COVER STORY • Future Design – Thinking About Our Legacy to the Next Generation • 3Future Design Appliedin the Town of Yahaba
in Iwate Prefecture

By Ritsuji Yoshioka

Author Ritsuji Yoshioka

Introduction

The Waterworks Social Dilemma

The waterworks of Yahaba in Iwate Prefecture, launched in 1966,
now service 96% of the district’s population. However, 50-plus years
have passed since the facilities were built and they are deteriorating.
So it is clear that significant future work will be required to replacethem.
Despite their importance, waterworks are paradoxically the kind of
infrastructure that people tend to take for granted. As long as they
continue to benefit from water services, consumers are unlikely toconsider upgrading and earthquake-proofing decrepit water pipes asa high-priority project. This renders it a difficult task to garner theunderstanding of the public required to raise waterworks fees, whichshould logically be the revenue source for pipe replacement projects.
In addition, amidst a socioeconomic environment where thenation’s population is declining, it is important to create a scenario
where people are aware of the crucial role that waterworks play inthe local area – the goal being to ensure that waterworks are aservice that everyone can continue to access into the future. Toachieve this, residents should have a good grasp of the issues,
including the question of how to pay for renovation work. They must
not only agree on waterworks policy but also consider structures
such as water pipes in terms of how many centuries they will lastinstead of how many years. It is not sufficient simply to optimize thecurrent system: we also need to think about the interests of people
who will be using waterworks in the future.

From a financial perspective, it is natural for individual residents towant lower waterworks rates. If everyone thought this way, pressure
would mount for lowering prices and the government would have nochoice but to authorize a lower fee structure. The issue is that if themajority of individual residents were to consider only their own
benefit, revenue sources would prove insufficient and projects toreplace aging facilities would fail to move forward. This would mean
a greater safety risk over the long term, which would in turn result ina greater financial burden. Paradoxically, the public benefit ofwaterworks safety would also be lost over the long term.
The “social dilemma” referred to here is as follows: actions thatcompromise public interest over the long term benefit individualinterests in the short term (“uncooperative behavior”), while actions
that compromise individual interests over the short term benefit
public interests over the long term (“cooperative behavior”). One of
the two must be chosen over the other (Prescription for Social
Dilemmas by Satoshi Fujii, Springer, 2017).
Not only do needs for waterworks, as perceived by the generalpublic, fail to consider the interests of future generations, but in fact
the current generation is unwittingly choosing uncooperative
behavior, which also means loss of profit for the waterworks sector
at present.

Waterworks Needs of the General Population

Next, we look at the question of how we can solve this social
dilemma by way of changing attitudes through a Waterworks
Supporters Workshop. This workshop is an opportunity for people todirectly participate in the formulation of policies that affect them. At
the first workshop, the format was the same as for our outreach
initiatives. People were asked to simply give their opinions, thoughno specific questions were asked. At this time we arrived at the same
result as above. Respondents wanted lower rates but at the sametime continued to demand safe waterworks and good-tasting water.
At Yahaba, in order to ensure that deliberations held during theworkshops covered the important topics, the workshops featured
hands-on activities including tours of water purification plants andtasting sessions. The goal is for attendees to truly get a sense ofwhat the waterworks sector is all about. Workshops from that point
onward involved deliberations focused mainly on audio-visual

Based on the idea of multilayered participation [comprised of 1)
public comment procedures, 2) outreach methodology, 3)questionnaire surveys, and 4) direct participation by consumers – forpurposes of this paper called “waterworks supporters”], we
employed outreach methodology to assess the needs of the silent
majority.
Outreach involves going to the target audience in order to bettercommunicate with them. Instead of a questionnaire with pre-devisedquestions, Yahaba opted to gather information from 1,000
individuals on their current needs. We received a total of 954
answers. Our results have clearly indicated that respondents wanted
lower rates, but at the same time continued to demand safety ofwaterworks systems as well as good-tasting water.
10 Japan SPOTLIGHT • March / April 2019

“Waterworks Supporters” Workshop

https://www.jef.or.jp/journal/

COVER STORY 3

material. Content was then recorded using facilitation graphics,
which are utilized at subsequent workshops to make the deliberation
process more visible.
Materials presented at workshops should be very specific andeasy to understand. At Yahaba, in addition to information gained byasset management initiatives by utilizing the information for theassessment of the waterpipe project, they are trying to improvevisibility on potential impact and risk factors. In thinking about thequestion of renovation of facilities, we considered the issue of
whether preventive maintenance or corrective maintenance would be
the optimal choice, as well as what risks would be present in the end.
As the deliberations progressed, the focus became how tomaintain safety as well as customer peace of mind, and particularly
establishing criteria for acceptable risk levels. Everyone agreed thatthe cost burden was justified due to the indispensability ofwaterworks. As more sessions were held, more “waterworkssupporters” came to understand the situation to the effect that theyeven recommended an increase in waterworks fees. In other words,
instead of putting short-term individual needs first, they decided oncooperative behavior to ensure long-term public benefit – thussolving the “social dilemma”.

The public interest was chosen instead of lower water and seweragecharges, which would benefit the individuals instead of the public,
thus resolving the dilemma.
These recommendations are the result of a significant change inawareness levels of our “waterworks supporters” brought about by
their participation in the workshop. Serving as a reference for othermunicipalities, a proposal was made to add ¥200 to waterworks fees
– without altering the essential fee structure – to serve as a future
reserve fund.
Let’s take the replacement of the decrepit pipes as an example.
Even supposing that people agree to an increase in waterworks rates
as revenue to pay for the pipes to be replaced, and we are able toraise rates by ¥200, the reality is that these funds will only be
sufficient to cover a few hundred meters of new pipes. This meansthat we are unable to solve the issues faced today. Even if the“waterworks supporters” have enough information to allow them tomake decisions on waterworks, because deliberations are held in thecontext of current circumstances, the results do not necessarilyreflect the issue of safety for future users.

