- 6/25/2026
On Sunday, June 21, Hiroshima University of Economics, in collaboration with the General Incorporated Association Hatsukaichi Miyajima Tourism (Hatsukaichi City), held a “Travel Quiz Event” on Miyajima Island—known for the World Heritage Site Itsukushima Shrine—with the aim of raising environmental awareness and promoting cross-cultural exchange.
This project is being carried out with a grant from the Nakajima Memorial Foundation for International Exchange (Public Interest Incorporated Foundation) as part of its “International Student Community Exchange Program” and with the support of the General Incorporated Association Tourismship. Led primarily by our university’s short-term exchange students and Japanese students, the project connected with more than 500 tourists to raise awareness about environmental issues concerning the island. A quiz format was used with the goal of addressing local challenges such as litter caused by overtourism and the impact on wild deer.
At the venue, tourists were asked to participate in a true-or-false quiz. Questions included “Are there only five trash cans on the island?” and “Is it okay to feed deer human food?”, as well as questions about “SmaGO,” a smart trash can with an automatic compaction feature.
It was impressive to see not only domestic travelers but also many tourists from France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, the United States, Mexico, India, Indonesia, and Taiwan stopping by and listening intently to the students’ explanations.
On the day of the event, international exchanges took place in multiple languages. International students from Hiroshima University of Economics would spot tourists from their own countries, approach them casually in their native languages, chat about life in Hiroshima, and end their interactions with smiling high-fives. Meanwhile, exchange students put the Japanese they had learned in class to good use by approaching Japanese tourists visiting Hiroshima, speaking to them in Japanese, and explaining issues such as tourism-related pollution and proper etiquette.
Tourists who participated in the travel quiz event commented, “We were able to learn about Miyajima’s environmental issues and the rules for litter disposal while having fun.”
The strengths of multilingual and intercultural exchange helped this event to provide tourists with an opportunity to reflect on environmental issues while traveling and served as a valuable chance to share the spirit of “tourism with social responsibility”—which aims to reduce litter pollution—with the world.
We intend to continue conducting practical international educational activities that contribute to solving local issues.