There is a job called a Community Revitalization Cooperator, in which people move from urban areas to rural communities and engage in community development and regional revitalization activities. According to data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the number of Community Revitalization Cooperators in fiscal 2023 was a record high of 7,200.
I, too, moved from Kanagawa Prefecture to Kurashiki in 2023 as a Community Revitalization Cooperator. Through my work, I realized that the role of a Community Revitalization Cooperator is still not widely known.
Community Revitalization Cooperators need to work closely with local residents. To help more people learn about the role, I’m introducing the activities of these cooperators.
Meet current cooperator Miyazaki Nao. We spoke with her about her activities and her feelings for the community.
The information presented here was accurate when this article was published in March 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What Is a Community Revitalization Cooperator?
The Community Revitalization Cooperator program is a national initiative in which people move from urban areas to communities facing depopulation and engage in activities to support those communities.
Community Revitalization Cooperators move their resident registration from urban areas to depopulated areas and other disadvantaged regions. While engaging in “community cooperation activities,” such as supporting regional revitalization through the development, sale, and promotion of local brands and products, working in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries, and assisting residents, they work toward settling and establishing themselves in the community. Cooperators are commissioned by local governments, and their terms are generally one to three years.
Even among Community Revitalization Cooperators, the missions (assigned duties) given to each person by their local government differ, so their activities and workplaces vary greatly. However, what all cooperators have in common is that all their activities contribute to revitalizing Kurashiki.
Who becomes a Community Revitalization Cooperator, what kinds of activities do they undertake, and what path do they follow after their term ends?
About Miyazaki Nao
Miyazaki is from Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture. She took up her post as a Kurashiki City Community Revitalization Cooperator in April 2023.
How She Became a Community Revitalization Cooperator
Miyazaki says that when she visited Onomichi City, Hiroshima Prefecture, on a solo trip at age 20, she began to feel that she wanted to try living somewhere else.
In her previous job, she used her nutritionist qualification to help manage meals at nursery schools and children’s homes in her hometown of Hyogo Prefecture. However, after her health deteriorated, she began considering a career change.
She had been interested in moving for some time, and while considering where to relocate, she came across Kurashiki City. She had visited Kurashiki on a trip before. It was just the right distance from her hometown in Hyogo Prefecture, and as someone who loves Japanese culture and atmosphere, she found the streets around the Bikan Historical Area appealing.
Around that time, she came across the current Community Revitalization Cooperator recruitment. The mission was to “develop the community by making use of Kurashiki Hakka, a local resource.”
At the time, what particularly interested Miyazaki was developing products using Kurashiki Hakka. In her previous job, she had experience planning menus for special meals and events at the facilities, and she was drawn to work that involved turning ideas into reality.
Before her job interview, she visited Kurashiki Hakka Display Center, her future activity base. She was captivated by Kurashiki’s relaxed atmosphere and thought, “Oh, Kurashiki might be nice.”
Introducing Her Activities
Miyazaki carries out activities as a Community Revitalization Cooperator, as well as personal activities that bring her into exchange with the community.
- Managing the Kurashiki Hakka Display Center (Cooperator Activities)
- Running the “Chef☆Kids” Cooking Classes for Children (Personal Activities)
- Holding “Nutritionist Miya’s Night Cafe” (Personal Activities)
1. Managing the Kurashiki Hakka Display Center (Cooperator Activities)
Miyazaki’s mission as a Community Revitalization Cooperator is to develop the community by making use of “Shubi,” a variety of mint that is a local specialty. Specifically, she carries out the following duties at the Kurashiki Hakka Display Center, operated by Kibi no Kuni Mirai Keikaku LLC.
- Serving customers who visit the Kurashiki Hakka Display Center
- Developing new products and coordinating collaborations with companies
- Creating the “Kurashiki Hakka Newsletter” and handling administrative tasks related to wholesale operations and orders
- Sharing information on social media to convey the appeal of Kurashiki Hakka
- Promoting Kurashiki Hakka through activities such as exhibiting at events
Miyazaki focused particularly on developing new products. The Kurashiki Hakka Display Center had originally sold aroma mists and aroma oils, but customers often asked if there were other products available.
So, taking inspiration from the marketing and product development of Kaldi Coffee Farm, she first looked into outsourcing production through OEM. After trial and error, she developed new products, and the center now sells mint candy that makes a perfect souvenir, as well as hair mist and organic balm supervised by a hairdresser.
As of March 2025, when asked about new products, Miyazaki said they were preparing a mint chocolate cup ice cream in collaboration with Namba Farm.
On Instagram, the Kurashiki Hakka Display Center posts product introductions and fun facts about mint. If you’re interested, be sure to check out Instagram.
2. Running the “Chef☆Kids” Cooking Classes for Children (Personal Activities)
Miyazaki also works as an instructor for cooking classes for children called “Chef☆Kids”.
The term for a Community Revitalization Cooperator is up to three years. While looking for activities she could continue after her term ended, she discovered Chef☆Kids, which is based in Kagawa and operates nationwide.
She had enjoyed working with children since her previous job, and could also make use of her nutritionist qualification. She also wanted to share the appeal of Kurashiki Hakka with 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, and a place to nurture children’s ability to thrive.” Rather than simply teaching cooking skills, the classes help children develop independence and sensitivity.
3. Holding “Nutritionist Miya’s Night Cafe” (Personal Activities)
For one year from January 2024, she regularly held “Nutritionist Miya’s Night Cafe.”
Miyazaki rented space at Kotori Flat, a cafe located close to the Bikan Historical Area, and served wholesome snacks and drinks in a space filled with the aroma of Kurashiki Hakka. She says it became a place for exchange with local residents and Community Revitalization Cooperators from across Okayama Prefecture.
“Nutritionist Miya’s Night Cafe” has now ended.
In addition to her work as a Community Revitalization Cooperator, Miyazaki is also working independently to build connections with the community. We spoke with her about what motivates her activities.
Miyazaki Nao’s Profile
| Name | Miyazaki Nao |
|---|---|
| Address | 2-10-11 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Website | Kurashiki Hakka Display Center |
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