#Japan #Tokyo #Community Engagement #Rissho University #Naomi Funaki

Rissho University's Special Lecture on Regional Revitalization

On October 14, 2026, Rissho University's Research Promotion and Community Contribution Center hosted a special lecture at its campus in Shinagawa, Tokyo. The event featured Naomi Funaki, the mayor of Kosuge Village in Yamanashi Prefecture, as the guest speaker, focusing on the theme of "Regional Revitalization."

Overview of the Lecture

In a pre-lecture courtesy visit, President Yoshinobu Kitamura engaged in lively discussions with Funaki regarding the potential for collaboration between local governments and universities in talent development and revitalizing communities. The lecture highlighted innovative examples of public-private partnerships that Kosuge Village employs to address contemporary challenges posed by declining populations.

Key Points Discussed

• - A Strategy Beyond Population Growth: Unlike typical strategies focused solely on increasing the permanent resident population, Kosuge Village promotes an innovative concept: the idea of “Fractional Villagers.” This model involves engaging various types of residents who contribute to the community in non-permanent ways. These include the “1/2 Hometown Residents” who work or are involved with the village, “1/2 Villagers” who frequently visit, and “1/3 Villagers” who come for tourism and learning. This model aims to support community operations despite demographic challenges.

• - Progressive Public-Private Collaboration: Funaki detailed various successful initiatives in Kosuge Village, including a new smart logistics project that involves drone delivery services to tackle logistics issues faced by depopulated areas, in partnership with AeroNext and Seino Holdings. Another initiative, the NIPPONIA Kosuge, repurposes vacant houses into a decentralized traditional hotel, effectively transforming the village into a holistic hospitality platform that creates local jobs and leverages regional resources. Furthermore, Far Yeast Brewing emerged as a hub for craft beer, promoting local branding and fostering community interactions.

• - The Strength of Small Municipalities: Funaki emphasized that smaller municipalities like Kosuge benefit from swift decision-making processes and smooth consensus-building, which are vital for their role as testing grounds for private enterprises. This agility is crucial in achieving sustainable regional revitalization, showcasing how small communities can be both innovative and impactful.

Student Feedback

Students who participated in the lecture expressed that it offered a fresh perspective on regional revitalization efforts that differed from what they had learned in Tokigawa Town, making the discussion particularly engaging and enlightening.

Looking Ahead

For the attendees, including both students and faculty, this event provided an invaluable opportunity to reconsider regional revitalization as an accessible issue. It encouraged the rediscovery of latent values and potential within their communities. The Rissho University Research Promotion and Community Contribution Center aims to build on this experience to strengthen education, research initiatives, and collaborations with local governments in the future.