An analysis framework proposal for regional revitalization and a policy proposal for Namegata City, Ibaraki Prefecture

Abstract

Japanese society is currently concentrated around Tokyo and its population has increased. On the other hand, local areas have been experiencing depopulation. The Japanese government enacted the Regional Revitalization Basic Act, which aims to curb population decline and form a sustainable society through the initiative of local governments, private enterprises, and residents. Therefore, this study focuses on the regional revitalization of Namegata City, Ibaraki Prefecture and mainly focuses on extracting success factors for it. A framework was set for analyzing the practices of individual cities. The framework includes four items: "people," "local government," "private company," and "local resources." It was applied to three cities: Namegata City in Ibaraki Prefecture, Nagato City in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan and Suzhou City in Jiangsu Province, China. According to the framework analysis, Namegata City has three issues and suggested improvements. Suggestions are "strengthening the hometown tax system," "reforming the Shiraho hot spring," and "using containers in various parks." The framework and suggestions were presented to the mayor of Nagemata City and a question-and-answer session was conducted with him. This research will help as one of the methods for the regional revitalization.