JAL, which has bases throughout Japan, has been continuously implementing regional revitalization initiatives (currently the “JAL Furusato Project”), and in August 2020 launched the “JAL Furusato Ambassadors,” cabin crew members selected through an in-house recruitment process who move to the area to promote initiatives in their respective regions. In December of the same year, JAL appointed “JAL Hometown Cheering Troops” who are involved in regional revitalization while serving as flight attendants. The aim is to develop products and solve regional issues for hometowns and other regions with which they have connections, utilizing the knowledge they have accumulated as flight attendants.
We spoke with Kyoko Watanabe, a JAL Furusato Ambassador from the Tohoku office.
–What can you tell us about your initiatives?
Every year, Japan Airlines provides bamboo branches and tanzaku strips at JAL Group check-in counters and boarding areas to receive your wishes in time for the Tanabata Festival. The “JAL Group Tanabata Festival” has been held since 1982, and this year marks the 41st time. Bamboos at some airports are harvested by JAL Agriport, a farmer in the Narita Airport area.
–How are you involved in this effort?
Approximately 17,000 strips of tanzaku, which were received from customers throughout Japan (26 overseas and 49 in Japan), were dedicated to Osaki Hachiman Shrine in Sendai City on August 16, with prayers that their wishes would come true. This initiative has been implemented since 1992, when Sendai Airport became internationalized, and Tanabata decorations from all over Japan were gathered in Sendai for the dedication.
On the day of the dedication, I participated in the dedication as a JAL hometown ambassador, along with the Airport Division Director, the Tohoku Branch Office Director, and Sendai Airport ground staff.
The Tanabata Festival is a traditional event in Japan and one of the signature events for the JAL Group, and we hope that all passengers on JAL Group flights and all visitors to the airport will experience JAL’s hospitality.
–Please tell us about your efforts at the airport.
Bamboos and strips of paper were prepared at airports in Japan and some overseas airports served by the JAL Group, and on July 7, ground staff wore yukata to welcome customers.
At Haneda Airport, events were held at two terminals. At Terminal 3 for international flights, foreign customers were able to experience Japanese culture, and at Terminal 1 for domestic flights, 11 children from the airport’s nursery school participated in the event, singing “Tanabata-sama” and “Soap Bubble” in chorus, creating a festive atmosphere at the airport.
–What is your message to travelers?
At JAL check-in counters, we have decorations and events according to seasons and events. We hope you will take a look at them when you visit the airport and make your trip a memorable one.
In Sendai City, where Osaki Hachimangu Shrine, to which the tanzaku was dedicated, is home to seasonal events such as the Sendai Aoba Festival in spring and the Sendai Pageant of Light in winter. We hope you will visit Sendai, the “City of Trees,” with its fascinating history and bustling people.
© Source travel watch