Soccer sponsorship opens doors for Japanese townーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS

Town Faces Tourism Decline [0:00]

• Minamitown, a small Japanese port town in Tokushima Prefecture, has a population of 5,500.
• The town is known for sea turtles that lay eggs on its shores, a major tourist draw.
• Numbers of sea turtles have diminished in recent years, causing concern about tourism.

  There is a feeling of crisis. Promoting the town's tourism would be a problem if there were no sea turtles.

Sponsorship Deal with Sint-Truidense VV [0:00]

• Minamitown signed a sponsorship agreement with Sint-Truidense VV, a top-tier Belgian soccer club.
• The club finished third last season and qualified for European competition.
• The club has been owned by a Tokyo-based internet services firm for nine years, which has signed many Japanese players.

  That success has come under the ownership of a Tokyo-based internet services firm.

Revitalization Efforts [0:00]

• The sponsorship idea was suggested by the owner company through an employee working at the town hall.
• Town official Tsuchitani Fumio believes the deal can help revitalize the area by promoting unique aspects of the town.
• The town invested about $3,000 in the sponsorship.

  It's important to try to find something that other towns don't have, and to promote that.

Leveraging Sponsor Network [0:00]

• Sint-Truidense VV has 193 Japanese sponsors.
• Minamitown hopes to connect with these sponsors to attract support beyond tourism or relocation.
• The town aims to be introduced to other companies through meet-and-greet events for sponsors.

  We're making this deal so we can be introduced to these other companies.

Networking Event in Tokyo [0:00]

• A networking event for sponsors was held in June in Tokyo.
• Representatives from online shopping companies and cosmetics makers attended.
• Minamitown was the only municipality present.

  It's a great idea for a municipality to work with the private sector to improve the town through sports.

Potential Business Collaborations [0:00]

• Tsuchitani exchanged business cards with 12 companies and organizations at the event.
• One firm, working on agricultural output improvement with nanobubble technology, decided to visit Minamitown.
• Possibilities for collaboration were discussed.

  Our company makes original craft beers and protein products. Minami also has craft beers. It would be great if we could work together.

New Hope for Minamitown [0:00]

• The people of Minamitown have gained new hope for the future through this initiative.
• The sponsorship is seen as a worthwhile investment if it leads to more than just business connections.

  And if they like Minamitown for more than just business, I think becoming a sponsor was worth it.