The “Takahashi River Shijuku” is being held from November 2020 through February 2021.
The 41 sessions are divided into three categories—SDGs Vision, General Education, and Skills—and are attended by 23 students, along with auditors who join individual sessions.
On Saturday, January 23, 2021, as part of the Skills category, Maiko Okimura, a former Community Revitalization Cooperator in Asakuchi City, Okayama Prefecture, gave a lecture.
Here is a report on the lecture.
The information presented here is current as of the article’s publication in February 2021. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Overview of the Takahashi River Shijuku
The Takahashi River Shijuku is a Kurashiki City-commissioned program run by the Takahashi River Basin School, a general incorporated association. Through the study of history, culture, industry, and fieldwork in the Takahashi River Basin, it aims to foster people who will contribute to community development and build a “sustainable” region, and to inspire them to take action.
There are two types of courses:
- The “SDGs Exploration Course,” which includes practical work and presentations
- The “Auditor Course,” in which participants attend lectures of their choice
The opening ceremony was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, and 41 lecture sessions will be held through the closing ceremony on Sunday, February 14, 2021.
The themes fall into three categories:
▼SDGs Vision
A course where participants gain a deeper understanding of the Takahashi River Basin’s 2030 vision and current efforts to address its challenges through lectures by practitioners and experts, and discover ideas for taking action.
▼General Education
A course for learning about the history, culture, industry, and other aspects of the Takahashi River Basin, and gaining the knowledge that forms the basis for activities.
▼Skills
A course for acquiring the skills and know-how needed for inquiry-based learning, including presentations, accounting for nonprofit organizations, data analysis (using RESAS), effective use of IT tools, and use of blogs and social media.
For more details, visit the special page for the “Takahashi River Shijuku.”
Background of Maiko Okimura, former Community Revitalization Cooperator in Asakuchi City
Okimura’s first impression was one of energy.
Watching her speak so animatedly, you could feel her energy.
Hearing about her background made it easy to understand why she has such a lively personality.
She was born in Tochigi Prefecture and grew up in Hokkaido.
In high school, she saw architectural models on a TV program about renovating homes with cramped layouts and other difficult living conditions, and thought, “I want to make these too!” She went on to study architecture at a vocational school in Hachioji City, Tokyo.
After completing vocational school, she transferred to the evening program at Tokyo University of Science.
She worked part-time at a structural engineering firm during the day and attended university at night.
A part-time job led Okimura to join a project to build an elementary school in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Japanese university students traveled to the area, with architecture students building the school and education students planning the lessons.
The school was built using local materials and techniques.
Having worked at a structural engineering firm, Okimura says she began to question how many foreign-origin technologies, such as nails and bolts, were used in Japan.
Wanting to learn about traditional Japanese techniques, Okimura left university after returning to Japan and joined a training course for agricultural, commercial, and industrial collaboration coordinators—people who make use of local resources.
Through studying forest thinning and traditional construction methods, as well as hands-on training, she had the opportunity to meet many different people.
Next, she received work in model-making and drafting from people she had met through the training course, and became a freelancer.
She began working under the name “moko Design Office.”
Incidentally, her office was a tiny one-room property in Kagurazaka, Tokyo, with just four tatami mats of floor space. The rent was an incredibly cheap 40,000 yen a month.
After that, work continued to come her way through introductions from friends.
She renovated a traditional house in Iga City, Mie Prefecture; ran a rental space in a traditional Japanese house in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture; and managed a traditional-house restaurant in Zushi City, Kanagawa Prefecture.
Since becoming a freelancer at 23, she has gained a wealth of knowledge and skills through meeting many people and accumulating experience.
During the lecture, she emphasized that freelancing had “boosted my experience tremendously.”
On the other hand, finding work and making a living on your own is not all fun.
She said she had also faced many difficult times.
Feeling that she wanted to create a place for herself in a new community, Okimura joined the Community Revitalization Cooperator program.
The catchphrase “A town of stars and the sea” caught her eye, and she moved to Asakuchi City in 2016.
Just listening to the many twists and turns in Okimura’s life is exciting.
