The Hsinchu County Cultural Foundation and Japan’s JTB Corporation signed a collaborative letter of intent at the Hsinchu County Government on November 25, 2025, to develop deeper collaboration in fields such as sightseeing and tourism, local industry, educational development, and cultural spread. At the signing ceremony, Chu, Shu-Min, Executive Director of the Hsinchu County Cultural Foundation, and JTB Corporation Executive Director and General Representative for the Kyushu Area Kazutoshi Shinozaki jointly accomplished, Hsinchu County Secretary-General Lee Anyu represented the county magistrate to show up and deliver an address, looking forward to throw this internation collaboration can make Hsinchu County and Japan establish closer international exchange platform.
Secretary-General Lee expressed that JTB Corp. has a century-long history, it is one of Japan’s largest and most internationally influential travel brands. Not only has it developed the tourism market, for many years it has invested in cultural spread, educational exchange, and local innovation. This time, they are collaborating with the Cultural Foundation, which not only symbolizes that Hsinchu County’s culture has achieved international recognition but also infuses important assistance into the County Government’s promotion of cultural tourism and local industrial upgrade.
Lee pointed out that Hsinchu County in recent years has actively integrated the three major aspects of culture, tourism, and industry, including promotion of the Hsinchu County Select brand, handling the Hsinchu’s Breeze Carries the Arts—Art for All annual event, and hosting The Dream of Craft handicraft competition, deepening Hakka village cultural tourism, and using the Cultural Foundation as a platform to link arts, design, youth innovation and cultural experience, etc. resources to continuously forge tourism content with cultural depth and local characteristics. This collaboration with JTB will help Hsinchu County push these energies toward the international market.
JTB expressed that Taiwan and Japan are important partners with shared values, facing shared problems such as population decline and aging population the cross-border cooperation that is needed to foster the next generation is already extremely urgent. Hsinchu County is Taiwan’s important industrial base, possessing rich Hakka culture and science and technology education experience, because Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is stationed in Kumamoto Prefecture, bringing international attention, also for technology education topics, etc. with Hsinchu County Government repeatedly exchange. JTB has specialization in the travel industry and widespread a widespread local network, this time it will develop comprehensive collaboration with the Hsinchu County Cultural Foundation possessing rich Hakka culture.
JTB Corp. pointed out that through the signing of this agreement, both sides will build a foundation for talent, culture, and economic exchange, devoted to promoting regional value and strengthening international competitive power. Through the two organizations’ jointly promoted “regional linking model using the site as the starting point” will become a sustainable advance plan for international exchange with substantial results. And make contributions in diverse areas of tourism, industry, education, sports, culture, and arts promote exchange among the people, to develop regional society, cultivate talent, and activate the economy.
Chu, Shu-Min, Director General of the Hsinchu County Cultural Foundation, pointed out, this collaboration letter of intent substance covers diverse aspects such as cooperation in sightseeing itinerary design, local industry promotion, educational exchange cases, and cultural events. Both sides will establish committees to promote concrete plans. allowing the Japanese public to more deeply understand Hsinchu, visit Hsinchu, and make local businesses have opportunities to connect with international junctions. In the future, we will continue to, through diverse cooperation, expand Hsinchu County’s visibility on the international culture and tourism stage, and use culture to drive industry, promote growth through exchange, and build a happy city with more international competitiveness.
JTB Corporation Executive Director and General Representative for the Kyushu Area Kazutoshi Shinozaki, Kumamoto Branch Manager Hiroyuki Abe, Kumamoto Branch Tourism Development Producer Muneyuki Matsushita, and JTB Corp. unified unit JKL331 Representative Director Manabu Horiguchi, Chief Executive Hsieh, Chi-I, marketing director Hung, Pei-Yu, and others participated in the signing ceremony. Hsinchu County Counsel Representative Chiu, Ching-Ya also specially attended, and people from all walks of life jointly witnessed this important international cultural exchange collaboration, to establish a more solid foundation for deepening interactions between Taiwan and Japan.