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DIJ Tokyo (access) and online
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The event will be held in English and Japanese. Admission is free. The three presentations will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A session.
To participate on-site, please register via email to polak-rottmann[at]dijtokyo.org.
To participate online, please register via this link (Zoom).
This is a public event. Please be aware that audio-visual recordings may be made, stored, and published during and after the event.
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Hita Workshop: Machizukuri Initiatives and Adaptive Governance in a Rural Japanese City
2026年1月23日 / 16.00 – 18.30 (JST)
This hybrid bilingual workshop focuses on local initiatives in response to the current challenges facing regional Japan, exemplified by the city of Hita in Ōita Prefecture. The event combines the perspectives of two scholars on this area in Northern Kyushu and one practitioner from the field. It addresses aspects of local resilience in times of disruption and postgrowth. The speakers illustrate two different revitalization approaches, displaying the merits and limitations of tourist-based machizukuri, or “town-making” activities. Furthermore, the workshop explores community resilience in the face of challenging times by examining the relationship between local governance structures and vigilance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the workshop is to critically engage in a discussion about adaptation processes in rural Japan. Investigating the same region from three different angles promises a more nuanced understanding of social dynamics and societal change. After the three presentations, a panel discussion including Q&A will conclude the event.
Program (JST)
16:00 Welcoming Remarks (Sebastian Polak-Rottmann, DIJ Tokyo)
16:10-16:40 Popular Culture and Revitalization Initiatives in Hita (Timo Thelen, Kanazawa University)
16:40-17:10 Lessons from 25 Years of Community Building in Hita (Masahiko Nishioka, Hita Place, in Japanese)
17:10-17:40 Community Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Governance and Vigilance in Hita (Paul J. Kramer, LMU Munich)
17:40-17:50 Short Break
17:50-18:30 Panel Discussion and Q&A (Sebastian Polak-Rottmann, DIJ Tokyo)