I was deeply drawn to the way she takes on challenges as her interests lead her.
Activities as a Community Revitalization Cooperator
Okimura continued to take part in a variety of activities after becoming a Community Revitalization Cooperator.
Her work covered a wide range of areas, including vacant-house measures, creating disaster-prevention maps, introducing transportation services for older people, and hosting lectures.
That is because the term of a Community Revitalization Cooperator is only three years.
During that time, they must create a business that contributes to regional revitalization through their own efforts.
From the beginning of her appointment, she made an effort to visit many places and make herself known to local people.
After learning the traditional Japanese performance art of Nankin Tamasudare, she was invited to more senior citizens’ gatherings, giving her many opportunities to interact with older people.
While working as a Community Revitalization Cooperator, she established moko’a, a general incorporated association in May 2017.
She explained that “moko” means “one” in Lingala, a language spoken in the Congo, and “a” represents Asakuchi.
Even after completing her term as a Community Revitalization Cooperator, Okimura has continued supporting the community through the organization.
One of the activities supported by moko’a is the transportation service Midorin-go.
In Midorigaoka, Kamogata, Asakuchi City, where the population is aging rapidly, many people were reportedly worried that they would lose access to transportation for shopping and medical appointments.
In response, Midorin-go was established as a resident-led transportation service for people living in the Midorigaoka district.
The community opened Ikiiki Plaza as a hub for local residents to connect, creating a place where residents could organize activities such as a lunch cafe and handicraft classes.
The income generated by Ikiiki Plaza’s activities is used to operate Midorin-go, creating a system that allows the community to sustain the service through its own efforts.
Why is regional revitalization needed?
Japan today is said to be a society with a declining population.
But you cannot see the effects of population decline just by looking around a town.
Okimura used statistical data to explain the problems caused by population decline and why regional revitalization is needed.
| 1995 | 2015 | 2035 (projected) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population (A) | 38,595 people | 34,235 people | 27,607 people |
| Age 85 and over (B) | 932 people | 1,845 people | 3,564 people |
| A/B | 41.4 people | 18.6 people | 7.7 people |
Asakuchi City’s population was about 38,000 in 1995 and about 34,000 in 2015, a decline of around 10% over 20 years.
The population decline is expected to accelerate further, falling by about 20% to around 27,000 over the 20 years through 2035.
The number of older people aged 85 and over, who need assistance with daily living, doubled between 1995 and 2015, reaching about 1,800.
By 2035, this number is estimated to increase by about 1.9 times to around 3,600, meaning that just 7.7 people will have to support each older person aged 85 and over.
Moreover, community activities are said to be mainly supported by retired people aged 65 to 74, but as time passes, they too will become people in need of support.
The number of people providing support is falling, while the number of people needing support is growing rapidly.
| Challenges that arise | |
|---|---|
| Declining birthrate | School closures and mergers; declining community vitality |
| Aging population | Shopping assistance, checking on older people’s well-being, dementia prevention |
| Population decline | Weaker connections between people, withdrawal of commercial facilities, increase in vacant houses and abandoned farmland |
Someone must provide transportation for shopping and check on people’s well-being as dementia progresses.
Commercial facilities will also withdraw as the population declines, while vacant houses and abandoned farmland will increase.
Of course, tax revenues will fall, leaving local governments unable to respond.
Local residents must create their own communities and build an environment where they can support one another.
Revitalizing communities by making use of vacant houses
Konko Town in Asakuchi City has a history of flourishing as a temple town around Konkokyo headquarters, and still retains streetscapes with a retro atmosphere.
However, the streets are quiet and deserted, with few people around.
In an effort to revitalize the area, Okimura has also been working on ways to make use of vacant houses in Konko Town, Asakuchi City, including the following:
- Surveying the actual state of vacant houses
- Example of vacant-house use: “Space Kinseikan”
Surveying the actual state of vacant houses
Before getting started on using vacant houses, Okimura wondered, “Are there really vacant houses?” and began surveying their actual state in cooperation with local residents.
They visualized the distribution of vacant houses by placing stickers on a blank map: yellow for vacant houses, red for those at risk of collapse, and blue for vacant lots.
