Interview with Miyazaki Nao
What was your first impression when you encountered Kurashiki Hakka?
Miyazaki (surname only)
I was surprised by a scent unlike anything I had smelled before. I think many people associate mint with a sharp, pungent scent, but Hidebi contains peppermint compounds, and its distinctive feature is a sweet, refreshing fragrance. Personally, I think it’s a scent that can lift your spirits and refresh you when you’re feeling down.
I wasn’t particularly interested in mint to begin with, but when I visited the Kurashiki Hakka Display Center, I learned that mint is much more familiar to us than I had expected. Mint leaves and mint oil have long been used in medicines and quasi-drugs, and they have many uses beyond enjoying their fragrance.
Are there any initiatives you’d like to try as part of community development using Kurashiki Hakka?
Miyazaki
I feel that the history of mint cultivation flourishing in Okayama Prefecture is not very well known.
I’d be happy if we could create opportunities to share the appeal of mint with children today, so that efforts to revive mint cultivation become widely known and help people recognize it as a local specialty. I think community development requires a long-term perspective.
One of my missions during my term is to produce a revised edition of the Mint Handbook, so I also hope to create a picture book about Kurashiki Hakka.
Also, I think many people will be captivated by the fragrance of Kurashiki Hakka if they get a chance to smell it, so I’d like to create more places where people can experience the fragrance firsthand.
Indoors is best for experiencing a fragrance, so I’d like to try diffusing essential oils in a place like a model home showroom. I hope to offer opportunities for people to imagine what life with Kurashiki Hakka might be like.
Also, the fragrance of Kurashiki Hakka helps improve concentration, so I think it would be ideal for school-related promotional items. I have all kinds of ideas.
I’d be happy if I could use my dietitian qualifications to share the appeal of Kurashiki Hakka and help make everyday life a little richer.
What have you gained through your work as a Community Revitalization Cooperator?
Miyazaki
In terms of my personal growth, I’ve been able to use my knowledge of branding and marketing to raise awareness of Kurashiki Hakka.
Rather than just studying and acquiring knowledge, I’ve been able to put it into practice through things like product development, which has given me a lot of experience. I hope I’ve been able to use that experience to share the appeal of Kurashiki Hakka with more people.
Why did you decide to start the cooking class Chef☆Kids?
Miyazaki
There were two main reasons.
One was that I wanted to get to know local children and their parents, and create more opportunities to share the appeal of Kurashiki Hakka while making use of my strengths. Even though I have a dietitian qualification, I was worried that if I stayed away from the field for too long, I’d have a long gap in my experience. That was one of my concerns after moving here.
But as I began exploring mint, I realized how much there was to learn. It led me to the worlds of botany, biology, and chemistry, which I had studied as a dietitian, and I felt a sense of familiarity. People say “cooking is science,” and I think that’s absolutely true.
I thought it would be killing two birds with one stone if I could create opportunities for people to become interested in mint from a science perspective, and then, as an extension of that, learn about Kurashiki Hakka.
I’ve only just started the class, so I haven’t yet been able to incorporate dishes using mint, but I’d be happy if I could hold classes in conjunction with my work as a Community Revitalization Cooperator.
It’s valuable for children to have opportunities to encounter local specialties from a young age. What was the other reason?
Miyazaki
The other reason was that when I thought about settling in Kurashiki, the people I most wanted to connect with were those who live in the community. Most of the people I interact with through my work as a Community Revitalization Cooperator are tourists or business contacts of the organizations hosting me, so I haven’t had many opportunities to connect with local residents.
After leaving my job as a dietitian, I realized that I really do enjoy work related to food, clothing, and housing. For me, Chef☆Kids is a tool for settling in, as well as preparation for choosing a career where I can use my qualifications after my term ends.
Are there any happy memories or memorable moments from your work?
Miyazaki
When I set up a Kurashiki Hakka Display Center booth at an event in the city, local residents I’d met through the night cafe and Chef☆Kids came by calling out, “Miya!” and “Teacher Miya!”
I could feel that I was getting to know people in the community, and I felt I’d created more opportunities for local residents to encounter local specialties.
Finally, do you have a message for our readers?
Miyazaki
Until now, I’ve built connections with the community through the night cafe and Chef☆Kids. Even after completing my term as a Community Revitalization Cooperator, I hope to continue living and working in Kurashiki, so if anyone reading this would like to connect with me, please do get in touch.
I’d be happy if you said, “I read this Kuratoco article.”
From the Writer
Until I moved to Kurashiki, I had no idea that mint was one of its local specialties.
The fragrance of Kurashiki Hakka is refreshing yet sweet, and unforgettable after just one sniff. The products Miyazaki has developed make it easy to enjoy the fragrance of Kurashiki Hakka, so they’re also recommended as souvenirs from Kurashiki.
Listening to Miyazaki, who is involved in community activities independently as well as through her work as a Community Revitalization Cooperator, inspired me to put even more effort into my own activities.
Please keep an eye on the Community Revitalization Cooperator program’s future activities.
Miyazaki Nao's Information
| Name | Miyazaki Nao |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-10-11 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Website | Kurashiki Hakka Display Room |
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