Social problems and community management in Japan

Shiho NISHIYAMA; Japan (snishiyama@rikkyo.ac.jp)

Rikkyo University Tokyo Japan

ANIS2012/06/13 Social Innovation Tour

1. background

Inexorable progress of globalization

post-industrialization, neo-liberalism

→ community faced new problems:

The gap between rich and poor

urban poverty, decline of inner city areas

Decreasing of birth rate→depopulation age

weak bonds with the others

(“Muen-society”無縁社会)

2005 started 2008 is depopulation year

2. depopulation society in Japan

・many schools are closing down

・apartment complex in the suburbs are becoming decline.

・increasing vacant rooms with serious social problems „death for loneliness‟ (what we called „kodoku-shi‟ ) =32000 in Japan

・we need to change the social structure/ urban structure to apply for depopulation age

3-1. Nishisugamo-souzousya

・Junior high school closed down in 2001, 2NPOs have converted from these building and gymnastics to art factory

・NPO rent these building from local government with borrowed money from quasi-bank.

Centre of Yokohama

200m*200m

3-2. Kotobuki Area : Yokohama Hostel Villedge

After WW2 a day-laborer town Now a welfare town

Population: 6500 people High density

Senior citizens: 50%

Welfare benefit recipients: 80%

Single men: 95%

Inside 200m*200m,

5㎡

room illegal garbage

Rooms: 8600rooms (just 5 square m)

Empty room: about 2000rooms

make bench with students and inhabitant promotion movie

Election campaign

Now we collaborating with 2 buildings and 4 non-collaborating hostels have begun

operations as tourist hostels.

Make new space

This project aims to change the area's image and create a flow of tourists, artists, young

people, etc. We collaborated with the building owners to create a new business cycle.

To efficiently re-use empty rooms

To create a flow of tourists, artists, young people, etc

To create a new business cycle

To create new jobs

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To empowerment the local people

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4. Asset Management (AM)

・urban infrastructures are not suit for depopulation society, deficit of local government

・Asset Management=With using old building and vacant land, create a new value and new networking in a innovative way

・In the process of asset management, Civil movement create “Bridging Social Capital”

・ many actors participate asset management (NPO, local government, business, residents, politician, professionals etc..)

Bridging Social Capital by AM

Civil Movement create

“Bridging social capital”

（Asset Management） Create Local network

residents

specialist

handicapped people

Local politician

Policy Making network

Local politician

specialist

Government Officials

businesses

advocacy empowerment

land building

housing Working place

Out-soursing

Social capital

5. What are success factors of Social Innovation in Japan? Background of Depopulation Age

Transformation of values →“from mass production to shrinking”

re-valued existing infrastructure

The creative and innovative way of asset management

The role of civil movement and build bridging Social Capital is very important

The concept of “Community Ownership”