Working with local residents to plan and organize projects that will enliven Sanmu City, Chiba Prefecture
With the aim of revitalizing the Sanmu City area in Chiba Prefecture, students and local residents will have exchanges across generations and nationalities. Students will think of ways to solve the problems facing the area, such as the decline of the area due to the low birth rate and aging population, and methods that will be the trump card for revitalizing the area, and will deepen their understanding of promoting exchanges between urban and local people and utilizing local resources. Specifically, events will be held at the Orai Hasunuma Roadside Station, the Araragi Sanbu Forest Exchange Center, Kobayashi Ranch, and other locations. The content of the event will be planned and managed by students, coordinating with local people and other related parties. This is a chance for your ideas to be adopted. Through these activities, basic social skills will also be cultivated. Past projects have included rice field art, rice field weddings, Araragi Festival, a debut event for Sanmu Wagyu beef, a promotional event for organic vegetables produced in Sanmu City, and product development such as green onion dressing.
It's just so much fun to interact with so many different people! I was able to gain a deeper understanding of the true meaning of the phrase "connections are important." In this project, we worked with the residents of Sanmu City, Chiba Prefecture, to create "Sanmu Rice Field Art," painting art in rice fields, and we also supported Kobayashi Farm, which moved to Sanmu City after the Great East Japan Earthquake. We also planned a resident exchange event called the "Araragi Festival," and worked to promote vegetables (green onions) grown in Sanmu City and contribute to the revitalization of the region. These activities place great importance on "connections between people," and are characterized by the fact that they are not just volunteers or helpers, but that they allow people to maintain ongoing connections.
Miho Nagai (graduated from Yokohama Ryokuen High School)