Solving the Social Dilemma

Despite the fact that the short-sighted choices of current
consumers can be potentially disadvantageous to future generations,these future generations are unable to negotiate for themselves giventhat they do not yet even exist. This is the reason for Future Design(FD). A major attribute of the FD approach is to create groups ofpeople who will stand up for the benefit of future generations. Thatis, a set of imaginary future persons takes on the role of engaging
with the people of the present in negotiations and decision-making.
With the welfare of future generations in mind, this method works toovercome conflicts of interest between generations in the decisionmaking process.
Yahaba has implemented FD initiatives in policy formulation
including the “Comprehensive Strategy on Community, People, andJob Creation” and the “Comprehensive Management Plan for PublicFacilities”. During the workshop on “Comprehensive Strategy on
Community, People, and Job Creation”, deliberations were held
between a group of people acting on behalf of the interests of future
generations – “imaginary future persons” – and the people of thepresent. The representatives of the current generation emphasized
current issues and unmet needs, attempting to provide solutions

There are two reasons why the “waterworks supporters” decided
on the cooperative behavior route in contrast to the general
population: 1) they had sufficient information needed to properly
consider and make decisions on waterworks, and 2) they employed
two-way communication between themselves and the waterworks
sector.
Since the general population lacks the information required for
decision-making, they naturally choose what is most beneficial tothemselves. Because people who use waterworks simply assume
that their water is safe without giving it much thought, they do nottend to make choices that would raise the cost burden, even if itmeans improving safety.
In contrast, because the “water supporters” employed two-way
communication in free discussions utilizing hands-on learningtechniques as well as visual materials, all of the participants decided
on collaboration with the water and sewerage departments. In
addition, water and sewerage department surveys had identified thehighest priority issues as safety and replacement of decrepit pipes.

Implementation of Future DesignJapan SPOTLIGHT • March / April 201911COVER STORY 3with ideas subject to current limitations. Meanwhile, the imaginary
future persons offered long-term solutions and back-casting (“FutureDesign – Evidence and Insights from Participatory Deliberations” by
Keishiro Hara and Tatsuyoshi Saijo, Journal of Japan Society on
Water Environment, 2017, Vol. 40, Issue 4).
Approximately six months after project implementation, a series ofinterviews were held with the people who participated in thisworkshop as imaginary future persons, at which time theseindividuals noted that that there was “no conflict” between
themselves as imaginary future persons and their actual position as
people of the present. In fact, it was clear that they were looking atsocial issues from both present and future points of view. Inaddition, they derived satisfaction from the fact that they were able toconsider the issues as imaginary future persons. Therefore, even in
their day-to-day lives, it was clear that they were now able to thinknaturally and effortlessly as people of the future (“Future Design” byTatsuyoshi Saijo, TRENDS IN THE SCIENCES, February 2018).
Following the workshop on “Comprehensive Management Plan for
Public Facilities”, the results of the workshop – a picture of Yahaba in2060 – were used to help devise business strategies. Amidst
deliberations on strategy formulation the “waterworks supporters”
were given the role of imaginary future persons, deliberating on thestructure of waterworks in Yahaba in the year 2060. A dramatic
review of the waterworks fee structure was undertaken, withparticipants discussing how to secure funds for replacing waterpipes
in 70-year cycles.
Not limiting the deliberations on waterpipe selection to topics suchas cost, type of pipes, etc., people also gave opinions on issues suchas pavement repair and road maintenance. Since these kinds ofopinions had not been observed in the participants’ past experienceor in ordinary workshops, these opinions are clearly derived from thecreation of the imaginary future persons and the viewpoint of life in
the future.

future. This change in perspective remains with them as they go
about their everyday lives following the conclusion of their role
representing the people of the future.
Because services such as waterworks are extremely public innature – due to the fact that they are essential to daily life – thegovernment should not be able to make one-way determinations on
criteria and future direction. Instead, policy governing these services
should be developed according to a process. Since waterworks andother essential services play a critical part in the lives of residents, itis the residents who should shape them.
As can be observed in the example of the “waterworks supporters”
of Yahaba, no matter how much information may have been available
to them to consider the issues, because they are engaged indeliberations subject to the limitations of today’s socioeconomic
circumstances, their results do not tend to serve future generations.
Meanwhile, deliberations held to devise business strategies –which included having people experience the role of imaginary future
persons – served to further not only deliberations on waterworks but
on community-building as a whole for the benefit of future
generations.
Based on the experiences at Yahaba up to this point, acomprehensive plan to develop initiatives to increase the number ofpeople acting as imaginary future persons – and to perpetuate sucha program – must be devised using the FD framework. At the sametime a “Future Strategy Department” of some kind must be
established to provide recommendations from the perspective offuture generations in the formulation of important policy. This is thekey to sustainable community development.

Conclusion
FD tends to focus on the technical aspect of creating a group ofpeople of the present that would speak for the interests of future
generations, who are unable to negotiate for themselves.
It should be noted that individuals who have experienced the roleof imaginary future persons derive satisfaction from that role as theyview themselves as both people of the present and people of the12 Japan SPOTLIGHT • March / April 2019

Ritsuji Yoshioka is assistant director of the Planning and Public Finance
Division of Yahaba in Iwate Prefecture. He works to promote resident
participation in town policy formulation as well as FD implementation.