ISSUE NO.

61• S

PRING 2007

[JLGC UPDATE] A Greeting from the New Executive Director of JLGC .................................................. 1[JLGC UPDATE] Governor Shinji Hirai / [JETAA ACTIVITIES] Yokoso Japan Night..................................... 2[JLGC UPDATE] Visits to North Olmsted and Denver............................................................................. 3[GUEST COLUMN] A Japanese Exchange Trip ....................................................................................... 4[JLGC RESEARCHER’S EYE] Japan’s Changing Demographics............................................................... 6[CORRESPONDENCE FROM FORMER JLGC STAFF] The New Hamamatsu City ........................................... 7[DESIGNATED CITY] Kitakyushu “A Snapshot of an Evolving City” ........................................................ 8

JAPAN LOCAL GOVERNMENT CENTER (CLAIR, NEW YORK)A Greeting from Hiroshi Sasaki,
the New Executive Director of JLGC
Hiroshi Sasaki / Executive Director
J L G CU P D A T E

Hello, I am Hiroshi Sasaki andI
have
recently
been
appointed the new Executive
Director of the Japan Local
Government Center in New York City.
I have the distinct pleasure and honorof succeeding former Executive
Director Shinji Hirai, who by the time
you read this message will be the newly
elected Governor of Tottori Prefecture.
It has been 18 years since theestablishment of the Japan Local
Government Center in New York andduring these years the organization has
established a rich tradition ofpromoting international exchange andmutual understanding between Japanthe United States and Canada.
I have worked for the Ministryof Internal Affairs and Communication
for the past 22 years where I specialized

JLGC NewsLetter No. 61 • © 2007 Japan Local Government Centerin drafting laws on local government
decentralization
andmunicipal
mergers. Decentralization has been oneof the more important reform issues inJapanese domestic politics. Despite
resistance from members of the Dietand the national government; local
government
reformprogressed
gradually and steadily. I was pleased to
be a part of this great reformmovement which has improved thepost war Japanese government system.
While serving as Deputy
Director Of International Affairs at the
Ministry of Home Affairs from 1996 to
1998, I managed the JET Program.
During my tenure, the JET Program
celebrated its tenth anniversary, with
the Crown Prince and Princess of Japanattending. I am looking forward tomeeting the JETs who have returned
from Japan and I am interested in theircurrent activities.
In addition to my work at the
Ministry of Internal Affairs andCommunications, I have also worked
for three prefectures: Okinawa, Niigata
and Gifu. Most recently, I served as
the Deputy Secretary General of the
Exchange
andInformation
Department at CLAIR headquarters inTokyo.
This is my second visit to theUnited States. I attended graduate
school at Cornell University from 1989
to 1991. My college days in Ithaca
were memorable for me and my wife.
My young son who was but a mere
child does not recall his short lived
American life. Although living andworking in America will be starkly
different from my student experience, I
am confident that my family and I willthoroughly enjoy what America and
New York City have to offer. I enjoy
playing tennis and skiing. There are
numerous and challenging ski areas in
the United States and Canada and I
look forward to visiting a few.
Finally, on behalf of the JLGC
staff as well as myself personally, I
would like to thank all of our friends
and acquaintances who have made andcontinue to make our mission
rewarding and successful.
Sincerely yours,

Hiroshi Sasaki

The Sakura,or cherry blossom,
is Japan’s cherishednational flower.
Special Hanami parties
and excursions
are held during blossom
time each year.

PAGE 1

Former Executive Director Shinji Hirai leaves
JLGC to be Governor
Seth Benjamin / JLGC Senior Researcher
J L G CU P D A T E

Governor Hirai, in his new office in Tottori PrefectureR

ecently elected Governor Shinji
Hirai of Tottori Prefecture spentapproximately seven months as
executive director of the Japan Local
Government Center (JLGC) in New
York. In that short time, he managed toshape the future direction of the office.
Arriving in June 2006 bristling with new

ideas about how to project the image ofJapan and Japanese local government,
Governor Hirai introduced himself tomany of the leading representatives ofAmerican state and local government.
His belief that there was no
substitute for going out and meetingpeople to learn ‘first-hand’ about the way
in which American government operates
has raised the profile of the Japan Local
Government Center in the United States
and Canada. The staff at the Centerroutinely goes out now to develop closer
relationships with its American
government counterparts. Anotherprofile enhancing innovation Governor
Hirai instituted, as executive director of
JLGC, was to get the staff to increase its
active participation with the associations
that represent state and local

