抄録
Many communities in Japan are facing a rapid population decrease, representing a deep sustainability crisis. Concentrations of the population in large cities have created a vast underpopulated area through mountainous regions. Recently, newly developed housing areas in suburbs of large cities have caused angst regarding the decreasing and aging population.
In the first half of the 2010s, we saw small villages in peripheral areas—such as very deep mountainous areas and remote islands—collecting inflows among the younger generation. In most local areas, an inflow of more than 1% of the population annually facilitates success in stabilizing the regional population. Improvements in regional economic circulation are expected to support these incoming populations.
“Small local hubs” that are developing under the national policy represent a promising idea for connecting local life and the economy. These hubs can serve as combined centers for community activities, traffic, commerce, and energy by uniting local people and capitalizing on their small power base. Small local hubs will promote unity among local people in their focus on the future of their communities. Further, they are evolving as basic units of a recycling-oriented society.
