はじめに
先週の広報ブログでも触れました通り、この度、吉賀町の「まちづくり委員会」委員を拝命いたしました。100年近く商売を続けてきた小売店の立場から、この町が持つ特異なポテンシャルと必要なまちづくりについて率直な考えをお伝えします。※あくまで個人の感想であり、価値観です。
1. 「計画書作り」で終わらせず、町が一丸となる目標・応援対象を決める
行政の計画策定で最も避けなければならないのは、書類を作って満足してしまうことです。行政・福祉・商工業が再連携した上で、いま吉賀町に最も必要なのは「町全体が何を共通のテーマとし、何を一丸となって応援していくのか」という明確な目標設定です。
2. 二名の文化勲章受章者を輩出した、類まれな「芸術の町」
吉賀町は、人口約5,300人の規模でありながら、澄川喜一氏、森英恵氏という日本を代表する二名もの文化勲章受章者を輩出した希有な町です。全国を探しても他に類を見ないこの歴史と土壌は、私たちが胸を張るべき本物の文化資本です。
3. 松江よりも広島に近い町：独自のアイデンティティと高い意識
地理的に見ても、吉賀町は県庁所在地の松江市より地方政令都市である広島市の方がはるかに近く、生活圏や文化圏も広島と深く結びついています。
- 「しまねっこ」や出雲弁といった型通りの「島根らしさ」を無理にPR(UIターンフェアなどで)してもうまく伝えられない。実感がない
- 広島の都市圏感覚が日常的に入るため、過疎地でありながら人権意識、男女平等、コンプライアンスへの意識が極めて高い
- 古い因習や嫌な田舎らしさを排除し、心地よい距離感を保つスマートな気風がある
この「過疎地でありながら、都市部並みに洗練された感覚を持っている」というギャップこそが、吉賀町の大きな強みです。
4. 郷土愛を推進力に変える「象徴」の確立
10年以上続く「サクラマスプロジェクト」をはじめ、町を出て上京した人々の中にも強い地元愛が育まれています。急激な定住人口増加が望めない今、町を維持・発展させるのは「関係人口」の存在です。彼らが関わり続け、応援したくなるような「町全体のテーマ・明確な目標」を打ち立てることが目標だと考えます。
単なる田舎の延命策ではなく、文化的な誇りと都市感覚を融合させた「新しい過疎地のモデル」を目指し、現場の目線から議論と実践を進めてまいります。
今後とも皆さま、どうぞよろしくお願いいたします。
[Message from the Representative] Upon My Appointment to the Yoshiga Town Community Development Committee: Setting Clear Goals by Leveraging Our Cultural Pride and “Urban Sensibility”
Introduction
As I mentioned in last week’s public relations blog, I have recently been appointed to the Yoshiga Town “Community Development Committee.” From the perspective of a retailer that has been in business for nearly 100 years, I would like to share my candid thoughts on this town’s unique potential and the community development it requires. *Please note that these are strictly my personal opinions and values.
1. Don’t Stop at “Drawing Up Plans”; Determine Goals and Priorities That Unite the Town
The biggest pitfall to avoid in administrative planning is becoming satisfied simply by producing documents. With renewed collaboration among the government, social welfare, and the business and industrial sectors, what Yoshiga Town needs most right now is to set clear goals regarding “what the entire town will adopt as a common theme and what we will all unite to support.”
2. A Rare “Town of the Arts” That Has Produced Two Recipients of the Order of Culture
Despite having a population of only about 5,300, Yoshika Town is a rare community that has produced two of Japan’s leading recipients of the Order of Culture: Kiichi Sumikawa and Hanae Mori. This history and cultural foundation—unparalleled anywhere else in the country—is genuine cultural capital that we should be proud of.
3. A Town Closer to Hiroshima Than to Matsue: A Unique Identity and High Level of Awareness
Geographically speaking, Yoshiga Town is much closer to Hiroshima—a designated city—than to Matsue, the prefectural capital, and its daily life and cultural spheres are deeply intertwined with Hiroshima.
Even if we forcefully promote stereotypical “Shimane-ness”—such as “Shimanekko” or the Izumo dialect—at events like U-turn and I-turn fairs, we cannot effectively convey it. There’s no real sense of it.
Because the sensibilities of the Hiroshima metropolitan area are a daily part of life here, despite being a depopulated area, awareness of human rights, gender equality, and compliance is extremely high.
There is a sophisticated atmosphere that rejects old-fashioned customs and unpleasant “country-like” traits while maintaining a comfortable sense of distance.
This very contrast—being a depopulated area yet possessing a sophistication on par with urban areas—is Yoshika Town’s greatest strength.
4. Establishing “Symbols” That Transform Local Pride into a Driving Force
Starting with the “Sakuramasu Project,” which has been ongoing for over 10 years, a strong sense of local pride has taken root even among those who left the town to move to Tokyo. Now that we cannot expect a rapid increase in the resident population, the existence of the “related population” is key to maintaining and developing the town. We believe our goal is to establish a “town-wide theme and clear objectives” that will encourage them to remain engaged and eager to support us.
Rather than merely seeking to prolong the life of a rural community, we aim to create a “new model for depopulated areas” that fuses cultural pride with an urban sensibility, and we will move forward with discussions and practical initiatives from a grassroots perspective.
We look forward to your continued support.