Our group members went to O-shirakawa district, Uonuma-city, Niigata prefecture on June 28 (Sun.) This area is in a sense typical rural community in Japan in terms of demographic structure and socioeconomic conditions. Since some of us are quite interested in well-being of people wherever they live, the survey is something we are quite positive to engage. One of the most important things is to go there and learn the situation by our own eyes and ears.
We got some funding from Niigata prefecture to conduct a field-survey to propose how this area could be empowered based on the “students” idea. The visit was our first contact with the people there and we do definitely need to go there again to deepen our understandings about anything there.
None of us has visited there but all of us immediately became a big fun of this community. First of all, wonderful people are there! Second, water, air and food are excellent! Third, vivid colors of the nature are there!!
Certainly there are so many issues and many of them are quite tough to be solved in the short-run. Honestly it is not easy for me to become optimistic about the future of the area but at the same time there must be something we could do! we hope we could contribute to the people in O-shirakawa. Cool mind and warm heart are definitely necessary for us this time.
From left to right, Inoue-san, Ishida-san, Mrs. Tobimatsu, Mr./Teacher Tobimatsu, Ishio-san, and Abe
Lastly but not least, many thanks to Inoue-san and Sumiyoshi-san for their generous guidance and hospitality! Our appreciation also goes to Ms. Kumakura from Niigata prefecture.
More reports about the field-survey by our students will arrive in a week!
Reported by N.Abe