“How we understand our place”: A Study of Japanese University student's Place Attachment and Desire to live to Rural Areas

Abstract

Japan is facing increasingly severe challenges in rural areas, such as an aging and declining population and a lack of successors and young people. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan has emphasized that it is important to explain to younger generations the region's appeal for rural development. The purpose of this study was to understand how young Japanese university students' perceptions of rural areas, as well as what factors, influence their attachment to rural areas and willingness to reside there. 71 students from Chiba University in Japan were selected for the survey. Students were asked to tell their experiences in rural areas, and the traditional Place Attachment Scale was used to analyze. In addition, semantic analysis was used to analyze the results of the free description. As a result, we found that students' birthplace, visiting experience, degree of interaction with residents, willingness to migrate, and level of satisfaction with their visit affected their place attachment. Students are generally more satisfied with rural areas, but less willing to move. This research provides the following suggestions for improving young people's sense of responsibility and inheritance in rural areas,1) University can set up relevant courses on rural history, culture, and environment to improve students' knowledge and awareness of rural areas, and learn more about the environment and culture of rural areas. 2) In the Information Age, students should actively be encouraged to go to rural areas to engage in more nature.

Perception and Relocation Intentions of Japanese Youth towards Rural Areas: A Case Study of Visitors in Hanyu-shi, Saitama Prefecture

“…However, complex transportation and outdated infrastructure often hinder these opportunities, as reflected in this study (Milbourne and Kitchen 2014;Mao et al 2023). Past research highlights the transportation difficulties faced by young people in China and Japan when traveling to rural areas and advocates for facilitating driver's license examinations for university students to improve their access to rural areas (Mao et al 2022). However, the enhancement of transportation and ongoing infrastructure development in rural areas demands significant financial and manpower investment.…”

“…The research selected Hanyu-shi in the Saitama Prefecture as our focus due to its status as a suburban agricultural area. A preliminary investigation into students from diverse origins indicated a predominant preference for suburban locales when considering future relocation, coupled with a willingness to engage in regional development initiatives (Mao et al 2022). Consequently, Hanyu-shi, exemplifying a suburban enclave within the Greater Tokyo conurbation, was chosen as the subject of our research.…”