News On Japan

Reviving Small Japanese Village with Century-Old Forests

Okayama, Aug 16 (News On Japan) - Nishiawakura Village, located in the northeastern part of Okayama Prefecture, is a small village with a population of about 1,300 people. With no convenience stores and only two traffic lights, this village embarked on a significant initiative in 2008 called the 'Nishiawakura Century Forest Plan.'

Nishiawakura's Deputy Mayor, Takahiro Kamiyama, explained: “The Century Forest Plan was conceived during the major municipal mergers of the Heisei era in 2004. Since 60% of the residents chose not to merge with neighboring municipalities, the village faced a substantial challenge of sustaining itself without merging despite its small size and limited financial resources.”

The focus was placed on the village's vast forests, which cover more than 90% of its area. These cedar and cypress plantations, treasures passed down through generations, became the cornerstone of the village's revitalization efforts. By maximizing the use of these forests, the village began promoting itself both locally and beyond, with the aim of transforming into a vibrant and prosperous community for future generations.

One of the newcomers drawn to the village was Nao Tabata, who moved there in 2017. A former IT startup employee, Tabata co-founded a company focused on forest survey and management after discovering an unexpected interest in forestry.

Tabata, now co-representative of Hyakumori Co., Ltd., remarked, “I wasn’t originally interested in the mountains, but after visiting with friends a few times to learn about forestry, I found it intriguing and decided to give it a try.”

In addition to surveying forests and designing work roads to improve the quality of the trees, there is a mountain of work to be done. Among those contributing to the village's revitalization is Masayuki Oshima, who moved to Nishiawakura in 2009. He now runs a furniture manufacturing and sales company using local timber.

Oshima, CEO of Youbi Co., Ltd., shared, “I moved here on August 6, 2009. By creating furniture through the Century Forest Plan, I realized that not only could we make people happy, but we could also enhance the beauty of the forest and the community.”

The joy of the villagers is spreading to the region and connecting with the future generations. So far, around 50 companies have been established in Nishiawakura by people who resonate with this vision, and now about 20% of the village's population consists of newcomers.

A decade ago, a survey suggested that Nishiawakura Village might disappear in the future. However, the village's name was removed from a similar list released in 2024.

Tabata, from Hyakumori Co., Ltd., reflected, “We haven't succeeded yet, but the struggle toward success is quite interesting.”

Oshima, from Youbi Co., Ltd., added, “Being able to fully immerse oneself in the challenges they are passionate about, thanks to the village's various policies and the culture of welcoming newcomers, is what makes this village so attractive.”

Deputy Mayor Kamiyama concluded, “By making full use of our greatest existing resource, a business model was born. Alongside it, social businesses in education, care, and welfare have expanded. We will continue to build a system that allows the region to fully utilize its inherent strengths.”

This small village's bold challenge continues as Nishiawakura Village marches toward the future.

Source: FNN

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

The Tateyama Kurobe Alpen Route, linking Toyama and Nagano prefectures, will reopen on April 15th with the new Tateyama Tunnel Electric Bus set to begin service between Murodo and Daikanbo along a 3.7-kilometer stretch.

Adult food allergies are on the rise in Japan, with increasing numbers of people reporting symptoms after eating foods they once tolerated without issue. Recent findings reveal an unexpected cause behind many of these cases: hay fever.

Nintendo has announced that its next-generation console, the Nintendo Switch 2, will be released on June 5th, featuring a larger screen, 4K TV output, a built-in game chat function, and new controller capabilities.

The 21st Edo Fukagawa Sakura Festival concluded Sunday, with walkways and boat trips offering magnificent views of cherry blossoms in full bloom along a 1.3 kilometer stretch of the Oyoko River.

As Japan enjoys the economic boost from a surge in foreign tourists, the hot spring town of Atami has introduced a lodging tax in April to tackle overtourism—prompting backlash from Japanese travelers who question why they, too, must pay a fee meant for inbound tourism.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on April 6th at the Five-Story Pagoda of Kofukuji Temple in Nara City to pray for the safety of a large-scale restoration project.

I heard Japanese tattoos are really cool in other countries, but when I saw some of the actual tattoos... They're not as cool as I thought! Unfortunately some of these people got the most terrible tattoos in Japanese and we're gonna take a look! (Mrs Eats)

On April 3rd, three auspicious days on the traditional calendar—Ichiryū Manbaibi (a day when a single grain multiplies a thousandfold), Tora no Hi (Day of the Tiger), and Taian Nichi (a day of great brightness)—coincided, making it a so-called "super lucky day." Many people took the opportunity to test their fortune.

In response to a sharp rise in women soliciting prostitution on the streets of Osaka's Kita entertainment district, police and local authorities implemented countermeasures last year. But how effective have those measures been?

As Japan marks 80 years since the end of World War II, Angelita Oshiro, an 86-year-old second-generation Japanese woman living in Davao on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, was finally granted the restoration of her long-awaited Japanese citizenship on April 2nd.

Cherry blossoms are now in full bloom. On April 2nd, crowds gathered along the Okawa River in Osaka to enjoy the hanami season. While spring typically lifts spirits, this year’s celebrations come with a pinch.While moods may be rising, so are prices.

A fire broke out on the morning of April 2nd at a farm in Kamishihoro, a town in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido, killing approximately 20 cattle housed in a barn.

A special unit dedicated to investigating "lone offenders"—individuals who commit acts of terrorism without belonging to any specific organization—has been established for the first time in Japan within the Public Security Bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.