Hello, this is Robert from the ATC Management Strategy Office. In the article I wrote last week , I introduced some of the long stories written in the questionnaires. Some of you may remember the story of a man who thought he was chasing after his daughter's back, but before he knew it, she had overtaken him.

This time, I'd like to gather some slightly different responses from the same survey. These are short, free-response answers to the question, "Describe your image of ATC in one word." Rather than a narrative, these are just words that came out spontaneously. As such, they are unadorned and honest.

As we mentioned in a previous article, over 8,000 customers participated in this survey. In the open-ended question, "Describe your image of ATC in one word," nearly 4% of respondents provided positive comments.

"I can't believe there's such a great place here"—a series of surprises that exceeded my expectations.

The first thing that caught my eye while reading was the phrase, "more than I expected."

"It looks like there's nothing here, but when you come, you find lots of fascinating places!" "I didn't know there was such a great place." "I had the image that it would be deserted, but I was surprised at how lively it was." Similar expressions of surprise appear repeatedly.

There might be a slight gap between the impression you get from seeing ATC from the outside and the impression you get once you actually visit. Not in a bad way, but rather, that gap seems to be what leads to small discoveries for visitors.

"It used to be deserted, but now it's been rebuilt and is bustling," and "It's been a long time since I last came, and it's nice to see how the atmosphere has changed." The words of those who visited after a long time, still holding onto memories from many years ago, conveyed a sense of surprise, but also a touch of relief.

The perfect distance from the sea

Another recurring theme was the sea.

"It feels great being so close to the sea," "The view of the ocean gives a sense of openness," "With the ocean by, you can relax and unwind." Countless similar phrases were used. It seems that not only do people come specifically for the ocean itself, but many others are simply impressed by the ocean as it comes into view while they are out shopping or dining.

What was particularly striking was the comment, "Even if you come alone, you don't feel too self-conscious, and you can take a leisurely stroll and refresh yourself." While ATC has a strong image as a place for families, we found more comments than we expected from people who value their time visiting alone. It made us realize once again that spaciousness can both keep people at a distance and, at the same time, provide just the right distance for everyone.

Some of the responses were not so much comments as simply "thank you." There was no reason or explanation, just "thank you." Of the 33 responses, 17 were exactly that one word. We don't know what they were thanking us for. Nevertheless, the fact that we can receive such words is a small treasure for this place.

As the weather cools down, ATC on rainy days

It's already mid-September, and Osaka is gradually getting cooler. However, the weather is still unpredictable at this time of year, and rainy days are becoming more frequent. If you're wondering where to go on such a day, we hope you'll remember ATC, where you can relax under a roof.

The Ghibli Park exhibition, which began in July , is still running. If you haven't visited yet, now is the perfect opportunity to go.

From Saturday, September 19th to Tuesday, September 22nd, the "OSAKA Art & Handmade Bazaar VOL. 52" will be held at ATC Hall over four days during Silver Week. Please note that the event includes not only Saturday and Sunday, but also Monday and Tuesday, which fall on public holidays, so please do not confuse it with the usual weekday events. This is one of the largest art and handmade events in the Kansai region, where you can spend time leisurely browsing the works of artists and creators gathered from all over Japan. From the same Saturday, September 19th to Sunday, September 27th, the "100 Artists Exhibition 16 Osaka Exhibition" will also be held on the 4th floor of the ITM Building. The theme this time is "stars." On a rainy night, gazing at works with star motifs might not be a bad way to spend your time.

For those with young children, we also recommend the "Play and Learn Workshop" to be held on September 13th (Sunday) at Forest Park (2nd floor, North Wing, Oz Building) . There will be hands-on crafting experiences that children can enjoy even on rainy days, such as making squishy slime and shaking keychains.

The seaside stage changes its appearance every weekend. On September 20th (Sun), there will be a charity concert by high school bands called "Sing For The Future," and on September 26th (Sat), "ATC Pop Culture Academy #17" is scheduled. Both events are free to attend.

The words we collected this time were all only a few lines long, and some were even just a single word. Even so, when we put them all together like this, I feel like we can gradually see how ATC is perceived. The next time you visit ATC, I would be happy if you could keep your own "single word" somewhere in your heart.

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