Problems of Emptying Countryside in Northern Japan (miniseries part 3)

Continuing from the part 2.

5. Solutions
Something has to be done, if the rural communities in Japan on the verge of extinction are to be saved. The problems have been known for a long time and numerous plans have been conceived to counteract the trend (Table 1). For example, the Emergency Act for the Improvement of Depopulated Areas had objectives of supporting the independence of the rural areas, improving the welfare of the residents, increasing employment opportunities, limiting and reducing regional wealth gaps and supporting the continuing existence of “a beautiful countryside” (Feldhoff, 2013). Most of the plans have obviously failed in their target to sustainably revitalize the countryside. One factor might be the traditionally top-down style of government in Japan and elite-dominated public sector. Even with the very poor track record, the wealth is being actively redistributed from the metropolitan areas to the countryside (Felfhoff, 2013). The latest effort comes from the current Abe government labeled Chiho Sosei, or ‘Creating Life in the Countryside’ (Rausch, 2015).

Table 1. List of some measures to counter the shrinking countryside in Japan (Feldhoff, 2013).

Katson ja kosken… laskua

Mentiin tutkimusryhmän porukalla hieman reippailemaan Gunman prefektuuriin, Minakamiin. Reissun pointtina oli paeta Tokion kuumuutta vuorten keskelle ja vilvoitella koskenlaskun merkeissä. Reissu oli matkailufirman paketti. Varhain aamulla joukko unisia uskalikkoja nousi bussiin Shinjukussa, josta matkattiin parin tunnin ajan pohjoiseen. Perille saavuttua oli vuorossa kledjujen vaihtaminen märkäpukuihin, varusteiden jako sekä erinäisiä turvallisuusohjeistuksia.