Machimachi brings social networking for neighbors to Sasebo city

Sasebo city, located in Nagasaki prefecture, welcomed the New Year with its municipalities, a collaboration with Machimachi Inc; the first on Kyushu island.

Machimachi is Japan’s largest neighborhood social network service. Founded in 2015, this platform is used in two-thirds of the country, by an average of 1.5 million people every month. Its mission is to cultivate connected communities in Japan.

All users have to do is create an account using their mobile number to access the platform. Information about the neighborhood within a 10km radius can be retrieved. The categories of information include living, lifestyle, education, healthcare, leisure, hobbies, gourmet, shopping, facilities, pets, housing and events. On top of that, users can also share useful tips with others via chat forums.

The joint force between Sasebo city and Machimachi is expected to solve prevalent issues about regional revitalization. It optimizes the dissemination of information, which also subsequently strengthens crime prevention and lowers disaster impact in the area.

This new form of teamwork is relevant to Japan. This is because, as a country, urbanization coupled with an aging population has resulted in a dip in community spirit. This undesirable outcome is reflected by research done in 2019 where 98.7 percent voted the need for a connected community. Furthermore, year 2019 saw the peak of 2.8 million foreign residents living in Japan. This diversification highlights the importance to review the dynamics of communities in Japan.

Sasebo city, specifically, is experiencing a decline in the number of neighborhood associations. This leads to an overall lack of participation from the local community. The city hopes to revitalize the region through the dissemination and management of information. The goal is to provide citizens with an avenue to support each other while living in a safe environment. With Machimachi, citizens have access to information relevant to the city’s neighborhood associations, municipal administration, local activities and more.

Ultimately, Machimachi can build an environment that is safe, connected, considerate and resourceful. It encourages communication between citizens of a myriad of backgrounds. The company aims for its services to be available in the whole of Japan, bridging the gap of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)’s objective of leaving no one behind.