Creativity and a “Yaramaika” attitude, “let’s do it” in the local Enshū dialect.
A competitive spirit bursting with determination is essential to the process of creating something new – and this kind of get-up-and-go attitude has long sat deep in the heart of Hamamatsu alongside a fervent sense of hometown pride.

Yet, individual instances of this “Yaramaika” enthusiasm are simply not enough – Hamamatsu must devise systems which facilitate mutual cooperation and collaboration if we are to promote the Creative City Initiative. There is a need for us to shine a light on the challenges undertaken by our citizens and guarantee a sense of transparency which promotes mutual cooperation.

However, we must remember that creativity is not simply born from nothing. Thus it is imperative that we offer as many opportunities as possible to allow our citizens to experience exactly what real creativity is. It is through these fine experiences that we can cultivate a fertile pasture in which the seeds of our “Yaramaika” attitude can thrive – for are we not also obliged to create the foundation on which an enriched culture can blossom?

Hamamatsu has been active in the promotion of initiatives created by various entities under the key concept of “Creative City Hamamatsu.” In 2014, Hamamatsu was appointed member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, since which we have widened the scope of our efforts in providing support to civic groups that can be active on the international stage, as well as fostering an environment that facilitates children’s participation in various creative and cultural activities – equipping them as suitable leaders to take us into the next generation.

Our aim is to construct a culturally and economically prosperous “Creative City Hamamatsu” which will organically connect together individual instances of Hamamatsu’s unique “Yaramaika” attitude and continue to create local strong points.