Last month, I moved to Kitsuki City in Oita Prefecture, Japan. This area has many attractions. However, I found there was a little difference in their style. Today, I will talk about it.
How to show our individuality
Sometimes, we want to stop our mental conflicts between the want to become famous and the one to show our individuality.
They often contradict each other. Fame requires us to be supported by many people. On the other hand, to show our individuality, we have to limit who we contribute to. That bothers us.
If we have unique individuality and cannot live like our surroundings, choosing the latter might suit us. The former is for people with less unique natures.
However, we sometimes keep conflicting.
In such a case, knowing the style of Kitsuki City and Oita Prefecture might help. We will know there are success stories like Oita Prefecture and a failure example of Kitsuki City. This might encourage us to show our individuality.
The difference between Oita Prefecture and Kitsuki City
Although Kitsuki City is in Oita Prefecture, they respond to the opposite in how they treat their personalities.
- Oita Prefecture is an example that has used individuality effectively.
- Kitsuki City is an example that ignored its uniqueness and failed.
That made me come to like Oita Prefecture rather than Kitsuki City. Let me explain more below.
Oita Prefecture’s way
Oita Prefecture is diverse. For example, there are hot springs that erupt the most in this country. Of course, there are volcanoes. It also has one of the best fishing grounds and seafood. Moreover, it has one of the hottest areas in the country. Some highlands are unsuitable for rice cultivation, but some are best for large farming.
In other words, Oita Prefecture is chaotic. Perhaps people with individuality are the same. We have multiple aspects. That often confuses us. We don’t know not only how to deal with ourselves but also what we want. We cannot live in uniformity.
However, Oita Prefecture established its identity. It introduces itself as a ‘hot spring prefecture.’ Despite its diversity and multiple aspects, associating uniqueness with hot springs made it easier to understand.
This concept was a huge success. Even though hot springs are unnecessary for people’s lives, we feel the attraction.
How they make the most of their personality
In addition, they promoted creating one specialty product in each village, which is called the ‘One Village One Product movement,’ as I introduced several times in earlier articles.
This policy is more effective in places with diversity. People can concentrate on producing what suits their land. Moreover, within a village, people in villages can store and share their experiences, creativity, and wisdom. That gave them competitiveness.
Imagine we are such a prefecture. Our bodies are the land. We will be delighted if those people (as cells) use our body parts (organs) and produce more energy effectively.
This would be a model of an individual who makes the most of his diversity. He is chaotic, but he is who he is. He calls himself a ‘hot spring prefecture,’ but he also accepts differences and contradictions.
A person who accepts that he doesn’t have to be strong is strong. Although he knows hot springs are unnecessary for people’s lives, they are his attractiveness. In other words, he has his own philosophy.
The cause of Kitsuki City’s failure
On the other hand, Kitsuki City has gone the opposite. Despite its many unique features, it has not used them. That might make them continue to fail in many areas, in my opinion. The collapse of the rent market is an example.
Despite the great unique products, they are unknown to the outside. After I migrated to this city, I knew them.
One example is the street called the ‘Oyster Road.’ Along the main road, there is a bay area where many restaurants provide delicious oyster dishes. The bay area has oyster farming, and they use the oyster. Those restaurants are highly rated and always crowded with local customers. However, I didn’t know it until I migrated and passed through there.
There are other specialties. One Japanese sake (Japanese rice wine) got one of the best, well-known drink awards in Europe. Surprisingly, it won the award three times. There is also a Japanese tea brand called Kitsuki Tea. However, I didn’t know them until I moved to this area.
The misery of a weak city
Ignoring those specialties, this city has introduced itself as ‘little Kyoto in West Japan.’ Kyoto is the strongest city with the most tourists in this country. Even though Kitsuki City is a tiny and insignificant area, it is behaving like the strongest!
Perhaps they want to be like Kyoto. The strongest is attractive. However, it looks miserable when a weak city like Kitsuki City does it. Compared to Kyoto, everything Kitsuki City imitates is disappointing. It is natural. Although Kitsuki City has several ‘best’ points, it ignores them.
Perhaps this city might not be able to allow being weak. Ironically, that keeps it weak.
That is the objective perspective when we look at a person with individuality who is acting like the strongest.
Its inferiority complex might have caused the rent collapse in this area. In my prospects, this city will continue to fail until they know it.
Conclusion
That is the difference in dealing with individuality between Kitsuki City and Oita Prefecture.
There are success stories like Oita Prefecture and a failure example of Kitsuki City.
That is why I came to like Oita Prefecture rather than Kitsuki City.
This example might encourage us to use individuality.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope to see you in the next one.