governments. This has resulted in astronger interest in Japanese government
activities by these associations, with thepossibility of developing joint projects.
Internally,
GovernorHirai
focused the staff on the type of research it
undertakes so that the office, and thereby
governments back in Japan, can build up
an expertise in many subject areas that areimportant for governments not just inJapan but also in the United States. Thisapproach has led to a new type of research
being undertaken that is more relevant tothe specific issues facing the staff ’s own
local government back in Japan.
All in all, Governor Hirai has left
an indelible mark on CLAIR’s New York
office in the short amount of time wewere privileged to have had him as theexecutive director.

JETAA Toronto Members Appointed as Special Representatives
for the “Visit Japan Campaign” at “Yokoso Japan Night”
Junichi Sawada / JLGC Deputy Director
J E T A AOA C T I V I T I E S

n the evening of February 15,
2007, the Japan National Tourist
Organization (JNTO) held their"Yokoso Japan Night" at the Sheraton
Centre Toronto Hotel. The event drew
members of the JET Program Alumni
Association (JETAA), Consulate Generalof Japan, Japanese representatives,
educational staff, tourism organizations,airline representatives, and the media.
This year marks the 120th year
since the establishment of a regular travel
route between Vancouver, Canada, andYokohama, Japan. The year 2007 is being
called the “Canada-Japan Tourism
Exchange Year” as both countries continue
to work together to enhance tourism andinteraction between them.
“Yokoso Japan Night” included aceremony that appointed three members of
the JETAA Toronto chapter as special

PAGE 2

representatives for the “Visit Japan
Campaign” (VJC). The executive director
for the Japan National Tourist
Organization, Toronto, Mr. Fumihiro
Sampei, presented a plaque to the JETAAToronto Chapter Chair, Ms. Amy
Schindler, as well as gifts to two committee
members. The "Visit Japan Campaign"
began in 2003 with a goal of obtaining 10
million annual international visitors toJapan by 2010. It is one of many tourism
promotional projects that are being
implemented in Canada and Japan. In
addition, two JETAA Toronto members,
Mr. Glen Morales and Ms. Lianne
Hodgson, gave presentations highlighting
their teaching experience, as well as
memorable aspects of their living andtraveling in Japan.
Furthermore, former high school
history teacher and current educational

advisor, Mr. Ken Noma, presented aseminar on "How to Make a Student Trip
to Japan a Reality Today". Following him,
A.Y. Jackson Secondary School musicteacher Mr. Rick Wingfield gave a talk on
his experience as a teacher coordinator.
The efforts of the JET Programand JETAA members have made asubstantial contribution to the ongoing
relationship between Canada and Japan.

Executive Director of JNTO Toronto, Mr. Sampei,
Committee member Ms. Nishiyama, Committee
member Ms. Nicholson, and JETAA Toronto Chapter
Chair, Ms. Shindler holding the plaque at the ceremony

JLGC NewsLetter No. 61 • © 2007 Japan Local Government Center

Visits to North Olmsted and Denver
Keitaro Tanaka / Assistant Director
J L G CU P D A T E

