8/10 We open Chimachi-ma

We are going to open Chimachi-ma this coming Sunday, although we might have to make it smaller because of typhoon.

Here are events we are planning, some might be cancelled.

 *Kids pool (might be cancelled) Bring your own swimwear and towel. It’s all free!

 *“Nagashi soumen” (might be cancelled) Soumen noodle goes through bamboo stream, catch and eat them!

 *Shaved ice(selling inside if it rains) Syrup is all homemade by loco grannies.

 *Soap bubble party(might be cancelled) Soap bubble magician shows up the market.

We also have some shops, they are on the schedule blow:
 *Natural yeast bread
 *Homemade organic mochi(sticky rice cake)
 *Loco honey
 *Vegetarian ramen
 *Coffee
 *Handclafted fancy goods
 *Psychological counselling

You can also have a shop at the market or flea market.
Ask staff at the market and join us please!

(Aiko)

update : 2014/08/09 16:28
Category : event news

Study trip to Nagano!(2nd)

After having a lecture from Zaigo, we left Shinano-machi for Omachi city (100km away and it’s just a part of Nagano’s northern area. such a big country!)

In Omachi city, there are also NPOs who are trying to cheer up their loving town.
We visited NPO Grutta Network Omachi this time.

They used be some separated community groups, then all those groups gathered as one NPO commune.

Their main jobs are;
*Fiding out local resources and using them
Their big main tourism spot is “Kurobe dam” which has highest dam height.
Dam itself is known well as sightseeing place. So NPO members made a leaflet which is focused on people who built this huge dam.
Outdoor space “Wappa land” is opened community space which can do BBQ, nature hiking and so on. All nature resources are condensed in one place, children can play and study with their flexible way of thinking.

*Planning and managing loco tours
They experimented managing variety of loco tours like “night hiking”, “snow hiking”, “nature forest tour”. Visitors don’t get bored by taking these kinds of short tour, it’s even a good chance to know this area in different way of view.

“By introducing this town in these ways, we’d like people to be interested in and to move in this town in the future.” Mr. Sato, chairman of this NPO( he is a dentist of this town) said.

Final study is held at Omachi city office.
Omachi city office has been working on depopulation for years, they visited Isumi city as a study trip before.

As my point of view, problems and tasks which need to solve are same with us.
There is a limit that administration by itself can do, same thing can be said citizens by themselves.
We need to find the way to cooperate each other sometimes.

It’s a ‘part of study’, I have to write about their proud of “Kurobe dam”.
As a final stopping by, we went to that huge dam.
The place is of course originally for making electricity, but now it’s also famous for sightseeing.
Everything is systemized for visitors, we enjoyed seeing this dam safely.
It was interesting to know the history building this huge concrete edifice.

It was really good trip that we got to know other towns way of working on depopulation problem.
Nagano has beautiful nature resources that attract people in city side.
We Isumi city also has rich ocean, country rice field view and yummy loco food.
we will surely make an effort based on this experiment of study.

(Aiko)

update : 15:42
Category : event reports, information

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)

update : 2014/08/04 17:39
Category : event reports, information