Bliss matchmaking: Relocation to help local communities in Japan

The Local Vitalization Cooperator program, a Japanese community empowerment version of the Peace Corps, has deployed more than 6,500 paid volunteers from Hokkaido to Okinawa since it started in 2009. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication aims to increase the number to 10,000 by 2026.

Benefits of the program

The program sponsors tenured contracts (from one to three years) in municipalities across the country, with a stipend of approximately $1,300 per month and insurance. Many recruiting localities, struggling with population decline/drain, offer rent-free housing. The database of open positions in the program also includes internship and “trial” opportunities, so that applicants can experiment short-term relocation before signing up. Categories of job openings range from agriculture, forestry, and fishery to event planning, IT and communication, education, and medical and welfare care.

Example position: Managing community space in Yamagata

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大石田駅前にぎわい拠点施設 KOE no KURA(こえのくら)(@oishida_koenokura)がシェアした投稿

The city of Ooishida in Yamagata has restored a traditional storehouse, more than 100 years old, and used it as an open community space since 2017. The building has been managed by the Local Vitalization Cooperators, who have held workshops, Halloween parties and street markets there. The city, only three hours away from Tokyo by bullet train (shinkansen), is not only abundant with natural beauty, fresh produce, hot springs and ski slopes. It also subsidizes medical costs for all children up to 18 years old, presents gift money for each childbirth and offers free daycare to attract young families.

Diversifying lifestyles of families

Lifestyle choices have become increasingly diverse. Productivity is no longer confined to urban areas. According to one survey of those in the 20s and the 30s , 43% of the respondents identified proximity to the nature as the reason to consider relocation to the countryside, followed by 32% who regarded such an environment to be better suited for raising children. Salary scale and housing seem to weigh on their mind as well.

The program will benefit from a subsidy to renovate old and vacant homes. It will also upgrade the internet infrastructure to allow for professional mobility and provide seed money to encourage business startups. These initiatives can deepen the web of new and old social ties within these communities.