Visiting sustainable communities ―A Pursuit to Build the Community Power Assessment Tool―

Visiting sustainable communities ―A Pursuit to Build the Community Power Assessment Tool―Forum of Community Power, for which CSO network plays the secretariat role, has visited Ohnan Town and former Kakinoki Village (current Yoshika Town) in SHimane Prefecture, and the Okitama Region in Yamagata Prefecuture this fiscal year. As you will find out more details in the chapters to follow, Ohnan town has set their goals to become the “Class-A Gourmet Town” and the “Best Village in Japan to Raise Children,” whild the former Kakinoki Village has engaged in community development through organic agriculture. Bothe have actively sought and received new settlers from outside of their community. Meanwhile in Yamagata Prefecture’s Okitama Region, the Three cities and five Towns in the region are regarded as one “self-sufficiency zone,” and they have embarked on a grand effort to generate industry and employment based on rich local resources within the region, with the goal of creating a positive local economic cycle.

These are a few examples of the unlimited potential of the regional community. Rural areas have boutiful treasures in their regional resources nad the unspoiled traditional landscape of beautiful pastoral scenery. Currently, the Japanse government is promoting regional revitalization. This is seen by some as a business opportunity for starting up new projects and industries through the use of local regional resources, but exernal forces must not do harm to the “community power” that has been cultivated bu the community itself. It is our hope that we see more examples of revitalizaiton, measeres suitable for eace community will be truly valued.

(excerpt from “Preface”)

 

PDF_Booklet 2014

Contents

Foreword Kaori Kuroda
1. Observation Report on Ohnan Town and Yoshika Town, Shimane Prefecture Tomoyo Negishi
Shiori Takagi
2. Visiting Organization for the Promotion of Okitama Self-Sufficiency Zone and Shirataka Nora Society in Okitama Region, Yamagata Prefecture Masako Hasegawa
Haruka Yokoyama
3. Attending the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM) Organic World Congress: Active Organic Agriculture Movements in Asia Seiji Sugeno
4. A Forum for Community Power Seminar “Bhutan, the Nation of Happiness, and Its Community Power” and the Community Assessment Tool Masako Hesagawa
Takafumi Ashima
5. Towards a Creation of the Community Power Assessment Tool Masako Hasegawa

 

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