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- Grand Award Winner and Other Award Winners of Nationwide General Election for Outstanding Regional Brands Determined
Grand Award Winner and Other Award Winners of Nationwide General Election for Outstanding Regional Brands Determined
February 10, 2021
On February 6 (Sat.), 2021, the Japan Patent Office (JPO), the regional Bureaus of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Okinawa General Bureau of the Cabinet office (hereinafter referred to as the “organizers”) held a final competition of the Nationwide General Election for Outstanding Regional Brands online.
Finalist teams of students and rights holders of Regional Collective Trademarks held presentations on their ideas of and PR approaches to potential new products or new businesses as regional brands, and the organizers determined the Grand Award winner and other award winners based on the results of examinations by both the examiners and online viewers made up of the general public who cast their votes online.
1. List of award-winning teams
| Title of award | Selection criteria | Goods/services registered under the Regional Collective Trademark System | Organization | University | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Award | Earning the highest scores in all items under the selection criteria | Nishio no Matcha (green tea) | Nishiocha Kyodo Kumiai (tea cooperative in Nishio City) | Tongali Project, Nagoya University, etc. | Nishio x Tongali |
| Development Award | Earning high scores in items involving development of the target regions (in terms of novelty and progressiveness) | Naito Togarashi (chili pepper) | Shinjyuku Naito Togarashi Project | Department of Intercultural Communication, Gakushuin Women’s College | Togarashi Joshi |
| Conveyance Award | Earning high scores in items involving conveyance of information on the target regions (in terms of expression, composition and regional uniqueness) | Amagasaki Ankake Chanpon (noodles) | Team Amagasaki Ankake Chanpon | School of Human Environmental Sciences, Mukogawa Women’s University | Team Omori Seminar |
| Discovery Award | Earning high scores in items involving discovering regional attractiveness (in terms of understanding, ideas and collaboration) | Kuma Shochu (liquor) | Kuma Sochu Shuzo Kumiai (cooperative for Kuma Shochu distilleries) | Kumamoto Sosei Suisin Kiko, Kumamoto University | Shocyu ni Muchu |
| Secretariat Director’s Award for the Nationwide Election for Outstanding Regional Brands | Determining the winner based on agreement among the examiners | Tojima Buri (yellowtail) | Uwaumi Branchi, Ehime Prefectural Fisheries Cooperative | Faculty of Fishery Food, Ehime Prefectureal Uwajima Fishery High School |
Fish Girls |
| Presentation Award | Best presentation | Nishio no Matcha (green tea) | Nishiocha Kyodo Kumiai (tea cooperative in Nishio City) | Tongali Project, Nagoya University, etc. | Nishio x Tongali |
| Instagram Award | Best conveyance through Instagram ®* | Amagasaki Ankake Chanpon (noodles) | Team Amagasaki Ankake Chanpon | School of Human Environmental Sciences, Mukogawa Women’s University | Team Omori Seminar |
| PR Video Clip Award | Earning the highest score in PR video clips | Amagasaki Ankake Chanpon (noodles) | Team Amagasaki Ankake Chanpon | School of Human Environmental Sciences, Mukogawa Women’s University | Team Omori Seminar |
The Grand Award winner Team “Nishio no Matcha” explained the history of powdered green tea in Nishio City and a method for cultivating tea leaves and presented a business plan for newly entering e-sports markets by selling matcha beverages and matcha-based antiseptics branded using designs of famous historical samurai commanders whom Aichi Prefecture boasts. These efforts received high praise in terms of unexpectedness and feasibility. Moreover, the team was also honored with the Presentation Award based on its visually-appealing presentation using nobori banners and backdrops, which was highly appraised.
As finalists, their PR video clips will be broadcast through digital signage in train cars running along the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line and the JR Negishi Line. These video clips will also be released on the website exclusively for the event “Nationwide General Election for Outstanding Regional Brands” in early March 2021. The organizers hope that many of you will watch them.
Target lines: JR Keihin-Tohoku Line and JR Negishi Line
Airing period: From March 15 (Mon.) to 21 (Sun.), 2021
Time length of one PR video clip: 15 seconds as a spot commercial
Number of digital signage screens: 80 screens in ten cars per train
2. Scenes from the final competition of the event
Scene from the presentation by students
(Grand Award winner: Team “Nishio no Matcha”)
Group photo
Keynote speech by Mr. Takahashi Toshihiro, Chief Editor, Discover Japan Inc.:
“Regional Development as a Method of Brand Creation”
Note: From February 10 (Wed.), 2021, video clips of the final competition of the event will be broadcast to the public on the website above. The organizers hope that many of you will watch them.
Reference: Overview of the event3. Convening an online exhibition
The organizers have been holding an online exhibition titled “Special Exhibition Commemorating the Convening of the Nationwide General Election for Outstanding Regional Brands” to showcase 15 regional branded specialties that are entries in the Nationwide General Election for Outstanding Regional Brands event.
This exhibition brings together local specialty products that represent respective regions across Japan and, as part of the event, it publicly broadcasts PR video clips that explain regional branded specialties which were created by the participating students. The organizers hope that many of you will visit the website below.
Airing period
From January 8 (Fri.) to March 31 (Wed.), 2021
Title of the website
Participating regional brands
Tokachi Wagyu (beef; Hokkaido Prefecture), Kazamaura Ankou (anglerfish; Aomori Prefecture), Naito Togarashi (chili pepper; Tokyo), Kai no Kuwacha (mulberry leaf tea) / Kai no Kuwacha Pauda (mulberry leaf power; Yamanashi Prefecture), Hirugano Kogen Daikon (radish; Gifu Prefecture), Okumino Curry (curry; Gifu Prefecture), Nishio no Matcha (green tea; Aichi Prefecture), Amagasaki Ankake Chanpon (noodles; Hyobo Prefecture), Sekishu Kawara (roof tiles; Shimane Prefecture), Okayama Hakuto (peaches; Okayama Prefecture), Ajiishi (stones; Kagawa Prefecture); Tojima Buri (yellowtail; Ehime Prefecture), Ogunisugi (cedar; Kumamoto Prefecture); Kuma Shochu (liquor; Kumamoto Prefecture), and Okinawa Soba (noodles; Okinawa Prefecture).
4. Reference: Outline of the Regional Collective Trademark System
Under the Regional Collective Trademark System, regional business cooperatives, industry associations, chambers of commerce and industry, NPOs and other associations are eligible for registering their own trademarks consisting of a combination of the name of the region and the name of the product or service, if they satisfy predetermined requirements.
Regional collective trademarks aim to appropriately protect regional brands, thereby supporting the consolidation of the industrial competitiveness and the revitalization of regional economies by maintaining public trust in those businesses and products. As of the end of January 2021, 699 regional collective trademarks have been registered.
The logo for the system
Note: For the summary of the system and details of the regional collective trademarks that have been registered across Japan, visit the following JPO website for the system:
*Note: The term “Instagram” is a trademark or registered trademark of Instagram, LLC.
Division in Charge
Trademark Division, Trademark and Customer Relations Department, Japan Patent Office