The Japan Travel Awards 2026 gave a Special Recognition Award under the Best Social Impact category to Fukushima Seaside, an initiative which counts Jarman International Core 50 member Swastika Harsh Jajoo among its staff.
Fukushima Seaside promotes the revitalization of Fukushima Prefecture’s coastal area — which was devastated by the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster — through sharing the region’s culture, food, nature, and community. It organizes study tours and events, as well as shares information online. The initiative is operated by the organization Futaba Area Tourism Research Association (F-ATRAs).
As a manager at F-ATRAs, Swastika helps curate custom-made tours for clients especially interested in education, as well as handles communication including translation and interpretation. She is also a poet and is pursuing a PhD in Linguistics at Tohoku University.
The Japan Travel Awards, begun in 2021, is an annual competition that celebrates destinations and experiences in Japan that promote inclusion, diversity, and sustainability. The Awards recognized Fukushima Seaside for its use of “tourism as a tool for education, dialogue, and long-term recovery,” as well as its “carefully designed programs that explore Fukushima before, during, and after the 3.11 disaster” and partnership with the local community.
“The value of this experience — something that can only be gained here — is exceptionally high. By learning on-site, visitors can also contribute to the area’s recovery and gain important lessons for the future. It is truly outstanding,” comments Awards judge Naoya Shimizu, founder and CEO of TABIPPO Inc., on the Awards’ website.
“I think the award has reaffirmed my faith in founder Yamane-san’s vision: reinvigorating coastal Fukushima through tourism,” Swastika says. “I’ve spent most years of my life being a student, and only started working full-time two years ago. Even as I was excited about the possibilities this region presented, I didn’t know what it meant to fully explore them or to have the know-how to link ideation to execution. I’ve learned these skills working with Yamane-san and [F-ATRAs Manager and Market Researcher] Trishit over the years, and have also understood that tourism doesn’t need to be extractive as it has become in many areas. It can be community-centered and serve as a tool for amplifying local voices when done right.”
Congratulations to Swastika and the rest of the F-ATRAs team!