IDEAS FOR GOODHirota is a town in Rikuzen Takata city, Iwate Prefecture; everyday young people relocate here, providing a breath of fresh air. They are organizing events which involves the locals, and are promoting a vacation rental business. In the background, SET (a specified non-profit organization (NPO)) plays a key role. While many youths are moving move out of rural locations, why are so many young people choosing Hirota and making changes in the area? To unravel this mystery, we interviewed Takuya Wanatabe, who moved to Hirota right after finishing university. Only 24 years old, he is the manager of SET’s vacation rental business.
Interviewee profile: Takuya Watanabe
Born in Koto-ku, Tokyo. After participating in SET’s “Change Maker Study Program” as an undergraduate, he is now an official member of SET. After experiencing various projects as a student-staff member, Watanabe decided to relocate to Hirota after graduating from university, longing to work for the town facing depopulation. Also, because he was inspired by his radiant seniors, who migrated to and were enriching life in Hirota. Currently he is a division manager of SET’s vacation rental service, mainly accepting school excursion students.
Even if supporting Rikuzen Takata city is not possible, I want to help people around me
Q: How did SET begin in Hirota?
Watanabe: Right after the Great East Japan earthquake, our current representative Mitsui visited Rikuzen Takata city for reconstruction assistance with the help of a local acquaintance.
At that time, Hirota was isolated due to the tsunami disaster. As such, it was difficult to deliver relief supplies to affected areas. After a week of desperate work, student volunteers, including Mitsui, were disheartened. When they saw the view from the summit of a mountain located in Hirota Peninsula, they felt powerless. The tsunami left such a huge scar on the land; their efforts seemed insignificant. Nevertheless, the local people expressed their gratitude, telling them they couldn’t have lived without the volunteers.
Back then, Mitsui was planning to establish a reconstruction assistance organization specializing in the entire Tohoku area. However, after the powerless feeling in supporting Rikuzen Takata city, he wanted to at least help the people in front of him. Therefore, he decided to focus on activities in Hirota with SET.
Q: Please share the course of events in the past seven years of work.
Watanabe: SET accepted any requests from Hirota, from preparing hazard maps to organizing sports tournaments. Gradually we established trust, while discovering issues the town was facing at the same time. “Change Maker Study Program” was then designed for students. This approach could increase the number of people who can solve problems and make social contributions in the depopulating town.
Hirota as the area leading the trend of as vacation rentals
Wanatabe: Students participating in “Change Maker Study Program” visit Hirota and run interviews during the first three days of the program to find assignments. They then break up into teams and propose an action plan, which is put into practice. On the seventh day, the students announce their achievements to the locals. Working with unfamiliar teammates and coming up with an idea that they truly want to work on can be tough. But students spend a productive time because they concentrate and work together as a team.
Furthermore, the locals watch the students go through trial and error. Gradually, they start to believe that they too can contribute to town development without leaving everything for the administration to decide. That is the moment when the awareness of the local people changes.
People who join SET as a member usually start by participating in this Change Maker Study Program like myself. Currently there are approximately 180 members in SET, out of which 10% of them live in Hirota. So the conditions to relocate here are good for young people. Even those who start working in Tokyo comes back to Hirota for a big decision-making approximately once a year.
Q: How did you feel after participating in the Change Maker Study Program?
Watanabe: Before joining the program, I was a typical undergraduate, feeling a little empty inside. I was told student days are the golden period of life, so I had a negative image on going out into the world after graduation. That was when a coworker at a part-time job recommended me to join this program. For me, the experience of creating something with unfamiliar students and working together with passion was fulfilling. That is why I became a member of SET, to spend my future life just as fulfilling.
Members of SET I met were people who can give their passion for others. At that time, I was feeling uncomfortable about spending my student days passively, so they looked radiant to me. Originally, I did not have a strong awareness of issues regarding restoration assistance, but I was inspired by the passion each staff put into the one-week program.
Q: Currently you are in charge of the vacation rental business. What kind of feedback have you received from the guests and property owners?
Watanabe: Vacation rental in Hirota started from accepting students who come on field trips. Rikuzen Takata city provides vacation rental for many students who come on school trips, and SET is responsible for students who come to Hirota. Right now, we accept one third of the total number of students who come to Rikuzen Takata city on school trips. We also happen to be the organisation to accept the biggest number of students. So that is how confident we are in providing quality experiences for students.
We attain a high level of satisfaction from these students, and there are always students who are in tears when it’s time to depart. There is even a high school student participant who trip relocated here afterwards. Some property owners feel passionate about vacation rentals, and Hirota is now becoming a leading role in the vacation rental business.
An environment capable of starting something new based on community opinion
Q: Why does Hirota continuously attract new people?
Watanabe: Members of SET consider Hirota as a role model in terms of tackling social issues. Depopulation in Hirota is said to be 50 years ahead of Tokyo, and eventually many more areas will face the same issue. We focused on vacation rental and human resource development as means of town development. Along with SET’s activities, people who live here are also likely to start something new. Change Maker Study Program involves the local people, which leads to locals gaining self-confidence and taking initiatives. Little by little, I feel the “community opinion” is growing in the town.
Q: What was the key factor for your relocation to Hirota?
Watanabe: I saw how my seniors who migrated to this area were truly enjoying their work. Being able to be a working member of society and enjoying it at the same time. That was the trigger for me to relocate here. When I questioned myself about the purpose of life, I realized I didn’t want to waste any minute of my life by building up stress from weekday work and living for weekends.
Q: Now that you have relocated to Hirota, what is next?
Watanabe: Increasing the population is not our goal. Even if the population declines, we want the life in Hirota to be fulfilling. We want to ensure Hirota can overcome difficulties and continue to be a town filled with energy. Personally, I want to be sure at all times that I am happy and cherish what makes my life fulfilling.
Hirota’s secret: the radiance of job and life satisfaction
It’s been seven years since the earthquake. Many organizations that started after the earthquake are now reducing their scale or closing. However, SET is increasing momentum. The secret of its energy lies in the radiant migrants who enjoy their work. That appeal holds power that attracts both youths and locals. The earthquake disaster may be the beginning, but without a doubt the new blood are now the locals’ fulfillment.
The collapse of lifetime employment and seniority system in Japan has inspired young people to value “live life in their own way”, and to desire mental fulfillment. Perhaps such value can be spread by fulfilled youths who gather in regional towns rather than worn-out working adults in the city. SET plays a leading role in creating the “live life in one’s own way” vibes, and I hope to see more of it.
[Reference site]: Non-profit organization SETThis article was originally published on IDEAS FOR GOOD.
Translated by Chisato Shizume.
