"Toasting with Tokyo 700km Away"...Remote Drinking Sessions Become a Hot Topic as a Solution to Regional Decline [Nichiyo Nichi Culture]

Ainancho in Ehime Prefecture Holds Remote Drinking Party with Tokyo's Ginza
Difficult for Tourists to Visit Due to Lack of Transportation and Accommodation Infrastructure
Promoting the Region Through Real-Time Video Drinking Sessions

During the time when people couldn't go out due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a culture of remote drinking parties via video calls became popular in Japan. A new term, "Zoomnomi," was coined by combining the video conferencing platform "Zoom" and the Japanese word for drinking party, "Nomikai." The format involved each person introducing the drinks and snacks they prepared at home, toasting on screen, and chatting, creating a new culture born out of the pandemic. It feels strange to think that the people you are talking and drinking with in real time are actually in completely different places.

These remote drinking parties are now being introduced in Japan as a solution to regional depopulation, gaining attention. In rural areas where population keeps flowing out and tourists do not come, these remote drinking sessions have started to raise awareness of the region's existence. Since population outflow to Seoul continues in our country as well, I thought it might be interesting to try this, so I brought it here. Today, I will introduce the innovative drinking culture unfolding in Ainancho, Ehime Prefecture, Japan.

Guests in Ainancho, Ehime Prefecture, toasting with customers at a bar in Ginza, Tokyo through a monitor. Ehime Triangle.

Ainancho in Ehime Prefecture, Japan, is a small area with a population of about 19,000. It is a town engaged in citrus cultivation and fish farming, with major specialties including the citrus variety "Ainan Gold," oysters, skipjack tuna, and yellowtail. It seems somewhat similar to Jeju Island in Korea, but in fact, this place is not known as a tourist destination. Its location at the southernmost tip of Ehime Prefecture and the lack of developed industries such as lodging facilities mean that tourists do not visit.

As people continue to leave and those outside do not come to visit, regional depopulation has become a major issue in Ainancho. The village population decreased by 10% over ten years. Because of this, Ehime Prefecture launched the "Ehime Triangle Project" to address digital transformation and regional depopulation.

Residents of Ainancho harvesting the citrus fruit 'Ainan Gold'. Ehime Green Tourism.

One of the initiatives in this Triangle Project is the "Window" project, which connects Ainancho and Ginza, the central entertainment district in Tokyo.

Since tourism has not particularly developed in Ainancho, the town has a well-established entertainment district with long-standing bars and pubs. Leveraging this, they created a remote drinking party between Ainancho and Ginza. A large monitor screen measuring 70 cm wide and 1.2 m tall was installed to show the whole body of the person, enhancing the sense of presence. While video calls on platforms like Zoom usually show only the upper body, this monitor displays the full body and transmits surrounding sounds vividly, allowing participants to feel as if they are in the same space. Customers praised it, saying it felt "like being in the next room."

Although Tokyo's Ginza and Ehime Prefecture's Ainancho are 700 km apart, a remote drinking party that feels like sharing the same space was realized. A person originally from Ainancho who runs a bar in Ginza took charge of the project. The menu included a highball made with Ainancho's tangerines and sandwiches using tuna, allowing participants to toast and chat simultaneously with the same menu facing the monitor. It is said to have played a significant role in promoting exchanges, including plans to visit each other.

Remote drinking party scene. Ehime Triangle.

It is fascinating that digital technology is revitalizing depopulated areas lacking transportation infrastructure. Especially seeing local governments making such efforts feels relatable. Starting with this digital exchange event, the area plans to build a hotel with over 120 rooms next year to develop tourism infrastructure. I think it would be great to introduce this in our country as well, where regional depopulation is accelerating.