Under the “Kojimatching” project, Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Washu Senior High School has been working to match products already found in the Kojima area (combine them) and create new value.
In summer 2021, the project expanded its area and, under the concept of “Kojima” × “rural areas,” developed a new product infused with the passion of students from two schools: the Business Department of Kurashiki Washu Senior High School and the Environmental Science Department of Okayama Prefectural Takahashi Jonan Senior High School.
Here we introduce “Blueberry Gelato,” developed through a collaboration between students from the two schools.
This article was contributed by students in the Business Department of Kurashiki Washu Senior High School. The editorial team at Haretoco General Incorporated Association edited and published it.
The information in this article was accurate when it was published in July 2021. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is the “Kojimatching” project?
The Business Department and the Business Research Club at Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Washu Senior High School are working under the “Kojimatching” project to match products already found in the Kojima area and create new value.
- First: “Fig Gelato”
- Second: “Strawberry Daifuku-Style Gelato”
- Third: “Brazilian Coffee Gelato”
- Fourth: “Hand-Kneaded Bread Made with Kojima Figs”
- Fifth: “Solving Food Waste with Sake Lees”
The first product was a dessert made entirely in Kojima, “Fig Gelato.” It was sold for a limited period of about one month starting in September 2020, and sales were strong.
So far, we had matched products from within the Kojima area, but looking ahead to the post-pandemic era, we wondered whether we could match products from the Kojima area with products from other regions.
Collaboration with Takahashi Jonan High School
In the Environmental Science Department at Takahashi Jonan High School, students consider the future of their community through studies in agriculture, home economics, welfare, and other subjects.
The department also aims to equip students with the ability to contribute to and make proposals to society in order to realize a sustainable society. For their third-year research projects, students were developing ways to make use of blueberries grown in Kibichuo Town.
This led to the idea of matching products from the Kojima area with blueberries from Kibichuo Town.
The Washu High School students soon visited Kibichuo Town, where they planned to pick blueberries together.
We were looking forward to blueberry picking, but…!
The blueberry picking was to take place at “Haruna-en” in Kamitake, Kibichuo Town.
In addition to blueberries, it’s a spot where you can also try processing what you’ve picked on site.
But just as the two schools were about to go harvesting together… an unexpected downpour.
We had been looking forward to picking blueberries, but couldn’t harvest any, so students from Takahashi Jonan High School brought blueberries they had picked in advance to Kojima.
The blueberries were in perfect condition and looked delicious!
Although we couldn’t go blueberry picking, seeing the blueberries that had arrived filled us with excitement.
The partner for “Haruna-en” blueberries is the familiar “Seaside Farm Nanba Farm Ice Cream Shop” from the “Kojimatching” project.
What kind of gelato would they make with the blueberries…!
We agreed to eat it together with students from Kurashiki Washu High School and Takahashi Jonan High School on the day sales began, and eagerly awaited the day.
Students from Kurashiki Washu High School and Takahashi Jonan High School meet in person
On the day blueberry gelato went on sale at the “Seaside Farm Nanba Farm Ice Cream Shop,” we finally met the students from Takahashi Jonan High School in person!
Until then, we had only seen one another through computer screens during online meetings, so things felt a little awkward at first. But we gradually warmed up to each other, and the atmosphere became fun.
We got to hear lots of things we hadn’t known about Takahashi Jonan High School and Kibichuo Town.
Please try our proud creation, blueberry gelato
Then we finally got to try the “Blueberry Gelato,” bringing together the hopes of so many people.
This gelato combines the best of freshly churned milk gelato and fresh blueberries from Kibichuo Town, and it’s our proud creation!
The richness of the milk and the texture of the blueberries are addictive.
“Blueberry Gelato” is available at the “Seaside Farm Nanba Farm Ice Cream Shop.”
It is available for a limited time during summer, until mid-August 2021.
The sales period may vary slightly depending on the harvest, so if you’re interested, be sure to visit soon.
Try gelato at the “Seaside Farm Nanba Farm Ice Cream Shop” and enjoy the charms of Kibichuo Town in Kojima.
And keep an eye out for what the “Kojimatching” project does next!
Participants wanted for the “Kojimatching” project
The pandemic continues to make it difficult to attract tourists from far away.
With “micro-tourism” as our theme, we are considering ways to help local people discover what makes their own community special.
The Kojima area has a wide variety of specialty products. Could we create new value by successfully matching them with specialty products from other regions?
We, the students in the Business Department at Kurashiki Washu High School, would like to serve as the bridge between them and learn about real-world business.
If you’re interested, please get in touch with Washu High School.
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