I became a member of Chiiki Revitalization Cooperation Team 13
years ago. I think I was 31 or 32 years old, when the Regional
Cooperation Volunteers had just started. Currently, 9 to 10 years have
passed since I finished my work as a community revitalization
cooperation team. Previously, I had worked in a company in Tokyo for
about 15 years and had a social life. Life in Tokyo was pretty fun, but
when my child was 5 years old at the time, as he was growing up, I
wanted to live in a more natural environment than the cramped city life
and the overflowing environment. I started to think that Tokyo is far
away when I think about things like soil, air, and food self-sufficiency. In
terms of work, my desire to play a different role, contribute to society in
a different way, and become involved with intermediary support
organizations and NPOs was a turning point.
Actually, I didn't know about the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Team until I researched and learned about regional revitalization this time. I sometimes see videos of people in their 20s and 30s who have moved to rural areas on social media, but this was the first time I had heard of someone who had actually moved there.
If young people can have fun and earn a lot of money in rural areas, they wont leave and I think they will come back. It is important to have an environment where people can earn money in rural areas and feel that their contribution is greater in rural areas than in urban areas. I think the appeal of urban areas is that you can earn more money than in rural areas, there are fashionable towns and shops, and there is a lot of information out there, so everyone wants to go there. If more information such as "that countryside is more interesting becomes available", everyones way of thinking might change.
I think many people move from rural areas to the city center for work, higher education, etc. After all, there are overwhelmingly more jobs and schools in the city center. As Mr. Nakata said, I would like to live in a rural area if there were more jobs to choose from and if I could earn as much money as in the city.
It's the restoration of old folk houses and the restoration of farmland.
We were very happy to see people say "Thank you" to the old houses and farmland, which had been said to be
"a waste," due to the aging of the population.
When we are involved in an area that cannot be accessed by the government, public institutions, or private
real estate agents, and there are people who are happy to use the regenerated houses and farmland, when we
think that only we could have done it. I'm very happy.
The things we were careful about were "not finishing half-heartedly", whether the content was within our
control,"" and "Will people say it was good?"
I believe that daily communication with local people is important, and I think it is important to see it through to the end.I thought it was amazing that the government and local people were able to do something they had almost given up on.
In fact, I am both a farmer and an executive at a company specializing in agriculture.While farming is seen as "tough, dirty, and dangerous," I feel like it's a long way from seeing people visibly appreciate it.Market research shows that vegetables are delicious and fresh compared to other foods, and that the value of vegetables has not increased, and that agriculture is at a low level in Japan.But I want people to know that agriculture is very important. Also, I would like to ask people to please wait a little longer, as we are trying to find ways to add value to agriculture by creating new crops and adding value. Food is important to everyone, so how do you make that food? I think the problem can be solved if these two things are brought together: having people say, "This is an important job," and "being able to earn money."
There are few people who sell vegetables and rice directly from producers, and most people buy them at supermarkets.After speaking with you this time, I would like to once again appreciate the fact that the vegetables and rice you find in the supermarket are not commonplace, and that there are farmers who grow them regardless of the season. I also reflected on the fact that I have to eat regardless of my likes and dislikes.I wanted to spread the word on this site to get more people interested.
There are people who value an environment rich in nature, and their lifestyles are changing due to
things like telework in terms of work, and the environment is gradually changing from having to live in
or commute to the city.The number of people choosing rural areas is increasing year by year.
The activities of the Community Revitalization Cooperation Volunteers allow us to directly contribute to
the local community, and we receive immediate feedback such as thanks and greetings from those who make
us happy. Many people find it interesting and rewarding to communicate with local people.
Most people prefer to be in their 20s to 40s. I usually talk to 4 to 5 people a month who are interested.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, there has been an increase in the number of jobs that can be done from anywhere, such as the introduction of telework. I think it's great that it gives people an opportunity to focus on the local area. I think the population in rural areas will increase if there is a better work environment like in the city center.
there is.It varies by region and requires culture, context, and communication, and to be honest, sometimes I think it's more difficult than overseas. I learned that there are regions that have different histories, cultures, and communications that are even more different than that, even though I thought I could communicate with them and share the same values by speaking Japanese.
I thought that being a member of the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Team is an important job that requires communication and connects people and revitalizes the region. Each region has its own culture and traditions, and I imagine that communicating with local people can be time-consuming and difficult, but I feel that it is a very rewarding and valuable job. I did.
Is possible.I think it's regional revitalization that just one person thinks it's good to live in a
rural area. There are many things that are only found in local areas, so I think it's important to find
the perfect balance and harmony.
After hearing his story this time, I realized that the activities of the Regional Revitalization Cooperation Volunteers are very important for connecting people and revitalizing the region. We thought it was a really wonderful activity to find things that aren't found in the city, recreate them, and connect them with people, rather than just because we live in the countryside that there's nothing there. I thought that regional revitalization would be impossible without the members of the regional revitalization cooperation team. At the same time, I learned the importance of communication and the ability to see things through to the end. Although I am currently a junior high school student, I would like to participate in the activities of the Community Revitalization Cooperation Volunteers in the future and actually use my own abilities to work with local people to develop the community.e21