Local Broadcasting Stations Take on Regional Revitalization (2) Nagano Broadcasting: "Kenko Mirai Shokudo"

Local TV Stations Become Hubs for Community Mobilization! Local Broadcasters Take on Regional Revitalization (2)

Amidst calls for regional revitalization, local media companies are leveraging their strengths in community ties to contribute to area revitalization through diverse initiatives. This series focuses on the efforts of local broadcasters. Approaches vary widely: collaborating with local businesses to support each resident, launching innovative projects beyond network affiliations, and working with locals to rediscover the appeal of regional products. Efforts to broadcast the region's appeal are also accelerating, such as streaming footage owned by local stations online and supplying content to overseas stations. Over six installments, we introduce some of these initiatives.

High School Students Develop Recipes Using Local Ingredients to Extend Healthy Life Expectancy

Nagano Prefecture is known as a "long-life prefecture." As part of its "Healthy Future" campaign aimed at further promoting healthy longevity, Nagano Broadcasting System (NBS) has been running the "Healthy Future Cafeteria" project since 2013. This project showcases Nagano's proud assets – its "food resources" (ingredients and nature) – through recipe development by local high school students. The goal is to help students rediscover the excellence of these resources and deepen their health knowledge. Taking on this challenge are students from the Food and Nutrition Department at Ueda Chikuma High School. With support from school teachers, culinary researchers, and local NPOs, they engage in activities ranging from harvest experiences and learning about ingredients to actual recipe development. They then serve the finished dishes to the public in cafeterias and at events. Their hard work has been featured on the program "Smile Channel" and special broadcasts, receiving warm encouragement from viewers.

Serving set meals prepared at the "Healthy Future Cafeteria" (February 2014)

Last year, themed around "Japanese Cuisine Day" (November 24), they challenged themselves to develop recipes for prepared side dishes sold at supermarket counters. This was carried out with the full cooperation of "TSURUYA," a food supermarket operating stores throughout the Nagano area, and "Delicook Chikuma," which handles group catering services. It took about two months to finalize the recipes. The high school students earnestly grappled with advice from prepared food professionals who tasted the dishes, such as "There are many similar cooking methods" and "Consider the taste when it cools down." They repeated trial preparations until finally completing the recipes. This process was broadcast as a one-hour special program on November 21st. The prepared dishes were sold at all 32 Tsuruya stores from November 23rd to 29th. They received excellent reviews, with comments like "It's delicious and seems healthy."
Yohei Nakayama of Nagano Broadcasting's Sales Promotion Division stated, "The high school students worked diligently despite their busy schedules with classes and club activities. Their sincere efforts have earned them many fans." He added, "We now aim to 'open shops' outside the prefecture to promote the appeal of Nagano's healthy ingredients." We look forward to the ideas and energy of these high school students.

www.nbs-tv.co.jp/mirai-syokudo/

Finished side dishes displayed in-store (November 2015)