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Messages from Keidanren Executives September, 2015 Thoughts on Local Economy Revitalization

Nobuyuki KOGA Vice Chair, Keidanren
Chairman, Nomura Securities Co., Ltd.

Omuta City in Fukuoka Prefecture is where I grew up. Omuta used to prosper as a "mining town" centering on Miike Coal Mines, and over 200,000 people lived in this regional hub. However, as time passed, mining companies shut down their operations in Omuta. My home town has lost the vitality it used to have. Current population is below 120,000, nearing half of what it used to be. While the thought of my home town fills my heart with sadness, I have to accept the reality.

Whenever revitalization of Omuta is discussed, many people call for a return to the coal mining hub. But I wonder if it is the right path we should take. With the social environment changing constantly, there is only so much that can be done to revive or restore the past prosperity.

In July this year, Omuta was registered as a world heritage on the ground that the city constitutes a part of the "legacy of Japan's industrial revolution in the Meiji era". That is great news. The registration as a world heritage site may embolden advocates of a return to the origin who insist that "the town should be rebuilt around coal mining at its center now that the symbol of Omuta has been recognized globally". But the fact is that the registration merely indicates the "historical value" of Miike Coal Mines. Demand for coals will not come back, nor can we expect people to form a long queue to visit the coal mines.

One day, when I turned on TV, I came across a program featuring Omuta. The program introduced Omuta as aiming to become a "town where elders can wander without any concern". With more than a third of the population aged 65 years or older, the town is looking to help residents deepen their knowledge on dementia and to build a mechanism of mutual support among community members in an effort to become a place where everyone can live comfortably with a peace of mind. This is an undertaking worth commendation. One thought crossed my mind. "I would go back to Omuta when the time comes".

While regional revitalization is being chanted widely, many municipalities undergo trials and errors as they endeavor to build communities making use of their local characteristics but they all seem to find themselves latching onto glorious pasts they once enjoyed after all. However, as Omuta case shows ingenuity in thinking sometimes helps turn negatives of today into positives of tomorrow. My sincere hope is that local communities will find innovative perspectives and create their own values anew that correspond with the reality of the present day in order to "revitalize" themselves in a true sense.

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