Building an effective network ofstrong partnerships with local
governments and organizationsin the United States and Canada is an
important function of the Japan Local
Government Center (JLGC). Since
1989, JLGC has initiated contact withhundreds of local governments and isdedicatedtoenhancingandstrengthening these relationships. As
such, in early February, Ms. Erena
Niwa, Director of JLGC, and I visited
two cities, North Olmsted, Ohio, andDenver, Colorado, to continue ouraffiliation with these cities.
The city of North Olmsted islocated in northern Ohio near the
Cleveland International Airport. Last
July, the Honorable Thomas O’Grady,
mayor of North Olmsted, was invited toJapan’s Ritsumeikan University as aguest speaker. Co-hosted by ourheadquarters, the Council of Local
Authorities for International Relations(CLAIR), the theme of the event was“Think Globally, Act Locally” andMayor O’Grady gave an interesting andinformative lecture to an audience ofstudents, professors
and local government
officials. He spoke
about his city and how
it deals with global
issues.
Our reciprocal
visit to North Olmsted
was made to express
our appreciation to
Mayor O’Grady for his
participation at theevent in Japan and tomove forward in
proposing a future
The Honorable Thomas O'Grady presenting a Proclamation to Director Niwa recognizing
relationship between
CLAIR's work in fostering international understanding and cooperation among local
governments.
the city of North
Olmsted and JLGC.
Fellowship Program previously and who
We received a warm and hospitablegave a presentation to their colleagues
welcome from Mayor O’Grady,
about their visits to Japan. They showedcommunity leaders and city officials.
photographs of their experiences in
Also, we enjoyed the opportunity to
Japan and exhibited their souvenirs.
exchange views and ideas about local
They also decorated the conference
administration and local economicroom in a Japanese motif, displaying adevelopment. We learned that local
yukata (Japanese summer kimono) andeconomic development has proven to be
Japanese traditional crafts. We enjoyeddifficult for local governments in Japanthe display, realizing that the staff had
and the United States.
a good time. It was a great opportunity
Upon arriving in
as well for other NCSL staff, who may
Denver, we visited the
be interested in visiting Japan toheadquarters of theunderstand our program. This visit has
National Conference
also helped to strengthen theof State Legislatures
relationship with NCSL.
(NCSL). NCSL and
JLGC enjoy a long
lasting and friendly
working relationship.
NCSL has participated
in
our
CLAIR
Fellowship Program bysending staff to Japan,
and JLGC participatesin many of NCSL’s
activities.
Also during our visit,
we met staff who had
Ms. Judy Zelio, Program Director of NCSL, and a past participant of the CLAIR
joined the CLAIR
Japanese traditional crafts on display in the conference room
Fellowship Program, describing her visit to Japan.

*

JLGC NewsLetter No. 61 • © 2007 Japan Local Government Center

PAGE 3

A Japanese Exchange Trip:
Experiencing Cultural Differences and Similarities
Wendy Lee Parker / Assistant Executive Director for Risk Services, New Hampshire Local Government Center
G U E S T

C O L U M NJapanese cuisine. The next day it wassayonara Los Angeles!
Last fall, the National League ofCities selected Wendy Lee Parker,
Assistant Executive Director for
Risk Services at New Hampshire
Local Government Center (LGC),
as one of nine individuals toparticipate in the 2006
Fellowship Exchange Programwith Japan that took place
November 5-15. Sponsored by theCouncil of Local Authorities forInternational Relations, theFellowship Exchange Program is a
Local Government International
Exchange and Cooperation
Seminar that has afforded senior
executives from state, provincial
and local governments of theUnited States and Canada theopportunity to visit Japan andlearn about Japanese public
administration since 1993. Over
10 days, participants attend
lectures, take part in workshops
and visit local government offices,where they are exposed to theworkings of Japanese government.
The exchange visit also features ahome stay with a local family,
which immerses each visitor in
the daily life and culture ofJapan. What follows is anabbreviated firsthand account of
the exchange program experience.

Imagine my excitement when I learned
that I was to be a 2006 National
League of Cities Japan Fellow
sponsored by the Japan Local Government
Center-anarmofJapan’s
local
governments that works to share
information with state, county and city
officials in the United States and Canada.
My first thought was that I had a lot tolearn about a very different culture in six
weeks! Off to the bookstore I went topurchase books about Japan’s culture,etiquette and a CD to learn some common
Japanese words and phrases. Before long, I
was on my way to Tokyo for an experienceof a lifetime. Planned activities included a
few days of learning about Japanese local
government practices in Tokyo and then avisit to the Shimane Prefecture (State) andCity of Matsue.
EFriday-Sunday, November 3-5
My first scheduled stop took place
on Friday, November 3, in Los Angeles
where I met the other CLAIR Fellows. We
gathered for a nine-course extravaganzadinner and a tour of Little Tokyo. Thisdinner gave us our first taste of traditional

