LOCAL INITIATIVES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL HOKKAIDO: A CASE STUDY OF SAMANI

• Main Authors: Devon Dublin, Alexandra Bancheva, Amy Freitag
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lomonosov Moscow State University 2013-06-01
• Series: Geography, Environment, Sustainability
• Subjects: social research; rural development; rural depopulation; geopark; sea temperature rising; eco-product
• Online Access: https://ges.rgo.ru/jour/article/view/134

The paper presents the results of a field investigation about sustainable development of Samani town—a rural area in Hidaka region, Hokkaido, Japan. Local activities, business, environmental, social and economic challenges that affect the town as well as the advantages were investigated. The research was done by means of field visits, questionnaires and interviews involving the local people and government. The main economic sectors: olivine industry, fishery, agriculture and tourism were targeted as well as the government sector and the local high school with a particular focus on rural-urban migration. Samani has quite unique natural features on hand but a few strong comprehensive challenges on the other hand. The authors focused on the citizens opinions and positions which were based on the uniqueness of Samani and their own local activities and initiatives for the sustainable development of the town in the future which can be replicated in other rural communities around the world.