Pluralistic design practices and educations through producing local product ‘Mikan Komeko Dorayaki’

Abstract

The “Mikan Komeko Dorayaki” (rice flour pancake with sweet tangerine jam) is a local product that was born from the “Odawara Mikan Farm Regenerative Project”, a collaborative educational initiative undertaken by Kanto Gakuin University (PJ). The author, serving as the representative and professor of the PJ, has been engaged in the overall management; namely, conceptualization of the product, establishment of production and sales systems, designing of leaflets and packages, and promotion activities since 2017. The product was introduced to support to Senior Network Odawara & Ashigara (SNOA), acting at the abandoned farmlands. Rice flour is procured from Rice Shop, working at abandoned rice paddies. By reflecting on the design process, this study revealed that, among the various values and multiple objectives of the diverse actors involved, the vantage point of “how they can coexist”, rather than attempting to unifying them, is the pivotal factor in establishing the pluralistic design practice and education. Thus, incorporating adaptive governance into design attitudes is expected to ensure sustainability.