About Us

1. Greeting

Creative City Hamamatsu

Hamamatsu mayor Suzuki Yasutomo

Hamamatsu City has pushed forward its creative city initiatives based on the Basic Policy for Promoting “Creative City Hamamatsu,” adopted in March 2013, while simultaneously presenting Hamamatsu’s future vision of “A creative city built on civil collaboration, shining into the future.”

Moreover, in December 2014, Hamamatsu was designated as a member of the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Creative Cities Network as the first Asian city in the thematic area of music. The city is highly regarded for its projects that spring from Hamamatsu being a center of music industry. These projects include those such as the Hamamatsu International Piano Competition and ACT City Academy of Music; the Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments, where musical instruments from all over the world are exhibited from unbiased perspectives; and most importantly, the enthusiastic and lively music activities of all the citizens.

Currently, besides music-related projects, there is a large and growing number of activities run by artists and creators who encourage more active local communities. The ideology of creative cities is to have creative activities utilizing the city’s unique regional culture and assets be actively carried out, leading to the generation of new value, culture and industries and raising the quality and affluence of life for its citizens. For Hamamatsu, with the city covering a vast area spanning urban sections to hilly and mountainous regions, this way of thinking can serve as a driving force to solve various challenges in the local community through civil cooperation and furthermore to enhance the appeal of the region.

Henceforth, Hamamatsu City will make use of its creative city branding and domestic and international networks to engage in exchange and human resource development with other creative cities, connecting this to the further development of Hamamatsu, including promotion of related industries.

Hamamatsu mayor Suzuki Yasutomo

Greeting: To realize “Creative City Hamamatsu”

President Miyata Keisuke

Hamamatsu Creative City Promotion Council, as an organization coordinating collaboration among industry, academia, civic and city government, has been promoting initiatives being done by various organizations and groups through action programs to heighten the level of richness living here and to realize “Creative City Hamamatsu” for the past 5 years since 2015.

After the designation of UNESCO Creative City Network in 2014, the international exchanges have been increasing, civic groups here become more positive and thus the level of their creative actions has been improved. This has led us to consider there needs to further improve the environment to support such actions. Therefore, we have started new initiatives for Hamamatsu to be a more attractive creative city since this year.

In the design world, there often comes a topic of discussion about the relationship between “Product Design” and “Experience Design.” Hamamatsu, as a city of manufacturing, is well known by its long- standing excellence of “Product Design.” Now we aim to promote and strengthen initiatives for rich and fulfilling “Experience Design,” which will transform Hamamatsu into a more creative-rich city.

Hamamatsu Creative City Promotion Council will make use of our own culture and promote initiatives to aim for everlasting developments of “Creative City Hamamatsu” with cultural abundance and rich economy.

President Miyata Keisuke

2. Hamamatsu: An Overview

Area:1,558.06km²
Population: approx.800,000

Hamamatsu is in Shizuoka Prefecture, where Mt. Fuji is located. Located between Tokyo and Osaka, Hamamatsu has been a part of the comings and goings of people and products since long ago. As such, Hamamatsu has a free-spirited nature, not to mention a character of autonomy and independence from having accepted the cultures and people of other regions. In this atmosphere, global entrepreneurs and inventors arose in a variety of industries including musical instruments, motorcycles, and automobiles.

3. Hamamatsu City Creative City Promotion Council

(1) Founding Objectives

Based on the principles of the Basic Policy for Promoting “Creative City Hamamatsu,” the council’s objective is to further the development of “Creative City Hamamatsu” through: * Support of diverse creative projects initiated by the citizens of Hamamatsu, and* Interaction and cooperation with domestic and international creative cities.

(2) Structure of the Council

〈 Establishment of the Expert Committees 〉

  • Organizations under the umbrella of the Hamamatsu City Creative City Promotion Council that are responsible for the planning of specific projects promoting Hamamatsu as a creative city.
  • The Expert Committee on Music had been established from fiscal 2014 to 2015.