PAGE 4EMonday, November 6Upon our evening arrival, we were
escorted to a welcome reception anddinner. The reception was for the UnitedStates/Canada
group
plus
other
delegations traveling from Australia andChina. The reception’s presentations were
all spoken in each speaker’s native
language and then translated into
Japanese, English or Chinese, as
appropriate. The Chief Administrative
Officer of Markham, Ontario, Canada,
John Livey-the “senior” member of ourgroup-was assigned the responsibility forproviding formal welcomes on behalf ofour group at that reception andthroughout the trip. The rest of us smiledand bowed quite a bit.
ETuesday, November 7
Tuesday was spent touring Japan.
One of our first stops was the Diet, Japan’s
capital building. Construction of the Diet
began in 1920 and was not completed
until 1936. There are two, three-level
chambers consisting of the House ofRepresentatives and a House ofCouncilors, plus a nine-story central
tower. The tower’s main entrance is only
made accessible for His Majesty, theEmperor, on the tower’s annual opening
day, as well as for state guests on official
visits and newly elected members on
convocation day of the first session
following their election. All other times,
members enter the tower’s wings
independently where there are attendanceboards located. The central hall was
beautiful and reminded me of our nation’s
capital. Its stained-glass ceiling andwindows had detailed murals representing
Japan and the four seasons. Everythingused to build the Diet, with the exceptionof its room keys and raw glass used todesign the windows, was made in Japan.
We then spent time at the EdoTokyo Museum and visited the Hama-rikyu
Gardens. These gardens were created in the
Edo period and then almost fully destroyedin the Great Kanto earthquake and WorldWar II. In 1946, they re-opened after the
Imperial Family presented them to the Cityof Tokyo. Modern skyscrapers surroundthe traditional gardens that showcase aduck pond, a 300-year-old pine tree andNakajima-no-ochaya-a formal teahouse. We
participated in a traditional tea ceremony
and were coached on the proper way todrink the tea: turn the cup two-and-a-halftimes to the left before, and three times tothe right after, sipping. Our day of touring
ended with a trip to the Panasonic Center
where their products were showcased. The
main exhibit was an Eco and Ud house-

Eco, for coexistence with a global
environment, and Ud for developing auniversal design. In the Panasonic world, it
is believed that the design of a house andthe products it includes increase the qualityof life and minimize any environmental
impact to the home’s surroundings.
EWednesday, November 8
On Wednesday, we flew about 750
miles northwest to Matsue City, in the
Shimane Prefecture, where our groupspent the next few days meeting with local
government officials and experiencing a
two-night stay with a host family. About
20 minutes into the flight, we weredirected to look out of the windows to see
a stunning view of Mt. Fuji, whichappeared as though you could reach out
and touch it.
Arriving in Shimane Prefecture, we
checked into a traditional ryokan orJapanese-style inn. They come in all sizes
and are found throughout Japan. A stay at
a ryokan is highly recommended to all
foreign visitors. It offers the opportunity
to experience Japanese-styled rooms with atatami floor and low table. Before dinner,
we had an opportunity to enjoy a Japanesestyle bath, which is communal but, luckily,
gender separated. We were fortunate that
this particular bathing experience hadwater directly supplied from a hot spring.
It was quite a unique experience! We thenenjoyed a traditional Japanese dinner,
tasted some local sake and slept intraditional Japanese style using a futon
spread out on the tatami floor.
EThursday, November 9
On Thursday, our group visitedthe Shimane Institute for Industrial
Technology where the Prefecture has donea tremendous job of creating a businessincubator for small, high-tech companies
and a business park, providing land andinfrastructure for these companies. In
addition to the meetings, we took a class inclassic wagashi candy making and also
toured Matsue City from a boat while
traveling on the Horikowa River. The
boat dropped us near Matsue Castle.
While walking to it, we were able to visit
an original Samurai residence. Matsue
Castle was breathtaking. The view fromthe top was spectacular and included all of
Matsue City, plus surrounding mountains
and Lake Shinji-ko.
EFriday, November 10
On Friday morning, we visited city
officials from Matsue City where we
exchanged gifts with the Mayor. The
Japanese local government system has astrong Mayor structure with no City
Manager-type positions. The Mayor
discussed recent challenges of merging
JLGC NewsLetter No. 61 • © 2007 Japan Local Government Centerseveral independent cities into Matsue
City and how they have tried to integrate
infrastructure services with the least
amount of disruption to residents of all oldcities and Matsue City. He said one of themain challenges was raising sewer rates incities merged into Matsue City so they arecomparable with the rates charged toexisting Matsue residents.
We later toured the Rihaku sakefactory.
The
company’spresident
explained that sake purchases in Japan areon the decline while about 20 percent ofcompany sales are to the United States andincreasing annually. Our next stop was the
Adachi Museum of Art. Its stunning
traditional Japanese garden has been voted
the best of its kind in Japan four years
running. The tour ended as weparticipated in hands-on experiences of
two of Japan’s traditional industries:
weaving and indigo dying.
We then made our way back to thehotel to be picked up by our host families.
I was matched up with Yuki Mishiro andher family (parents and grandmother). A
Shimane Prefecture employee, Yuki is aveterinarian who tests cows and pigs before
they are slaughtered for humanconsumption. She has been working with
the Prefecture for six months and plans tocontinue studies next year to expand her
skills and get a position in genetic studies.
Yuki’s family lives in a traditional Japanesehome in Izumo, about one hour from
Matsue City; it has been in her family for
generations. Yuki, who spoke beginner
English, used dictionaries and otherresources to communicate with me. She
did an exceptional job and made me feelvery welcome.
Upon arriving at Yuki’s home, I
was introduced to her entire family as we
sat down for a formal dinner of delicious
sukiyaki.
ESaturday, November 11
The next morning we headed out
for a day of sightseeing. I visited where
Yuki worked, touched the Sea of Japan,
lunched on tacoyaki (pastry with octopus,
suction cups still attached), toured theHinomisaki lighthouse (160 steep steps instocking feet) and visited the Izumo Taisha
Shrine dedicated to the God of Happinessand Marriage. That evening, we dined out
at a sushi fast-food restaurant. I tried justabout everything but the raw horse. At theend of the meal, the cashier added up thenumber of plates in front of each of us andcalculated the bill accordingly.
ESunday, November 12
After breakfast on Sunday, I said
goodbye to my host family. Yuki’s motherprepared a thoughtful goodbye message forme in English. It meant a lot to me that she
JLGC NewsLetter No. 61 • © 2007 Japan Local Government Center

