There is a job called Regional Revitalization Cooperation Corps, which involves moving from urban areas to rural areas and engaging in community development and regional promotion activities. According to data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the number of Regional Revitalization Cooperation Corps members in 2023 was reportedly the highest ever at 7,200.
I, too, am one of those who moved from Kanagawa Prefecture to Kurashiki in 2023 as a member of the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Corps. During my activities, I realized that the job of the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Corps is still not well known.
The Regional Revitalization Cooperation Corps requires collaboration with local people. To let as many people as possible know about the existence of the Corps, I will introduce the activities of the Corps.
I will introduce Ms. Miyazaki Nao, an active member. I interviewed her about her activities and her feelings for the region.
What is the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Corps
The Regional Revitalization Cooperation Corps is a national initiative that involves moving from urban areas to regions suffering from depopulation and engaging in cooperative activities in those areas.
The Regional Revitalization Cooperation Corps involves changing one's residence to a depopulated area or other disadvantaged area, engaging in regional revitalization support such as the development, sales, and PR of regional brands and local products, working in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, and supporting residents, while aiming for settlement and establishment in that area. Corps members are appointed by local governments, and their term is generally from one to three years.
Although there are various missions (requests) assigned to each member by local governments, the activities and workplaces are completely different for each member. However, what is common to all members is that all activities contribute to the revitalization of Kurashiki.
What kind of people become members of the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Corps, what kind of activities do they engage in, and what kind of future do they walk after their term ends?
About Ms. Miyazaki Nao
Ms. Miyazaki is from Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture. She was appointed as a member of the Kurashiki City Regional Revitalization Cooperation Corps in April 2023.
How she became a member of the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Corps
Ms. Miyazaki says that her desire to "try living somewhere" was born when she visited Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, on a solo trip at the age of 20.
Her previous job involved utilizing her qualifications as a nutritionist to manage meals at a nursery and a children's care facility in her hometown of Hyogo Prefecture. However, she fell ill and began to consider changing jobs.
Having originally been interested in relocating, she came across Kurashiki City while considering potential places to move. She had previously visited Kurashiki on a trip. Located at a just right distance from her hometown of Hyogo Prefecture, and with her love for Japanese culture and atmosphere, she found the townscape around the Bikan Historical Area to be attractive.
At that time, she happened to find the current recruitment for the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Corps. The mission's content was "Community development utilizing Kurashiki peppermint, a regional resource."
At that time, what particularly interested Ms. Miyazaki was product development using Kurashiki peppermint. Having experience in planning meal menus for events and in-house activities during her previous job, she was drawn to the work of bringing ideas to life.
Before the hiring interview, when she visited the Kurashiki Peppermint Display Center, she was captivated by the relaxed atmosphere of Kurashiki and thought, "Ah, Kurashiki might be nice."
Activity Introduction
Ms. Miyazaki engages in activities as a member of the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Corps and also conducts personal activities to interact with the community.
- Operation of the Kurashiki Peppermint Display Center (Corps Activity)
- Operation of the children's cooking class "Chef☆Kids" (Personal Activity)
- Hosting "Nutritionist Miya's Night Cafe" (Personal Activity)
1. Operation of the Kurashiki Peppermint Display Center (Corps Activity)
Ms. Miyazaki's mission as a member of the Corps is to develop the town utilizing the local specialty "Shubi" peppermint variety. Specifically, she is engaged in the following tasks at the Kurashiki Peppermint Display Center, operated by the limited liability company Kibi no Kuni Future Plan.
- Customer service for visitors to the Kurashiki Peppermint Display Center
- Development of new products and collaboration with companies
- Production of "Kurashiki Peppermint News" and administrative tasks related to wholesale and ordering procedures
- Information dissemination on social media to convey the charm of Kurashiki peppermint
- PR activities for Kurashiki peppermint through event participation
Ms. Miyazaki has particularly focused on developing new products. The Kurashiki Peppermint Display Center originally sold aroma mists and aroma oils, but customers often asked, "Do you have anything else?"
Therefore, she looked into OEM manufacturing contracts, referencing the marketing and product development of Kaldi Coffee Farm. After trial and error in developing new products, they are now selling peppermint candy perfect for souvenirs and hair mists and organic balms supervised by hairdressers.
As of March 2025, when asked about new products, Ms. Miyazaki mentioned that she is preparing a peppermint chocolate flavor cup ice cream in collaboration with Namba Farm.
On the Kurashiki Peppermint Display Center's Instagram, they post product introductions and peppermint trivia. If you're interested, please check out their Instagram.
2. Operation of the children's cooking class "Chef☆Kids" (Personal Activity)
Ms. Miyazaki also works as an instructor for the children's cooking class "Chef☆Kids".
The term for the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Corps is a maximum of three years. While looking for activities that can continue after the term ends, she encountered Chef☆Kids, which is expanding nationwide based in Kagawa.
She has always enjoyed interacting with children since her previous job. She can also utilize her qualifications as a nutritionist. Additionally, she wanted to convey the charm of Kurashiki peppermint to local children, so she became a certified instructor and opened the Kurashiki Setouchi classroom in 2024.
The concept of Chef☆Kids is "Cooking is a tool, a place to nurture children's life skills". Rather than just teaching cooking skills, they hold cooking classes that foster children's independence and sensitivity.
3. Hosting "Nutritionist Miya's Night Cafe" (Personal Activity)
From January 2024, she regularly hosted "Nutritionist Miya's Night Cafe" for one year.
Ms. Miyazaki borrowed a cafe called "Kotoriflat," located not far from the Bikan Historical Area, and provided healthy snacks and drinks in a space filled with the aroma of Kurashiki peppermint. She says she was able to create a place for interaction with local people and other Regional Revitalization Cooperation Corps members from Okayama Prefecture.
"Nutritionist Miya's Night Cafe" has now ended.
Not only through her activities as a member of the Corps but also as an individual, Ms. Miyazaki is working on building connections with the community. I spoke with her about her thoughts on her activities.
Data on Ms. Miyazaki Nao
| Name | Ms. Miyazaki Nao |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-10-11 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Website | Kurashiki Peppermint Display Center |
