On December 14, 2021, Oita City government, which is located in the southern part of Kyushu in Western Japan, revealed its latest feature to promote the charm of the region. And the character selected was an alien.
Why did the prefecture famous for its hot springs choose an alien?
There is more behind the promotion, including the space port project and other aspects of the prefecture known more for its hot spring resorts.
First Horizontal Space Port in Asia.
Some of the readers may have heard the name of Oita (a prefecture and a city) or Beppu, a Japanese city famous for its hot springs. But in 2020, the city drew certain people’s attention with the news that had nothing to do with hot springs.
Virgin Orbit, a space craft company based in the United States, and the Oita City government, announced they had signed an agreement to build the first horizontal spaceport in Asia in Oita-city, and the first launch was set for as early as 2022.
Virgin Orbit: The New Way to Launch Artificial Satellites
Virgin Orbit, which was originally a part of Virgin Galactic, is one of the three companies that have been successful in space travel. (The others are SpaceX by Elon Musk, and Blue Origin by Jeff Bezos.) It is now an independent company.
Known for its unique method of launching artificial satellites, the company uses a jumbo jet to carry a rocket and a satellite to high altitude, and then launches it from the jet. It doesn’t use rocket launches from the ground, the traditional satellite launch method.
© Virgin Orbit, official YouTube channel.
Why Oita?
But why did this company, which is in one of the most advanced and hot industries in the world, choose Oita, which is mostly known for its hot spring resorts?
In its statement, Virgin Orbit says,
“Oita Prefecture is widely recognized in Japan as not only a top-ranked tourist destination, but also as a hub for numerous high-tech ecosystems, including the steel, petrochemical, semiconductor, and automobile industries. The Oita Prefectural Government now has ambitions to extend that leadership into the space domain.”
Yes, Oita is actually an industrial city. Since the area was selected as a New Industrial CIty in 1962, many industries, such as steel, oil, IT, and precision machines, have advanced into this area and are promoted by the local municipal government.
RELATED: ‘No Charity, but a Chance!’ is This Hot Spring City’s Secret to a Barrier-free Society.
Another reason is that the climate and geography provide a good environment for launches.
Oita airport is located in the edge of Kunisaki Peninsula (国東半島). It is built on artificially reclaimed land, so there are no obstacles near the runway.
And the runway is 3,000 meters, which is long enough for a launch carrier, which in this case is a Boeing 747.
The environment enables the carrier to smoothly move over the ocean to launch a rocket.
Expecting More Attention, Tourists.
The Oita City government expects the space port project to attract attention outside the region and contribute to increased tourism. Once it opens, people with expertise such as engineers are expected to settle in the region, and the city looks forward to conferences about space development in Oita.
To make the most of this opportunity, Oita City government revealed its plan to promote the region a the “Onsen prefecture of the universe” (宇宙ノオンセン県オオイタ).
From the Onsen-Ken Oita Kousiki (Oita Prefecture) official YouTube Channel © Oita prefecture, All rights reserved.
The city plans to promote not only the space port, but the entire charm of Oita as “the great hot spring prefecture not only for humans, but also for aliens”.
Many hotels and sightseeing facilities are cooperating. In fact, if you declare you are an alien, you will get a discount!.
After COVID
However big the manufacturing industry in Oita is, tourism is the most important and essential factor driving the Oita economy.
Up to 2019, the number of people visiting Oita grew every year. Since the pandemic began, the number has dropped, and many hotels have gone bankrupt.
It has been 2 years since the first case of the COVID was found in Japan. The tourism industry, among the hardest hit, has been attempting to endure.
Oita expects spaceport and promotion of alien visitors to be a key in reviving its tourism industry.
Author: Simon Kagaya