took the time to prepare and deliver it in
my native language. Yuki and I set out foranother day of touring before she returned
me to Matsue City. We saw a traditional
Japanese model home, a local hot spring
and visited Matsue Vogel Park where weviewed an extensive owl display and a large
collection of rare birds and flowers. We
arrived back at the hotel for our final
goodbyes. Yuki presented me with a letterthat indicated her pleasure in being able tohost my visit. She indicated that there were
three happy things she will remember frommy visit: I talked actively to her, my smile,
and that I enjoyed myself. She hopes tovisit me in America and appreciated mykindness and friendship. I felt the sameway. Yuki and her family welcomed me into
their home, shared their lives and helped
me understand the cultural differences andsimilarities we have. This is an experience I
will never forget.
EMonday, November 13
On Monday morning, ourexchange group met a final time with ourhosts from Shimane Prefecture. We
discussed about 20 pre-submitted
questions in the three hours allocated forour meeting. The Prefecture struggles withan aging population and young people whomove away and do not return. It is
focusingonbuilding
upon
its
technological roots (the founder of Sharp
Electronics is from the area), agriculture,fish production and cultural tourism. A
challenge I found with these meetings wastheir formality. Interaction was very
controlled and did not allow a lot ofopportunity for the exchange of ideas. I
believe we all left Shimane Prefecture
impressed with their hospitality and with a
newly acquired appreciation for thechallenges
facingJapan’s
local
governments-many of which are the samechallenges local governments face in New
Hampshire and around the United States.
ETuesday, November 14
Four of us hearty souls met in the
hotel lobby at 5 a.m. to take a taxi to theTokyo fish market. Our interpreter told us
to be careful since the market is quite busy
inthemorning.
This
was
an
understatement!
There were trucks,
wagons, small vans, wheelbarrows andforklifts zooming around in the dark. The
market is huge, and foreign pedestrians are
not given the right of way; in fact, several
times we had to jump out of the way to
avoid being hit. From watching the ritualsof judging which tuna is going to be bid on
and seeing which is hauled away toviewing the wide variety of fresh fish
available for purchase in the market’s manybooths, it was more than your senses could
take in and hard to believe this happens

