This paper examines the behavior of local leaders and their social relationships in mountainous areas in Japan, which is plagued by issues such as population decline, depopulation and aging, and a decrease in the number of human resources responsible for the region.

The knowledge obtained is that by enriching local human resources and enriching social capital, the area will become sustainable. This is because it not only creates local pride and motivates the current generation to become involved with the local community, but also fosters a love of the local area in their descendants.

The purposes of this article are two fold: First, the author proposes social welfare policies to ensure the sustainability of rural communities in mountainous areas based on case studies on three pioneering cases (Oonan town and Unnan city in Shimane prefecture and a case of Yakuno area of Fukuchiyama city in Kyoto prefecture). Second, the author reports the relationship between the acceptability of artificial intelligence (AI) and the various aspects of social capital (SC) among local residents based on a survey conducted by the author (Miyazu city). In conclusion, the author proposes that 1) ensuring at least 1% natural increase of local population by elevating fertility rate through economic support for child rearing would be necessary, 2) placing more reliance on SC to supplement the shortage of manpower in local governments, and 3) utilization of AI to replace the dwindling supply of social welfare professionals and volunteers. These propositions, when effectively enacted, would ensure the sustainability of rural communities in mountainous areas.

This study focuses on a survey of an uninhabited settlement in Kyotango City, Kyoto Prefecture, and discusses the continuity of its history and culture. The survey was conducted on the premise that the settlement might never disappear as long as its living history and culture were to be renewed by its former inhabitants and their descendants. Therefore, this study presents a case study of the successful preservation of the existence, history, and culture of a settlement despite it being currently uninhabited.

The Chikaraishi settlement of Kyotango City became uninhabited in 1975. The abovementioned survey encouraged the construction of a memorial monument and creation of a commemorative publication on the settlement. A box was placed next to the monument to compile all the messages left by visitors to the settlement into a book. The messages demonstrate that a new local management initiative, although modest, is about to be born and that the settlement’s history and culture have been preserved to this day.

The purpose of this study is to clarify the structure of management issues at the district council of social welfare by the district type, based on the results of an awareness survey to the officers of the councils. The following four points were suggested. (1) Establishment of a secretariat system is an urgent issue in the town district, and the point is that the staff should indirectly support the reduction of the burden on the officers. (2) In the new town district, it is important for the concerned parties to participate in the goal setting, formulation, or evaluation of the district welfare plan on the basis of the district council of social welfare as a unit, in addition to the officers and leaders. (3) In the merged district, the key points are surveys of activity desires of leaders, opportunities for individual participation, and task-specific group activities. (4) In all types of districts, there is a possibility that the participation of the leaders and the concerned parties will be a key point, and the participation of the concerned parties in particular will make it easier to grasp the needs of each issue.

Currently, there is a growing focus on rural migration in Japan. However, the background of the baby-boomer migration that occurred in the 2000s is not clarified. The purpose of this research is to clarify why the government promoted the migration of baby boomers when it had been pointed out that mass migration might not occur. The subject is the report of a national research group. The method of analysis uses discourse analysis. The results clarified that the migration of baby boomers was justified and legitimated as a solution to various issues that arose in the 2000s, in relation to the social and political context. The strategies used to justify and legitimate the promotion of migration included measures to depopulation and low birthrate and aging society, slogans appealing to new values, and statistics.

Recent years have witnessed the declining birth rate, the aging population, the urban functional decline, and the downtown hollowing-out of Japan. In this context, the promotion of commercial streets in various regions and cities is inseparable from multicultural integration. Meanwhile, in Japanese society, issues such as the cross-cultural communication between locals and foreign residents and the discrimination against foreigners have been arising constantly.

Miyazaki City is now facing continuously growing foreign population and increasingly intricate city development. This paper aims to take the city as an example to re-examine how foreign residents view multicultural urban development and the relationship between multicultural integration and urban development based on the methods of sociology. The corresponding resolution will also be provided from a brand-new perspective.

This study examined workplace retention measures on the basis of the impact of the various factors that constitute interpersonal communication skills on job characteristics. A survey was conducted of interpersonal support workers including life (support) counselors, care support specialists, life support workers, care workers, and nursing staff. The results indicated the following three points. First, improving interpersonal skills has a positive impact on intrinsic motivation, job satisfaction, and workplace retention. Second, measures for the development of human resources should be adopted according to employment status and years of experience. Third, each interpersonal support worker should develop recognition of just how important expertise and work are. As has been shown that skill diversity and the importance of tasks increase the sense of meaningfulness and the sense of owning responsibility for work, it is essential to adopt workplace retention measures recognizing the expertise of human support workers and the importance of work.