This paper is a sequel to our study of residential support systems set up in order to sustain the existence of communities threatened by the depopulation of rural Japan. We have studied three cases where residents' groups take residential support approaches developed specifically to enable the continued existence of their local school.
In the first report we focused on the approaches of the residents' groups to attract and welcome people to the area and identified certain characteristics of the newcomers. In this paper we shift focus to the period when newcomers have settled down. We analyse their living conditions and support from the local schools and communities for them. We found that newcomers who moved into depopulated rural settlements, attracted by various local authority programmes involving placing their children in local schools generally enjoy their new lifestyles. Our conclusion is that the catchment area of an elementary school is important structure in new residents' support networks and new residents make the bond between the local school and community stronger.
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