Apparently, there were a surprising number of vacant houses in town.
By also conducting the survey alongside older residents who knew the area well, they identified the owner of each property.
They are organizing the information to facilitate future use by determining whom to contact to rent or buy each property.
Example of vacant-house use: “Space Kinseikan”
As an example of how a vacant house can be used, we were introduced to “Space Kinseikan.”
This is where the Takahashi River Shijuku lecture was held.
Until a few decades ago, “Space Kinseikan” operated as a diner where local residents gathered.
There were apparently plans to demolish it, but when Okimura said he wanted to put it to use, it was donated to him.
The renovation was held as a hands-on workshop involving local residents.
They invited a shrine carpenter, an architect, and a plasterer to provide instruction, and renovated the building together with local residents.
They also discussed how to operate the space after the renovation with local residents.
To learn from other examples, they visited shopping streets in Soja City and Fukiya in Takahashi City.
The vacant shop that had been slated for demolition was transformed into a rental space.
It was reborn as a facility where local residents can exchange and connect through cafe operations, workshops, study groups, and community activities.
Not only do local residents gather there, but people from outside the town also come to hold events, making it a place for exchange with people from elsewhere.
Okimura also explained why local residents were involved in renovating the vacant shop.
Local people cannot imagine a familiar building—one that has always been part of their everyday lives—being transformed into something new.
Once the space actually takes shape, people can picture what it could be, making it easier for ideas to emerge.
During the renovation of “Space Kinseikan,” a major change came when the shop’s lights were switched on for the first time.
The local residents were delighted to see the bright, stylish interior.
More and more people began actively taking part in the activities.
There are many things that cannot be conveyed through words alone, so it is important to let people experience them firsthand.
Okimura said that building up successful experiences together with local residents leads to the revitalization of the town.
My thoughts after taking the course
Through a wide range of experiences—including building schools overseas, making use of traditional houses across Japan, studying at vocational schools and universities, and working as a freelancer—Okimura has acquired a wealth of knowledge and skills.
I admire how Okimura makes full use of those abilities as a Community Revitalization Cooperator.
Two things in particular stood out to me in this course.
- Careful data organization and research
- Local residents are the main actors
Careful data organization and research
One was the care taken in organizing data and conducting research.
Okimura never forgets to smile when speaking in front of people, but also continues to make steady efforts, such as studying materials and attending seminars to understand the social issue of population decline.
Okimura said that visualizing population statistics and vacant-house information is a way to clearly explain challenges to stakeholders and propose projects.
Before carrying out a project, Okimura also conducts thorough interviews with local government offices and residents, organizes the issues, and then draws up concrete plans.
Okimura’s cheerful personality has been a major factor in being able to involve local people in these activities.
I also felt that the ability to explain things clearly based on data and research findings is one reason so many people trust Okimura.
Local residents are the main actors
The other thing was Okimura’s unwavering belief that local residents should be the main actors.
For a local community to be sustainable, projects need to be led by local residents, not by Community Revitalization Cooperators.
The role of Community Revitalization Cooperators is to work behind the scenes and provide opportunities for the community to thrive.
Many of the projects Okimura has worked on include ways for local people to get involved, and I strongly felt Okimura’s determination to create opportunities to revitalize the community.
Okimura is truly working to revitalize the community.
From the Writer
This lecture gave me concrete knowledge about issues facing local communities and community revitalization, including the renewal of vacant houses.
Most of all, my greatest takeaway was hearing about the way Okimura lives, following wherever their interests lead.
I feel that this lecture taught me about the diversity of ways to live.
Takahashi River Shijuku details
| Name | Takahashi River Shijuku |
|---|---|
| Date held | Date and time of this lecture: December 19, 2020, 10:00 a.m.–12:10 p.m. Takahashi River Shijuku program period: November 3, 2020–February 14, 2021 (completion ceremony) |
| Location | 294-7 Otani, Konko Town, Asakuchi City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Participation fee (tax included) | In-person attendance: ¥1,500 Online attendance or archived recording: ¥500 |
| Website | Takahashi River Shijuku | Takahashi River Basin School |
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