every day of the week.
EFinal Reflections
As I reflect on my trip to Japan,
from a local government prospective, it
was impressive to see how well government
services are delivered. It appears that most
local municipal services-including roads,
transit, and public safety services-aredelivered efficiently and effectively. Japan’s
use of technology is also impressive alongwith its dedication to creating newtechnologies and sharing this information
with private sector business. This creationof technology-based work opportunities is
especially critical for the Shimane
Prefecture due to its rural location. Active
strategic plans are also important forkeeping their young people within the
Prefecture.
Finally, I was struck by thehospitality of the Japanese people ingeneral and from my hosts at the Japanese
Local Government Center, Shimane
Prefecture and the City of Matsue. They
were always friendly; even strangers in the
subway would stop and ask if you needed
assistance when you looked lost or
confused. One thing that takes getting used
to is the Japanese do not have the same“personal space” that we have in the UnitedStates. They stand and sit closer to eachother and visitors than I felt comfortablewith from my cultural viewpoint. At first
this can be interpreted as pushy, but you
soon learn that it is not the case. It is just a
different cultural norm.
Overall, the experience provided
me with the opportunity to not only meet
new people but, to try new foods,
traditions and activities that weresometimes outside my comfort zone. I amvery thankful for having had thisopportunity and look forward to sharing
my experiences with others.

Wendy Lee Parker is AssistantExecutive Director for Risk
Services at New Hampshire Local
Government Center. She can bereached by e-mailingwparker@nhlgc.org or by phone at
800.852.3358.

PAGE 5

Japan’s Changing Demographics
Matthew Gillam / JLGC Senior Researcher
J L G CJR E S E A R C H E R ’ S

apan is changing. It is still the landof hardy, aging farmers, legions ofmen and women packing into trains
every day going to and from work,
stylishly rebellious youth hanging out
downtown in their latest neon-lit
fashions, and kids on their way to schoolwith their uniforms and randoseru. But
the farmers are gradually dying off, andtheir children have moved away to thecities for better jobs. There are fewer
people in the age group that heads off towork each morning - although you
couldn’t necessarily tell it from thecrowds. Young people are just as likely todrive to the mall or go cruising, like their
American counterparts. There are fewer
children than ever, and school enrollment
is steadily declining. And, in one of thebiggest changes, many more faces in thecrowd belong to non-Japanese.
Many trends are converging, as
they are around the developed world, tocreate a situation in which Japan must
adapt to an aging and declining
population that is increasingly urban (orsuburban) and increasingly dependent onsocial welfare programs for support. In
2005 Japan’s population declined for the
first time, down 0.02 percent from 2004
to a total of 127.76 million. Of these, 21
percent were 65 years of age or over.
People in the 15 to 64 year old age groupdeclined to 65.3 percent of the
population. This group peaked at 69.5
percent in 1990 and has been dropping
ever since. The marriage rate has
dropped markedly since the 1970s andthe divorce rate has crept higher, with
far-reaching implications for household
size and the overall social safety net.
Japan’s fertility rate, at 1.25 percent, iswell below replacement rate, andchildren 0 to 14 years of age account for
only 13.6 percent of the population. This
number declined fairly steadily over the
20th century as families had fewer
children and people started living longer.
In 1975, 3.3 percent of all
PAGE 6

E Y E

households were headed by someone 65
years or older. By 2005 this number had
reached 17.7 percent. Rural areas closer
in to major cities are overtaken by new
development, while more remote areas
struggle to maintain their economies,
traditions and social fabric as their young
people move away for better, more
exciting prospects elsewhere. Older
downtowns in many areas are dying as
businesses move to new, more spacious
and car-friendly developments further
out.
These domestic changes mean
fewer workers, less tax revenue coupledwith more demand for health care andlong term care services, increased needfor costly infrastructure to service more
densely urban populations in and arounda few major cities, and pressure to give
more support to working families andthe elderly and disabled.
Japan has remained hesitant toopen itself to large numbers of new
immigrants, as many other countries
have done to boost their populations.
Even though the number of foreigners
living in Japan has been steadily
increasing for decades, as of 2005 thetotal number of legal foreign residents
stood at 2.0115 million, or 1.57 percentof the total population. (It is important,though, to remember that perhaps aquarter of these are actually “zainichi”
Koreans or Chinese, who may have beenborn and raised in Japan.) For
comparison, Canada’s foreign-born
population accounted for 18.4 percent of
the total population in 2001 andcontinues to rise steadily. In the US, thenumber is around 12 percent, legal andillegal. Even in the EU, which is more
like Japan in consisting of countries not
traditionally built on immigration, theoverall percentage is 4.4 percent of total
population. Still, the concentration ofrecent immigrants in several major urban
areas in Japan often strains services andgoodwill. In the Tokyo metropolitan

