Koga City plans to approach local companies and restaurants in an effort to develop “kogashi” (parched) foods, as local specialties. It is also a play on the city’s own name. The City has made stickers and flags to publicize the effort and hopes to boost its name recognition while rejuvenating the community and bolstering tourism. Koga Town became Koga City in 1997 and is home to about 58,000 residents. Locally, Koga is recognized as an eastern suburb of Fukuoka City, but according to a City Hall worker “not many people outside of Fukuoka know about Koga and we don’t have many specialty goods”. Based on city worker’s idea, the City took note of the popularity of kogashi foods, such as kogashi soy sauce and kogashi ramen, and has decided to promote them. Source: Nishinippon Shimbun, May 29
