Japan: digitization and new technologies to repopulate rural areas

How to regenerate and bring new life to underpopulated regions? Japan, with its ageing population, is using innovative digital technologies in a new programme: Digital Garden City.

In 60 years the village of Kamiyama has lost 70 percent of its population, yet it is still an example of how to beat this trend. This village of 5,000 people has awakened thanks to one man and intensive broadband development. “I asked myself, can I transform this beautiful place into a Silicon Valley and that’s why I began the digitalisation of the town, explains Ominami Shinya, director of NPO Green Valley who grew up in the area.

Engawa company, satellite office of Plat Ease is set up in an old house with a veranda. Mr Sumita, owner of the company, with his employees. A dozen or so companies created satellite offices, often in renovated traditional houses. Most are from the Information and Telecommunications sector.

Accompagnied by Green Valley, this Tokyo entrepreneur opened the village’s largest satellite office in 2013, employing around 15 people.“In our case, employees can choose to work either in Tokyo or in Kamiyama - the positions and the salaries are fundamentally the same in both places, says Sumita Tetsu, president & CEO of Engawa Corporation,_ I think the number of companies using digital technology in rural areas will only go up.”_

Today the number of people moving to Kamiyama is higher than the number leaving. 70 percent of the children in the nursery are from families who have moved to Kamiyama.

The regeneration of Kamiyama began in 1999, with the hosting of artists from Japan and elsewhere. Then Green Valley decided to start making it easier for companies to relocate here.

“We want to build a town where you can sense the potential