region, 17 percent of the overall
population is non-Japanese, but thesituation is different in each ward. Some
smaller cities also have relatively large
populations, like Oizumi, Gunma
Prefecture, where 16 percent of the
population is non-Japanese. The entire
country continues to wrestle with deep,
unresolved issues of cultural identity andpractical accommodation that go to theheart of public policy.
Requests to CLAIR’s overseas
offices for research and support are
driven by issues in Japan, and we at
JLGC, New York are often asked for
information on coping with various
aspects of demographic change. Topics
we have worked on include: Universal
design and accessibility for the elderly
and handicapped; Partnerships, tax
increment financing and other innovative
ways to provide infrastructure andservices at lower cost to taxpayers;
Revitalization strategies for areas in
decline; Interpretation services for
hospitals and other public services; Androles played by non-citizens in the public
sector.
Faced with an aging, shrinking
population, Japan is on the leading edgeof demographic changes occurring
throughout the developed world. It isalways interesting and rewarding to be
involved in efforts to cope with thesechanges by helping to develop new
strategies and policies for the Japanese.
We hope that, ultimately, Japan’s
experience will prove useful to people
around the world.

JLGC NewsLetter No. 61 • © 2007 Japan Local Government Center

The New Hamamatsu City:
Taking Advantage of Cultural and Ethnic Diversity
Yoichi Takimoto / International Affairs Division, City of Hamamatsu (Former Assistant Director of JLGC)CORRESPONDENCEFROMFORMERMy experience working at theJapan Local Government
Center in New York for two
years has proven to be an asset. When I
lived in New York, I felt that the vitality
and energy of the city came from its
cultural and ethnic diversity. Now, backat home working and living in
Hamamatsu city, I can truly appreciate
the importance of cultural and ethnic
diversity.
Hamamatsu city is locatedbetween Tokyo and Osaka. Major
industries in Hamamatsu are car
manufacturing, musical instruments,
textiles and optical electronics.
Hamamatsu has a population of
about 820,000 including over 31,000
registered foreign residents. Hamamatsu
also has the largest population ofBrazilians, over 19,000, in Japan. The
number of registered foreign residents,
especially from Latin America has
increased rapidly.

Japanese Language ClassDue to a labor shortage caused by
rapid economic expansion, the Japanese
government amended the Immigration
Control Act to allow Japanesedescendants to return home to work
intending to alleviate the labor shortage
using temporary workers. However, these
foreigners have settled down, and theirfamilies have come to join them as well.
This gap between the government's
expectations and reality has caused
problems for foreign residents and local
communities. Japanese systems and laws,
especially in the field of labor, healthinsurance and education, do not address
the needs of foreign residents.
Hamamatsu is renowned as the
JLGC NewsLetter No. 61 • © 2007 Japan Local Government Center

JLGC

STAFF

home of world-famous companies. These
companies cover a wide range ofindustries and provide a multitude ofworking opportunities encouraging
immigrant “newcomers” to work in
Hamamatsu.

proposals to the central government invarious areas related to the “newcomer”
population including a support system
for Japanese language programs at
schools, a medical insurance system andan overhaul of labor standards.
Unfortunately, the government’s
response to these efforts has been
extremely slow, and at present very little
has changed. A few policies, however
have recently been reexamined.
The “newcomer” issue that
Hamamatsu is facing will become anational issue in the near future. Foreign
residents play important roles in ourcommunity and in the economy ofHamamatsu.
The
diversityofHamamatsu residents creates a new andunique culture. I believe that we cancreate a richer and better community
through social cohesion
based on the mutual
respect
andunderstandingof different
cultures andvalues.

