Kasama City Government Establishes Agricultural Public Corporation and Ceramic Art College, Actively Revitalizing Industry

Text by Lin Kuan-hung (Assistant Researcher, Rural Development Foundation), Chen Fen-yu (Researcher and Team Leader, Rural Development Foundation)

(Continued from previous article) Ibaraki Prefecture in Japan is one of Japan's leading agricultural prefectures, and Kasama City's area is similar to that of Zhushan Township in Nantou, while its population is not far from the population scale of Hukou Township in Hsinchu and Luodong Township in Yilan. In addition to agriculture and the famous Kasama ware, its main economic output depends on traditional manufacturing. As Japan's economy gradually declined after the 1990s, along with the impact of the 311 earthquake, the trend of population outflow became even more pronounced.

To revitalize the area, Kasama City implemented four strategies, respectively from the aspects of medical care, revitalizing street houses, agricultural revival, and promoting local ceramics, making Kasama a livable town with a sense of the future. (There are two articles in total; to read the previous article, please click here)

Strategy Three: Reviving Farmland and Regaining the Honor of "Japan's Number One" Chestnut Producing Area

In Kasama City, in addition to the increasingly serious problem of abandoned residences and building lots, as the number of people leaving farming grows, the problem of idle land has also come to the surface. In addition to investing in subsidy programs for "urban area revitalization projects" and inviting private organizations to give new life to vacant houses, in 2014 the Kasama City Government funded the establishment of the "Kasama City Agricultural Public Corporation," attempting to alleviate the existing problem of idle farmland. It also hoped to play an intermediary role between farmers and consumers, bring in the thinking of sixth-order industrialization, and increase farmers' income.

Seeing from Kasama City the Areas Where Taiwan's Township and Town Regional Revitalization Can Focus

On this visit to Japan, through visits to various relevant departments, we were able to recognize that among Japan's more than 1,700 municipalities, most local governments are cautiously facing the problems of an aging population and declining birthrate, and the resulting hollowing out of localities. Although Ibaraki Prefecture's Kasama City, which our group visited in depth, is not a famous classic case of regional revitalization, understanding its current situation and development can better reflect the general current situation and challenges of Japanese municipalities.

From the case of Kasama City, we deeply felt that the proposal of regional revitalization strategies needs to face considerations of real conditions, talent cultivation, and the management of local relationships. In addition to pragmatically taking stock of local resource characteristics and identifying key work items such as medical care, chestnut production and marketing, and the ceramics industry, Kasama City Government officials also took the initiative to build a more friendly work and life support system for entrepreneurs and migrants, allowing talent from diverse fields to settle and thrive in Kasama and driving local development.

Among these, the matching mechanism for idle spaces and land, as well as the practice of establishing an agricultural public corporation to alleviate the situation of idle farmland, left a particularly deep impression on me, demonstrating the flexibility and initiative of local government in the process of promoting regional revitalization. Although the national conditions and the functions of local governments are not entirely the same, their thinking and practices may, at the time when domestic regional revitalization policies are being launched, provide township and town governments with reference and lessons. (To read the previous article, please click here)

(In order to deeply grasp rural development and regional revitalization under Taiwan's real context, "Upstream and Downstream" cooperates with the "Rural Development Foundation" on the "Rural Development Special Topic," using a series of articles to explore Taiwan's current situation and Japan's policy trends. To read the full series, please click here)

Rural and Regional Revitalization 14"Kasama City, Japan: Building a Livable Town That Satisfies Residents' Needs for Raising Families, Work, and a Sense of the Future

Rural and Regional Revitalization 05 / How Do Japanese Local Governments Carry Out "Effective Development Strategy Plans"? Interview with the Japan Productivity Center

Japan Regional Revitalization Special Topic | Regional Revitalization Cooperation Team & People Who Move to Local Areas