This article is an English translation of the original Japanese article.
Yesterday afternoon, there was a discussion session for local government officials from the Kingdom of Bhutan.
Bhutan is, of course, the famous “Kingdom of Happiness.” Socially, it places Gross National Happiness (GNH)—rather than Gross National Product (GNP)—at the core of its nation-building efforts, and I believe it is also known as a country that is extremely difficult to enter. (In reality, while there are requirements such as a minimum spending amount during entry and restrictions on movement, entry is possible if you follow the proper procedures.)
However, the widespread use of cell phones among the population has led to a flood of information, causing many citizens to migrate abroad (primarily to Australia), and rural areas are experiencing a declining birthrate and an aging population. Although the circumstances differ, Bhutan faces the same challenge as Japan in terms of ensuring the sustainability of its regions amid depopulation and an aging population.
Against this backdrop, as part of JICA’s support for local governance in Bhutan, Bhutanese delegations have been invited to visit the mountainous and rural areas of Tokushima Prefecture. To date, we have hosted local government officials (though they are dispatched by the central government) as well as mayors and staff from local municipalities in Tokushima to exchange information on community development in mountainous and rural areas.One outcome of the Tokushima–Bhutan information exchange is the CEP (Community Engagement Platform), which institutionalizes Japan’s so-called “yoriai” (community meetings). More precisely, it institutionalizes the “Jōkai” system—monthly meetings held in every hamlet of Sanakōchi Village.
The final delegation from this exchange program has now arrived in Tokushima. We held a social gathering on Sunday, and on Monday afternoon, I gave a lecture followed by a discussion session.The participants included the Director-General of the Local Government Bureau of the central government, the Governor of Punakha District, one finance official, and one Cabinet official. Having toured rural areas in western Bhutan myself last May, I gave a presentation on Japan’s population decline and the realities of community development, as well as aspects that could potentially be applied to Bhutan, followed by a discussion.
As someone who has been interested in community development in developing countries since my student days, this was a long-awaited opportunity, and I was able to engage in a valuable exchange of views. Through this exchange, the process of clarifying concepts I had previously understood only intuitively was deeply rewarding for me as the presenter, as it helped me define the key points more clearly.
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