In February 2023, VegeProject representative Haruko Kawano joined a seminar for farm stay operators in Aomori Prefecture. The seminar was held as part of the “2023 Farm Stay Promotion Project”, by the Tohoku Bureau of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
The seminar’s theme was “Vegetarian/Vegan Hospitality for Farm Stay Hosts and Restaurants”. The aim was to address the increasing demand for vegetarian and vegan support. Attention to SDGs, and the relatively high number of vegetarians and vegans among foreign visitors are the background for interest in the topic.
The feedback from the participating farm stay operators was positive. Many expressed a deeper understanding of vegetarians and vegans, and a desire to implement vegetarian and vegan support practices. Some of the comments included “We have a deeper understanding of vegetarians and vegans,” “The threshold for vegetarian and vegan support has been lowered,” and “We would like to start implementing these practices.”
JA Tourism & Communications, who organized the seminar, included content from the seminar and Q&A in a publication named “Tohoku Farm Stay Knowledge for the With/After-COVID era”. The aim of this publication is to help business operators and residents who want to partake in farm stays.
Tohoku Nohaku Knwoledge for the With/After-COVID Era
Edited and published by JA Tourism & Communications