The Takahashi River, a Class A river flowing through western Okayama Prefecture, is surrounded by rich water and natural resources. The seven cities and three towns that have lived alongside these blessings are known as the Takahashi River Basin. Kurashiki City is one of them and is working on various projects to invigorate the Takahashi River Basin.
The Takahashi River Basin Meeting, held on Saturday, May 11, is an event where people interested in the basin’s culture, history, and nature gather to learn about the Takahashi River Basin through a keynote lecture and group sessions.
“Takahashi River Basin” is a phrase we sometimes hear in everyday life. What exactly can you learn at the Takahashi River Meeting? We spoke with the person in charge to find out.
The information provided was current when this article was published in May 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is the Takahashi River Meeting?
The 2024 Takahashi River Meeting is an event held on Saturday, May 11, 2024, hosted by the Takahashi River Basin School, a general incorporated association.
It will take place in Meeting Room 202 at Geibunkan Hall in Kurashiki City, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Registration begins at 12:30 p.m.)
Check the official website for the day’s schedule.
About the Takahashi River Basin School, a general incorporated association
The Takahashi River Basin School, a general incorporated association, aims to pass on the character, history, and culture of the Takahashi River Basin. It is an organization that works with businesses, local governments, universities, and community groups to promote the sustainable development of the basin.
Its main activities include:
- Operating the community-based SDGs program “Takahashi River Shijuku” (commissioned by Kurashiki City)
- Hosting the Takahashi River Meeting
Takahashi River Shijuku uses fieldwork to teach participants about the Takahashi River’s nature, history, culture, and industries, while fostering sustainable community development and training the next generation of people who will lead future growth. As of the end of fiscal 2023, more than 100 people had taken part.
The idea of cooperation across the basin was advocated by the Takahashi River Basin League, founded in 1954. Inspired by this vision, former representative Okubo Kensaku (current chairman of Kuramoku Holdings Co., Ltd.) sought to strengthen cooperation across the basin from an educational perspective.
Overview of the 2024 Takahashi River Meeting
The Takahashi River Meeting was created as a forum to report on the Takahashi River Basin School’s activities and discuss challenges facing the basin and possible solutions. Since the school was established, it has generally been held once a year.
This time, under the theme “Life in the Basin 30 Years from Now,” there will be a keynote lecture and breakout sessions (group sessions).
The keynote speaker is Shibusawa Juichi, an adviser to the Takahashi River Basin School who is involved in various environmental conservation activities to create sustainable communities. He is the great-grandson of Shibusawa Eiichi, whose portrait was selected for the new 10,000-yen banknote.
His work includes organizing the “Kikigaki Koshien,” where high school students interview people who live alongside forests and the sea, and community development using biomass in Maniwa City.
What does a rich modern life really mean, and how can we coexist with nature? You may find ideas for creating a sustainable future for the Takahashi River Basin.
After the keynote lecture, participants will split into small groups for breakout sessions.
It will be a chance to consider and discuss the basin’s future 30 years from now from four perspectives: enjoyment, learning, livelihoods, and daily life.
With people interested in the Takahashi River Basin coming together, all kinds of opinions and ideas are likely to emerge.
Interview with the person in charge
We spoke with Kajitani Masashi, from the secretariat of the Takahashi River Basin School, a general incorporated association, about the Takahashi River Meeting.
How did the theme “Life in the Basin 30 Years from Now” come about?
Kajitani (honorific omitted)
The Takahashi River Basin League will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2024. Looking ahead to its 100th anniversary 30 years from now, we wanted to provide a place where everyone could consider what they would like the Takahashi River Basin to look like in the future, so we incorporated the phrase “the basin 30 years from now” into the theme.
“Life” encompasses the appeal of the resources found in the basin, as well as education, work, and the culture of daily life—all essential to the development of the local economy.
As we also wanted to consider what activities the Takahashi River Basin School should pursue as we approach the 100th anniversary, we settled on this theme, which reconsiders the ideal future for the Takahashi River Basin.
What makes the Takahashi River Meeting special?
Kajitani
Its greatest appeal is the connections it creates among people interested in the Takahashi River Basin.
People who are concerned about issues facing the Takahashi River Basin, or who are thinking, “I’d like to try doing something” in the communities where they live, take part. They inspire one another with their ideas, and I hope that exchange will lead to some kind of collaboration.
What kind of response did the previous meeting (in 2023) receive?
Kajitani
Education was the main theme last time, so we had a particularly large number of participants connected with schools, such as members of boards of education and schoolteachers.
Goda Tetsuo, Deputy Commissioner of the Agency for Cultural Affairs, gave the keynote lecture. He spoke about how education should adapt to changes in society and how artificial intelligence and education can coexist. Many of the post-event survey responses also commented on the keynote lecture.
I think it was a highly satisfying event.
Could you tell us more about the breakout sessions?
Kajitani
There was little interaction among participants at the previous meeting, so this time we planned breakout sessions with small-group discussions.
In the breakout sessions, participants will discuss their ideal vision for the future of the Takahashi River Basin based on four themes—enjoyment, learning, livelihoods, and daily life—and exchange ideas about “what actions are needed to make that vision a reality”. Depending on the circumstances, we may also ask participants for their ideas on the day and consider adding themes.
For example, under “enjoyment,” discussing tourism resources and events in the Takahashi River Basin could open up the conversation. Questions such as “How can we raise awareness of lesser-known tourist attractions?” and “How can we extend events concentrated in the southern part of the prefecture to the north?” bring a range of challenges to light.
I hope everyone will discuss what the Takahashi River Basin should be like 30 years from now for people to live well.
Who would you recommend it to?
Kajitani
I’d especially like people who are interested in the Takahashi River Basin as a region to take part.
I recommend it to people who see challenges in the communities where they live or are thinking, “I’d like to try working on something.” At the Takahashi River Meeting, please connect and interact with all kinds of people.
I’d be happy if the Takahashi River Basin Meeting could help support everyone’s efforts.
Do you have a message for our readers?
Kajitani
The other day, I was talking with someone from Niimi City and was surprised that their impression of the Takahashi River was completely different from mine as a Kurashiki City resident.
The Takahashi River where it flows through Kurashiki City is wide and slow-moving, but in Niimi City it comes down from the mountains upstream, so it flows faster and is narrower.
The way the Takahashi River looks and the impression it makes vary between its upper, middle, and lower reaches, so I expect a wide range of ideas and opinions to come up at this meeting. If you’re interested in the communities of the Takahashi River Basin, please join us.
We, too, hope to work with many people so that we can lead richer lives while cherishing the connections that have grown from a single river.
From the Writer
I used to live in Kanagawa Prefecture, and it was only after moving to Kurashiki that I first encountered the phrase “Takahashi River Basin.”
Until then, I had never come across an example of “communities across a river basin working together,” so I remember being surprised by the scale of the initiative.
Through this interview, I felt that the Takahashi River Basin had become part of my everyday life, even without my realizing it, through the benefits of the river’s natural environment and the basin’s culture and industries developed by so many people.
As someone who lives in the Takahashi River Basin, if you’re interested in the basin’s future, I encourage you to attend a Takahashi River Meeting. You may discover new perspectives and connections.
Takahashi River Meeting 2024 Information
| Name | Takahashi River Meeting 2024 |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, May 11, 2024 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Location | 202 Meeting Room, Geibunkan Hall, 1-18-1 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Admission (tax included) | General admission: ¥1,000 Free for high school students and younger |
| Website | Takahashi River Basin School: Announcement of Takahashi River Meeting 2024 on Saturday, May 11 |
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