1. ANIS2012/06/13 Social Innovation Tour
Social problems and community
management in Japan
Shiho NISHIYAMA; Japan
(snishiyama@rikkyo.ac.jp)
Rikkyo University Tokyo Japan

2. 1. background
Inexorable progress of globalization
post-industrialization, neo-liberalism
→ community faced new problems:
The gap between rich and poor
urban poverty, decline of inner city areas
Decreasing of birth rate→depopulation age
weak bonds with the others
(“Muen-society”無縁社会)

3. 2005 started
2008 is depopulation year

4. 2. depopulation society in Japan
・many schools are closing down
・apartment complex in the suburbs are
becoming decline.
・increasing vacant rooms with serious
social problems „death for loneliness‟ (what
we called „kodoku-shi‟ ) =32000 in Japan
・we need to change the social structure/
urban structure to apply for depopulation
age

5. 3-1. Nishisugamo-souzousya
・Junior high school closed down in 2001, 2NPOs have converted
from these building and gymnastics to art factory
・NPO rent these building from local government with borrowed
money from quasi-bank.

7. 3-2. Kotobuki Area : Yokohama Hostel Villedge
After WW2 a day-laborer town Now a welfare town
Inside 200m*200m,
Population: 6500 people
High density
Senior citizens: 50%
Welfare benefit recipients: 80%
Single men: 95%
Rooms: 8600rooms
Centre of Yokohama
(just 5 square m)
Empty room: about 2000rooms
5㎡
illegal garbage
room
200m*200m

8. Now we collaborating with 2 buildings and 4 non-collaborating hostels have begun
operations as tourist hostels.
Make new space Election campaign
promotion movie make bench with students and inhabitant

9. This project aims to change the area's image and create a flow of tourists, artists, young
people, etc. We collaborated with the building owners to create a new business cycle.
1 To efficiently re-use empty
rooms
To create a flow of
2 tourists, artists, young
people, etc
3 To empowerment
the local people
4 To create cycle
business
a new
5 To create new jobs

10. 4. Asset Management (AM)
・urban infrastructures are not suit for
depopulation society, deficit of local
government
・Asset Management=With using old
building and vacant land, create a new value
and new networking in a innovative way
・In the process of asset management, Civil
movement create “Bridging Social Capital”
・ many actors participate asset
management (NPO, local government,
business, residents, politician, professionals
etc..)

11. Bridging Social Capital by AM
advocacy
empowerment
Civil Movement create
Policy Making network
Create Local network “Bridging social capital”
（Asset Management） Local politician
residents
specialist
specialist
Government Officials
handicapped people
businesses
Local politician
housing Working place
land building
Out-soursing
Social capital

12. 5. What are success factors of
Social Innovation in Japan?
 Background of Depopulation Age
 Transformation of values →“from mass
production to shrinking”
 re-valued existing infrastructure
 The creative and innovative way of asset
management
 The role of civil movement and build
bridging Social Capital is very important
 The concept of “Community Ownership”