[DMO Activity Report December 2025] Report on Promotional Activities and Website Renewal

The Nasushiobara City Tourism Bureau is conducting various PR activities in different locations with the aim of promoting the charms of Nasushiobara and encouraging more people to visit. This time, we will deliver a report on the events held in November and December 2025 and the activities related to the renewal of the website. ① The 6th ONSEN & Gastronomy Walking in Nasushiobara 2025 – Nishinasuno The “ONSEN & Gastronomy Walking in Nasushiobara 2025 – Nishinasuno,” held on Saturday, November 29th, was an experiential walking event held in Nasunogahara, where participants could enjoy the region’s nature, history, food, and hot springs in an integrated way. This event involved walking a course of about 5 kilometers in the Nishinasuno area, where traces of historical settlement remain, while tasting local food and drinks, and discovering new charms with each step. This year marked the 6th time the event has been held, and it was a popular event with a capacity of 150 people, which filled up immediately after registration opened. Participants started and finished at Nasunogahara Park, exploring the park’s historic buildings, including the Matsukata Villa, and its beautiful scenery, while experiencing local food culture and traditions. This initiative went beyond simply hosting an event; it served as a model for “walking-based tourism” and “tourism that connects local resources,” providing an opportunity to showcase new tourism value for Nasushiobara. ② Nasushiobara City Tourism Bureau Website Renewal The Nasushiobara City Tourism Bureau website has been redesigned and relaunched as “Nasushiobara Tourism NAVI” to make the charms of Nasushiobara easier to understand and more comfortable to view. This renewal organizes information such as tourist spots, hot springs, gourmet food, and experiential content by purpose, making it easy to find what you’re looking for, even for first-time visitors to Nasushiobara. In addition, by strengthening the dissemination of seasonal recommendations and the latest events, we have enhanced our role as a hub for disseminating timely tourism information that conveys what’s happening in Nasushiobara right now. We will continue to enrich and update the content and provide information that will encourage people to visit Nasushiobara, so please take a look. Nasushiobara City Tourism Bureau Official Website: https://nasushiobara-kanko.jp/ ③ The Tote Horse-drawn Carriage’s Final Run of the Year As part of the Japan Tourism Agency’s subsidized project, the “Regional Tourism Charm Enhancement Project,” the Tote Horse-drawn Carriage, which had been operating for a limited time since October, ended its service in December. The Tote Horse-drawn Carriage is a tourist carriage that began as a means of transportation connecting Shiobara Onsen Station and the hot spring town in the late Meiji period, and for many years has been a beloved symbol of the scenery of Shiobara Onsen. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, its operation was regrettably suspended, but after re-evaluating its value as a unique tourist resource of Nasu Shiobara, it was revived. During the operating period, in addition to the experience of leisurely touring while enjoying the scenery of the hot spring town, it provided an opportunity to learn about the history and culture of Shiobara through guided tours by storytellers. Although it was a limited-time operation, it allowed many visitors to learn about the charm of the Tote Horse-drawn Carriage and also served as an opportunity to verify its future use. Based on the feedback and challenges obtained through this operation, we will proceed with considerations for future developments.