A must-see for anyone interested in community development! A talk event titled "Making Friends is Muddy" will be held at the NHK Sapporo Broadcasting Station on Friday, December 9, 2022. We are currently recruiting participants.

The guests will be Takuro Nakanishi, Kashiko Sudo, and Arisa Kudo from Dot Doto, the general incorporated association that produces the unofficial eastern Hokkaido guidebook ".doto," as well as Director Ryo Osumi of the "Local Friends Stay Journal" corner of the NHK program "Hot News Hokkaido." Ryota Hattori, editor-in-chief of Domingo, will also participate as the host.

Dot Doto and Local Friends Travelogue, their respective efforts

Dot Doto has a vision of "Making Eastern Hokkaido a place where dreams can come true," and produces regional branding and projects, mainly with members in their 20s and 30s. Dot Doto is involved in various initiatives in Eastern Hokkaido, such as producing a series of creative works, such as the website and catchphrases for the "Hokkaido Space Summit" recently held in Tokachi, and the "Mirushiru Shihoro" project to make Shihoro Town's shopping district more attractive.

The Hokkaido Space Summit 2022, held in September 2022. Dot Doto was in charge of the direction and design of the space.

The "Mirushiru Shihoro Book" was distributed within Shihoro Town. Five interns were also involved in its production.

Meanwhile, NHK's "Local Friends Stay Record" is broadcast every Thursday as part of the evening news program "Hot News Hokkaido." The director stays with "local friends" who have deep connections in the area for a month and discovers the treasures of the area. It is attracting attention as an attempt to discover the charm of the area through "people."

The people and initiatives introduced on the program are thought up by Local Friends, and the program's policy is decided through discussion between Local Friends and NHK.

Local Friends are recruited by the public. Over 20 groups of diverse people participate, including Buddhist monks, fishermen, housewives, and company employees.

Both projects are gaining in prominence. What does the future hold beyond the collaboration?

Each of these initiatives is gaining more prominence every day. Dot Doto won the Japan Regional Content Award in 2020 for its ".doto" publishing project, and in 2022 won the Good Design Award for its branding project "Nature's Hometown Stories" aimed at people living around Akan Mashu National Park. The Local Friends Stay Journal was also selected as one of the Good Design Best 100 in 2022. The common theme of both of these notable projects is "making friends."

How will we live with our friends in the future society? What kind of future awaits us beyond the friendship we have built? Why don't you think about it together? Advance registration for participation is due on Wednesday, November 23rd (National Holiday).

Talk event: Making friends is all about getting covered in mud - Dot Doto and Local Friends, an evolving local network

■Date: Friday, December 9, 2022 ■Time: Doors open at 18:00, show starts at 18:30, scheduled to end at 20:00 ■ Venue: NHK Sapporo Broadcasting Station 8K Public Studio (105 Kita 1-jo Nishi 9-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo) See details of "Talk event: Making friends is muddy - Dot Doto and Local Friends, an evolving local network" on Domingo