It seems ages since people began calling for community revitalization as a means to counter the overconcentration of the Japanese population in metropolitan areas. During the 1980s, the watchword was the "age of local communities" and renewed attention was paid to the individuality and idiosyncrasies of those communities. With the advent of the 1990s, the focus shifted to creating infrastructure and developing local urban features with a view toward the "self-reliance and advancement of local communities." More recently, "internationalization" efforts are being vigorously pushed against the backdrop of Asia's rapid economic growth. Many local governments are working at improving the basic structure for promoting human, cultural and economic exchanges with other countries. This month, we deal with "internationalization" as it affects local communities.
展开▼
