Study trip to Nagano!(1st)
on 27th to 28th july, part of our NPO members had a study trip to Nagano pref. to see how the other town offices or NPOs work on rural depopulation problem.
Isumi city office is also working on this depopulation probrem as we need to deal with, the trip this time is held by city office.
there are many types of members on one bus, almost all of them are concerned to community development like Society of Commerce and Industry, community consultants of ‘Kurashi salon’, opened consultation place in Isumi .
Nagano prefecture attracts many people who want to move in countryside of its beautiful mountains, snow activities and clean pure water.
So there many retired couples and young families are moving in this area, of caurse there also many associations are trying hard to call them in or supporting them.
We first visited ‘Shinano town’ where NPO Zaigo is having an action by introducing/managing empty propaties.
they are looking for all empty propaties in this area by asking locos, renovate and lease them.
they only introduce those propaties(they can’t be a broker because they don’t have any licenses) to people who want to move in this town.
So, their income is come from rent(some percentge of rent is paid from house owners) and fees for introducing(paid by real estate agents).
though they have to pay for renovation(renovation costs 500,000 yen average, they are paid back in about 4 years/ one house), members are working as almost volunteer.
they also have one house called ‘Tanoshi-so’, they lease this house from owner and use as ‘Living countryside trial house’.
although cityside people dream about countryside, there are always many kinds of big differences between city and country.
they found the way to fill these gaps by renting a house in short term.
anybody who are interested in living here can use this house.
there are ‘2 nights plan’ and ‘1 week plan'(both are free for rent besides kerosene fee for stove in winter time!) and 1 month plan(you will need some fee for electricity and stuff).
they set the day for consultation first, then they support you to move in this town.
‘We think most important thing to live this area is making strong communications or communities. We all members want to support new people to have their new sweet hometown.’ Kazuhiko Shirahama, vice chief director says.
though they are working almost as volunteers, they are having fun working on it all together.
‘Now we have a big community which have barbeque partys and so on, we can’t be all lonely.’ Mr.Shirahama had a big smile.
our trip went on…
(Aiko)
