I interviewed Meiji University Faculty of Agriculture Professor Odagiri Tokumi, author of “Creating a Vibrant Depopulation” and specialist in agricultural policy, rural policy and regional governance, to ask her about regional development. He emphasizes that the ideal form of a region is endogenous development, and that what lies beyond that is a vibrant depopulation. (Kei Kitajima)

–What exactly is regional revitalization?

I don’t use the term “regional revitalization,” but rather “regional development.” Regional development means “endogenous development” in economics.
The ideal form of a region is endogenous development. There are three conditions for endogenous development. That is, “endogenous,” “diversity and comprehensiveness,” and “innovation.” I believe that regional development is a state in which the above three conditions are met.
Regional development was systematized in Japan in the late 1990s. This was a period of overrun after the collapse of the bubble economy, and resort development continued in the region. In the past, the region was active in attracting factories, and the next step was resort development. However, as is well known, resort development did not last long, and after that, bankruptcies and withdrawals occurred one after another. This experience gave the region a certain resolve. A resolve that the only way to achieve intrinsic development was through its own efforts.
For example, if you have the power to lobby the outside world to attract factories, use that power to liven up the region with your own efforts. An attitude that emphasizes autonomous development rather than external development is called intrinsic motivation.
Traditionally, development was focused solely on economic revitalization, but as intrinsic motivation progresses, diversity is born in which people set their own vision for the region. For example, diverse values emerge, such as emphasizing not only the economy but also the scenery or focusing on welfare. Comprehensiveness is the flip side of diversity, and by thinking broadly about the region, people are able to identify and prioritize their areas of expertise. In other words, diversity is only possible with comprehensiveness.
And innovation. As the population declines, we cannot stop the decline in regional vitality with the same old methods. A different approach is needed, and in that sense, innovation is required.

For example, the structure of villages is often male-dominated, and there are few opportunities for women to play an active role. If that is the case, it would be a good idea to create a community separate from the village and create a new organization, such as actively promoting women and young people to executive positions.

–Regional current situation

It is said that the word “depopulation” was coined in Japan around 1965. That was 60 years ago. Unlike cities, regional areas have been hit by the wave of population decline for more than half a century. Japan’s population has been declining since peaking in 2008, but depopulated areas have been facing population decline for more than half a century. There is a deep desire to do something about the population decline, and various efforts have been made so far.

If I had to say, the population decline in urban areas is more rapid, and it is actually urban areas that will be in a difficult situation from now on.

Thirty years have passed since community development was systematized in the 1990s. Community development has matured, and some communities have acquired their own unique solutions, and revitalization efforts have taken root. These communities are truly “vibrant depopulation.”
They are depopulated, but they are vibrant. Why are they vibrant? Because the population is decreasing, but the number of human resources is increasing. By “human resources” I mean people who are active and have a sense of ownership.
The most important thing for a community is people with a sense of ownership. If the community does not take responsibility for its future, it will not move forward at all, and will instead regress. Leaving everything to the town hall or simply following government policies will not move forward. A vibrant depopulation can only be achieved by people with a sense of ownership and active participation.
The number of human resources is not an issue. What is important is to mobilize even a small number of human resources, and by mobilizing them, new human resources will gather.
For example, the “half villager” policy of Kosuge Village in Yamanashi Prefecture (people from outside the village who are involved in “village development” like villagers) was possible because there were people in the area who had a sense of ownership.

What I am concerned about now is the widening “village-village gap.” At one extreme is the depopulation of bustling areas, and at the other extreme are areas where the local people have no sense of ownership and rely on politics. The residents of these areas are indifferent to their communities. Unfortunately, the decline is becoming more apparent in these areas.

–“Local governments at risk of disappearing” are also attracting attention

To inspire the local area, they are deliberately using extreme language to stir up a sense of crisis, but this is not a good way to do it. What the local area needs now is not the north wind, but the sun. It is important to promote local development while sharing possibilities, not a sense of crisis.

What we cannot overlook in particular is the negative impact it is having on the children in the area. For impressionable children, it would be a shock to hear that the area they live in is named as a local government at risk of disappearing. By naming it, we are actually accelerating the disappearance.
Furthermore, the “Great Heisei Mergers” that took place in the early 2000s also had a negative impact on the region. The towns and villages that merged with the central city lost the intrinsic motivation, diversity, and innovation that they had cultivated in community development, leading to a major setback in community development. Without this setback, community development may have shown a different landscape than it is today.

–There is also active discussion of compact cities

The concept came from the UK and Germany, but many researchers point out that the compact city as interpreted in Japan is a misuse of the term.
European compact cities are aimed at the inner city. The key point is to make urban areas compact and easy to walk around, but in Japan, there are occasional discussions about compacting areas including mountainous areas. In my words, this corresponds to “rural folding.” It is a way of thinking that closes off areas, which is completely different from compact cities.
This leads to a discussion of disadvantageous conditions. As is well known, in Japan, the Depopulation Act and the Remote Island Development Act are in place to support areas with disadvantageous conditions. On the other hand, in recent years, there have been arguments that the worsening financial situation means that disadvantages cannot be covered.
If people are told to move to central villages because they cannot live in remote villages under the current financial situation, the choice of where to live will depend on finances. This is a serious problem.
I call this “functioning regional finances.” If we analyze and evaluate regional financial activities based on specific factors (functions) such as population, industrial structure, and aging rate, and use the results in financial management, we may be told to withdraw from the entire mountainous area and move to cities at the foot of the mountain, and if the finances worsen further, we may be told to gather in the metropolitan area.
Determining where to live based on finances is the idea that the nation is not for the people, but the people are for the nation, which is a denial of democracy. I believe that creating “lively depopulation” even in depopulated villages and continuing to live where you are by combining various conditions will be the brake on this.

–Regional DX

There are high expectations for DX. This is because the biggest problem for regional areas is distance. Long distances are the root of all problems. If DX can eliminate the issue of distance as much as possible, the disadvantages of living in regional areas can be minimized.
The three biggest problems for regional areas are medical care, education, and transportation, but DX could drastically improve some of these. For example, in terms of distance education, there is a shortage of teachers at high schools in mountainous areas, and in some cases students are unable to take courses such as physics or mathematics III. This is a major problem for students who want to go on to medical school, but if DX is used to roll out satellite classes, this problem can be solved in one fell swoop.

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