(3) Projects

The Hamamatsu City Creative City Promotion Council shall engage in the following work:

  • ①Development of project plans in accordance with the principles of the Basic Policy and progress management of said projects;
  • ②Interaction and cooperation with other creative cities, domestically and internationally;
  • ③Development of personnel and training of leaders to support and take forward the Creative City;
  • ④Investigations, research and proposals regarding Creative City policies;
  • ⑤Promotion and provision of information regarding “Creative City Hamamatsu
  • ⑥Other projects that contribute to the aims of the Council

(4) Council Members (As of June 17, 2022)

Inaugurated April 2014

※Swipe the table sideways.

Title Name Field Title and Representing Organization
President MIYATA Keisuke Higher Education Dean
Faculty of Design
Shizuoka University of Art and Culture
Vice-President SIMANO Satoshi City Administration Director General for Cultural Promotion
Hamamatsu City
Vice-President TERADA Seiko City-related
Organization
Executive Director
Hamamatsu Cultural Foundation
Vice-President IKUMA Masahiro Business General Manager
Information and Culture Department
Hamamatsu Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Vice-President HIMORI Ryuichi Civic Organization Director
Association for Creative City Hamamatsu
Vice-President TAKEUCHI Yasushi City-related
Organization
Director and General Manager
Hamamatsu & Lake Hamana Tourism Bureau
Vice-President FUJINO Hitosi City Administration Director General
Industrial Department
Hamamatsu City
Treasurer NAGAI Satoko Higher Education Professor
Faculty of Cultural Policy and Management
Shizuoka University of Art and Culture
Treasurer SUZUKI Shuji City Administration Director General for Tourism and Brand Promotion
Hamamatsu City

4. The Expert Committee on Music(2014-2015)

(1) Areas of Research

The Committee debated the potential of and various challenges facing Hamamatsu as it works towards becoming a creative city of music, from the following three perspectives:

  • ①The promotion of music culture;
  • ②The promotion of music industries;
  • ③The development of music personnel.

(2) Committee Members

Inaugurated April 2014

※Swipe the table sideways.

Name Field Affiliation and Title
Hideharu Umeda Higher Education Professor
Faculty of Cultural Policy and Management
Shizuoka University of Art and Culture
Ikuro Mine Higher Education Professor
Department of Industrial Design
Faculty of Design Shizuoka University of Art and Culture
Katsuya Nakamura Industry Vice General Manager
Human Resources & General Administration Division
YAMAHA Corporation
Kazuhiro Kaneko Industry Managing Director
General Manager
Kawai Musical Instruments Mfg. Co., Ltd.
Yasushi Aihara Industry General Manager
Corporate Communication Department Roland Corporation
Hiroo Okabe Citizen Musical
Activity
Vice Chairman
Hamamatsu Symphony Orchestra
Masashi Kobayashi Citizen Musical
Activity
Managing Directorn
Secretary Generaln
Hamamatsu Philharmonic Orchestra
Fumihito Tsuchiya Citizen Musical
Activity
Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors
Hamamatsu City Band Federation
Music Director
Conductor
Hamamatsu Uminohoshi High School Wind Ensemble Club
Noriko Hatsumura Citizen Musical
Activity
Vice Chairperson of the Board of Directors
Hamamatsu City Choral Federation
Leader
Conductor
Hamamatsu Lionet Children’s Choir
Kazuhiro Shimizu Citizen Musical
Activity
Representative officer
Executive Committee of Yaramaika Music Festival in Hamamatsu
Music Director, dolce wind orchestra
Yumiko Takahashi Citizen Musical
Activity
Instructor
Hamamatsu Gakugei High School Art Department
Instructor
Concert Host Training Seminar
Hamamatsu ACT City Academy of Music
Motonori Ikuma Related
Organization
Trustee in charge of General Affairs
Shizuoka University of Art and Culture
Yasushi Goto Related
Organization
Manager
Cultural Promotion Division
Hamamatsu Cultural Foundation
Kazuhiko Shima Related
Organization
Director
Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments
Hamamatsu Cultural Foundation