Why Did You Come To A Rural Area?

There are TV programs that interview foreigners who have come to Japan or invite foreigners interested in Japan. The intention might be to encourage discovering the appeal of Japan from a foreign perspective. In the recent context that has been told, they might want to convey the impression, 'Japan is indeed a nice place!' to the viewers. Regardless of the reasons, what they have in common is that there are new insights when looking at things objectively. This applies not only to things but also to people. It's often challenging to discover someone's positive qualities on our own; it's more frequently recognized by others.

A Outside Of The Box Thinker

In rural areas, the elements mentioned earlier can actually be applied. Unlike urban areas, the countryside has its own world—a world that is relatively slower, culturally conservative with strong stereotypes, and has low labor mobility. In other words, overall, it is more "traditional" compared to urban areas. However, it is not economically independent and is eroded by the flow of time, eventually leading to isolation. It becomes problematic, especially since the younger generation doesn't tend to live in the countryside. This is because there are no jobs, and they want to escape from the "traditional" way of life. In such times, people from outside can be instrumental. I believe in that. With an outsider's point of view and a flexible approach free from constraints, addressing challenges become possible. Even if it's considered conservative, it should be difficult to turn away from the grim reality. Those with affection for their local community would likely think that they want to get away with it. I think it would be great if more young people gathered in the countryside and, with some funding, could relatively easily do interesting things.

Bye!