113
6.1.5 Leadership that Achieved a Miracle (Yanedan)
Resources and problems that have to be resolved are not all the same for various
regions. The important thing is to have a vision and work towards achieving that
vision.
In the city of Kanoya, in Kagoshima Prefecture, is the mountainous area of
Yanagidani, commonly known as Yanedan. This area was also experiencing the
aging of its population as well as a declining birthrate. However, the community
was able to revitalize the area over a period of ten-something years and their success
is referred to as the Yanedan Miracle. The central figure in this is Tetsuro Toyoshige
who was appointed head of the local community center in 1996. Mr. Toyoshige felt
a sense of crisis when he considered that in the population of 300 people, the aging
ratio stood at 40% and also hardly any community activities were being undertaken.
He unfurled his vision of not depending on government but for Yanedan residents to
generate an independent source of funds and to revitalize the local community. Then
action was taken (Fig. 6.4).
By using abandoned farmland provided by local residents, Mr. Toyoshige started
cultivating sweet potatoes with the help of local youth. He then set about establishing the Yanedan brand of shochu, or Japanese traditional spirit distilled from sweet
potatoes. Red chili peppers are also grown and exported to Korea. In this way,
Yanedan was able to secure an independent source of income. The residents received
permission to use land owned by the village and they opened the Wakuwaku Sports
To another hub
Development of an Asian Style Industrial City
Factories are built and housing complexes are
built around that
Related corporations and transportation
systems are built and the area develops as
a city
¸ Factories in urban areas relocate because it
becomes difficult for them to stay
¸ Renewing the facility becomes possible on
account of the property value dropping
¸ Value of the urban area increases in value
due to the redevelopment of the vacant lot
A Dynamic and Organic Asian Style Development
Building a Sustainable City That Takes into Account the Perspectives of
Society, Technology, Economy, Environment, and Policy (STEEP)
Fig. 6.3 Special characteristics of the Kita-Kyushu Model: Asian dynamism. The Kita-Kyushu
model has at its foundation a global standard platform of urban renewal, but it is also a “model of
an environmentalized city that is compatible with an Asian industrial city” which has included the
developmental trajectory of Kita-Kyushu City which is both an industrial city and a future-facing
environmental city. This makes it possible to take an Asian Style approach that cannot be accommodated by a Western Style one which presumes a top-down zoning policy. (Source: MI
Consulting)
6.1 What Is a Platinum Society?
6.1.5 Leadership that Achieved a Miracle (Yanedan)
Resources and problems that have to be resolved are not all the same for various
regions. The important thing is to have a vision and work towards achieving that
vision.
In the city of Kanoya, in Kagoshima Prefecture, is the mountainous area of
Yanagidani, commonly known as Yanedan. This area was also experiencing the
aging of its population as well as a declining birthrate. However, the community
was able to revitalize the area over a period of ten-something years and their success
is referred to as the Yanedan Miracle. The central figure in this is Tetsuro Toyoshige
who was appointed head of the local community center in 1996. Mr. Toyoshige felt
a sense of crisis when he considered that in the population of 300 people, the aging
ratio stood at 40% and also hardly any community activities were being undertaken.
He unfurled his vision of not depending on government but for Yanedan residents to
generate an independent source of funds and to revitalize the local community. Then
action was taken (Fig. 6.4).
By using abandoned farmland provided by local residents, Mr. Toyoshige started
cultivating sweet potatoes with the help of local youth. He then set about establishing the Yanedan brand of shochu, or Japanese traditional spirit distilled from sweet
potatoes. Red chili peppers are also grown and exported to Korea. In this way,
Yanedan was able to secure an independent source of income. The residents received
permission to use land owned by the village and they opened the Wakuwaku Sports
To another hub
Development of an Asian Style Industrial City
Factories are built and housing complexes are
built around that
Related corporations and transportation
systems are built and the area develops as
a city
¸ Factories in urban areas relocate because it
becomes difficult for them to stay
¸ Renewing the facility becomes possible on
account of the property value dropping
¸ Value of the urban area increases in value
due to the redevelopment of the vacant lot
A Dynamic and Organic Asian Style Development
Building a Sustainable City That Takes into Account the Perspectives of
Society, Technology, Economy, Environment, and Policy (STEEP)
Fig. 6.3 Special characteristics of the Kita-Kyushu Model: Asian dynamism. The Kita-Kyushu
model has at its foundation a global standard platform of urban renewal, but it is also a “model of
an environmentalized city that is compatible with an Asian industrial city” which has included the
developmental trajectory of Kita-Kyushu City which is both an industrial city and a future-facing
environmental city. This makes it possible to take an Asian Style approach that cannot be accommodated by a Western Style one which presumes a top-down zoning policy. (Source: MI
Consulting)
6.1 What Is a Platinum Society?