[Sabae City, Fukui Prefecture] Make "Nishiyama Park" a Leading Tourist Destination in the Prefecture with Open Data! "Open Data Utilization App Contest 2026" Accepting Applications from July 8

Sabae City, Fukui Prefecture (Planning and Operation: NPO L-Community), known as a pioneer in open data, began accepting applications for the "Open Data Utilization App Contest 2026" on July 8, 2026 (Wed). This year's theme is "An app to make Nishiyama Park a leading tourist destination in Fukui Prefecture."

Background and Theme of the Contest "Nishiyama Park," the symbol of Sabae City, is one of the prefecture's premier relaxation spots, offering beautiful natural scenery throughout the seasons, including cherry blossoms in spring, approximately 50,000 azalea bushes in early summer, and autumn foliage. It has also been selected as one of the "100 Best Historical Parks in Japan" and features a free zoo where visitors can see adorable red pandas, among many other attractions.

This contest seeks new apps and services (ideas) from a fresh perspective, utilizing open data related to Nishiyama Park to address the challenges of "How can Nishiyama Park become a leading tourist destination in Fukui Prefecture?" and "How can we make people from outside the prefecture want to visit?"

Contest Feature: Finalists Invited to Judging Session in Sabae City! Submitted works will undergo a preliminary screening, and those who pass (individuals or teams) will be invited to a "Judging Session" scheduled to be held at a roadside station in Sabae City on November 28 (Sat). At the judging session, participants will give presentations, and the most outstanding work will be selected. *Travel and transportation expenses to Sabae City, Fukui Prefecture, will be provided to those who advance to the judging session (or one representative per team).

Participation is open to everyone from children to working adults, with no age restrictions. We look forward to passionate submissions that will help boost tourism in Sabae through programming skills and creative ideas.

[Event Overview and Application Guidelines]

Event Name [Invited to Sabae!] Open Data Utilization App Contest 2026 ■ Theme "An app to make Nishiyama Park a leading tourist destination in Fukui Prefecture." ■ Target Audience Children to working adults (no age limit. Can apply as a team or individually) ■ Application Period (Entry Period) July 8, 2026 (Wed) - September 30, 2026 (Wed) ■ Application Conditions/Submission Method - One submission per person (or team). - Please submit via the application form on the event page (Peatix) below. Application Page: https://peatix.com/event/5065195 - The copyright of the submitted work will generally belong to the applicant; however, applicants must agree to release the work under the MIT license and generally make the source code public on platforms such as GitHub.

Judging Criteria - Originality of the idea - Degree of data utilization - Design quality

Schedule - Application Period: July 8 - September 30, 2026 - Preliminary Judging: Mid-October - Announcement of Preliminary Judging Passers: Late October - Judging Session: November 28 (Sat) *Scheduled to be held at a roadside station in Sabae City

Open Data Reference - Data related to Nishiyama Park: Open Data Platform Data Catalog

Searching for "image" will display photos.

- Administrative Data: Open Data Platform

Special Notes The content and overview of the submitted works (apps) by those who advance to the judging session will be posted on the city's website. We also request cooperation with interviews and coverage by newspapers, TV, and web media.

[Contact Information for Inquiries] Planning and Operation: NPO L-Community

Mail: [email protected]