be proud of on a global level. And being able to work with those who understand this is just one reason why I enjoy working every day.
I think the power of design can be demonstrated in a wide variety of areas. When thinking about what position Japan will hold in the future, I feel that we can share existing value with the world in particular by combining the power of design with tourist resources. Going forward, I hope to be able to discover and shine a light on little-known crafts, accommodations, and other aspects of various regions through design and be able to make these more available to the greater world.
I recently started mountain climbing. This began when I turned 40 years old. A discussion with a childhood friend led to the topic that a Japanese person should climb Mt. Fuji at least once. Through my training to climb Mt. Fuji, I learned about various mountains. On average, I now enjoy climbing mountains once every two months, including high mountains and those that are easier to climb. Many international tourists climb Mt. Fuji and Mt. Takao, but there are lots of other mountains across Japan that are good for climbing. However, they have gone unnoticed. As more people are looking for unique experiences rather than shopping and so on in Japan, we can provide people from overseas with better experiences if we create environments that make it easier to reach these mountains. I hope more people will understand the appeals of mountains in Japan.