Hamamatsu Samba Festival

Hamamatsu is pursuing many
avenues to help foreigners adjust to livinginJapan
including:providinginformation and counseling in foreign
languages, offering opportunities forJapanese language study, establishingclasses to assist foreign children’s learningand promoting exchange events in areas
with high concentrations of foreigners.
Hamamatsu city is not alone as otherJapanese cities face similar problems.
In 2001, Hamamatsu and other
cities with a large “newcomer”
population founded the Committee for
Localities with a Concentrated Foreigner
Population (CLCF). This committee
which began with 13 members has now
reached 22 members as of 1 Apr. 2007.
The CLCF has recommended

Changes in the Number of Registered Foreign Residents in Hamamatsu
Nationality

1990

1994

1998

2002

2006

Brazil

1,457

5,920

10,086

12,111

18,548

470

794

912

1,780

2,460

2,040

2,001

1,720

1,585

1,701

China

284

568

1,028

1,322

2,474

Peru

17

639

827

1,382

2,226

Others

480

939

1,459

2,215

3,363

Total

4,748

10,861

16,032

20,39530,772

533,516

561,074

577,174

593,899

817,548

0.89

1.94

2.78

3.43

3.76

Philippines
Korea (N. & S.)

Total Pop.
Foreign Pop. %Current as of 1 April 2006
PAGE 7

Kitakyushu“A Snapshot of an Evolving City”
Seiko Kubo / Assistant Director of JLGC
D E S I G N A T E D

C I T YIt can be said that the city of
Kitakyushu stands at the crossroads
where past meets future. Located at
the northern point of Kyushu Island,
Kitakyushu is midway between Tokyoand Shanghai. Kitakyushu features along variegated coast line and a richnatural environment. Approximately
four hundred years ago, the geographic
area that was to become Kitakyushu City
prospered benefiting from good land use
and proximity to the sea. It became thecenter of government and commercial
activity on Kyushu Island. In 1901, thefirst government operated steel works
facility, Yawata Iron and Steel Works(now Nippon Steel Corporation, aprivate entity) was built in Japan
providing impetus for industrial
development in the area.

Kokura Castle and Summer Festival

Today, Kitakyushu serves as agateway to Asia and a strong andimportant industrial base for Japan. In
2006, the Kitakyushu Airport wasconstructed and in a short time wasoperational with international flights toShanghai, Guangzhou and Vladivostok.
Domestic routes include Okinawa
prefecture and fifteen daily flights toTokyo.
Modern Kitakyushu is comprisedof three distinct areas; the Mojiko area,
the Castle Town Kokura area and the
Yahata Higashida area. The Mojiko area

contains beautiful European stylebuildings with distinctive architecturalfeatures such as the Mojiko Station, anational historic landmark that is still in
operation. Another unique building is
the Old Moji Mitsui Club which served
and accommodated travelers and visitors
including Doctor and Mrs. Albert
Einstein. The deep port of Moji which
opened in 1889 handles incoming andoutgoing shipping traffic.
Kokura Castle is known for themagnificent cherry trees that surround it.
The Matsumoto Seicho Memorial
Museum named for Seicho Matsumoto arenowned author of crime novels is
located in the Kokura area. Also tourists
can enjoy a wide variety of shops andlodging available there.
The Yahata Higashida area is thehome of Space World, the world’s firstspace theme park offering numerous
attractions, museums and activities for
adults and children. Adjacent to the park
are the Museum of National History and
Human History, and the Environmental
Museum where Kitakyushu’s success inovercoming pollution can be viewed andstudied. The Kitakyushu Innovation
Gallery and Studio which opened April
2007, supports and showcases creative
innovations using new technologies.
Kitakyushu continues to develop
highly advanced technologies such as
robotics and service industries that
include efficient distribution of
automobile parts and tourism. It is still
actively involved in recycling andreducing the waste stream, an initiativethat began in 1997 with a project called“Kitakyushu’s Eco-Town”. Generally
thought of as an industrial city,
Kitakyushu prides itself as a service
oriented metropolis that has all theaccoutrements such as delicious local
cuisine, nostalgic exotic streetscapes andhistorical and cultural wonders.

Tanga Fish Market

Surrounded on three sides bywater, Kitakyushu is blessed with anabundance of fresh seafood. Tourists canenjoy blowfish and other seasonalvarieties of marine life. The mountains
are covered with lush forests and wild
animals. A cable car ride at sunset to the
top of the mountain yields a spectacular
view of the lights below.
It is easy and fun traveling in
Kitakyushu, an international city withguides and brochures available in
English. Kitakyushu can provide youwith many opportunities so come and see
for yourself what Kitakyushu has to offer.
Please visit the Kitakyushu Web
site for tourist information:www.kcta.or.jp

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PAGE 8JLGC NewsLetter No. 61 • © 2007 Japan Local Government Center