The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on urban-rural migration

by Ngo Tu Thanh (Frank Tu)

There has been an abundance of studies demonstrating that the outflow of people from rural areas to urban cities for work and education purposes is one of the main rural challenges. However, the outbreak of COVID-19 has forced countries around the world, including Japan, to utilize virtual modes of working and learning. Social distancing allows for greater flexibility since employees and students are no longer required to be physically present. As Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, and other meeting applications became household names as a byproduct of COVID-19, I was really curious to figure out if the pandemic and the growing popularity of telework and e-learning might have any impact on rural Japan.

On-site training workshops and presentations were no longer possible due to the COVID-19 pandemic
Copyright © Cédric Watanabe-Pacaud 2019

There have been reports of people fleeing Tokyo to other regions to escape COVID-19. For instance, 400,000 people were reported to have left Tokyo in 2020 [1], and the number of those moving away from Tokyo in 2022 was even higher than that in 2021 [2]. Moreover, telework also is said to have long-lasting potential. According to Yamamoto (2020), 25% of those who had worked remotely were interested in moving to rural areas. These numbers seem to suggest an increase of urban-rural migration in Japan against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic [3].

In order to further explicate the impact of COVID-19 on rural areas, I have conducted online interviews and written exchanges with five national policy actors in Japan. They include a high-ranking official at the Headquarters for Regional Revitalization (Cabinet Office), three Advisors for Regional Vitality (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications), and one high-ranking official of the Japan Organization for Internal Migration (JOIN).

It has become clear from the exchanges that all five research participants were optimistic about an increase in urban-rural migrants, particularly due to the growing popularity and adoption of telework and e-learning. However, whether telework can have long-lasting effects on rural areas depends on whether Japan’s companies and organizations continue to allow for this mode of working, even after the COVID pandemic. 

Since 2020, many people in Japan became used to teleworking
Copyright © Pham Thanh Dat 2022

The official at the Headquarters for Regional Revitalization said that the COVID-19 pandemic might have had a positive impact on urban-rural migration, particularly due to people’s changing attitudes towards migration and the emergence of telework. He stated: “While the COVID-19 pandemic has caused damage to the regional economy and society, it has changed people’s mindset and behavior as evidenced by a decline in the net inflow of population into the Tokyo region, an increase in people’s interest in migration to regions and the penetration of telework.” [4]

The Advisors for Regional Vitality also were also in agreement regarding the roles of the COVID-19 pandemic and immigration. First, they believed that the pandemic might have presented a great opportunity for urban-rural migration. The advisors explained that telework allows employees to work from rural areas while still maintaining their urban salaries. This can increase employees’ disposable income as living expenses are comparatively cheaper in rural areas. Similarly, e-learning may also allow students to attend courses at universities in urban cities while living in their hometowns. However, according to the advisors, such a positive impact of COVID-19 on rural revitalization could only last in the long term if Japanese companies and organizations allowed for this new style of working to continue post-COVID. 

Empty classrooms can be seen around the world due to COVID-19
Copyright © Yuji Natsuma 2022

Similarly, the JOIN manager also believed that the pandemic would have a positive impact on migration to rural areas. He said that before the pandemic, many companies in Tokyo had already planned to move to telework for they expected that Tokyo would be overcrowded during the Tokyo Olympics. However, COVID-19 had accelerated the transition to telework. Indeed, he stated that Japanese people are moving and working remotely from places around Tokyo such as Chiba, Kanagawa, and Saitama. Finally, he also believed teleworking from places outside of Tokyo would increase disposable income.

In the early days of the pandemic, there were various efforts to incentivize Tokyo-based employees to work remotely from depopulated areas. For instance, in 2020 a company launched a “co-working space bus tour”, which visited different municipalities outside of Tokyo. The tour was a rare attempt in Japan to bring teleworkers together [5]. However, we are currently in the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic. As companies and educational institutions around Japan are slowly getting back to the traditional style that requires on-site presence, it is important to consider the potential of telework and e-learning for urban-rural migration and rural revitalization. Will Japan capitalize on this opportunity, or will it discard the three years of expertise with online working and learning? I would be very interested to follow up on this.  


References

[1] Teh, C. (2021) ‘400,000 people have fled Tokyo in a 2020 pandemic exodus, seeking cheaper and less crowded cities’, Insider. Available at: https://www.insider.com/400000-people-flee-tokyo-in-2020-pandemic-exodus-2021-3.

[2] Koizumi, H. (2022) ‘More people leave Tokyo’s 23 wards than move in during 2021’, The Asahi Shimbun. Available at: https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14538705.

[3] Yamamoto, T. (2020) ‘1 in 4 teleworkers mulling ditching Japan’s big cities for rural areas’, The Asahi Shimbun. Available at: https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13479412.

[4] Written response from the research participant (2021).

[5] Mainichi Shimbun (2020) ‘Rimōto wāku saizensen: kowākingu tsuā basu de katamichi 90 kiro idõshinagaramo hataraku hito mo aidea mo bunsan’. Available at: https://mainichi.jp/articles/20200124/ddm/012/100/077000c.

Urban-rural migration at our doorstep: Fieldtrip to a community project in the outskirts of Berlin

by Maritchu Durand

It has now been more than two years that the Covid-19 pandemic has affected many aspects of our lives, including the way we conduct research for our project. Since none of us could go to Japan to conduct fieldwork, we decided to broaden our perspective and to take a look at urban-rural migration in our vicinity. I had seen a short documentary on neo-rurals on the European public service channel arte [1] recently, featuring a community project founded by former residents of Berlin in the capital’s surrounding region Brandenburg. I contacted them and got a quick and positive response: our team was welcome to pay a visit if we wished to get to know the place better. On a cool Saturday morning at the end of March, we packed our sandwiches, put on our hiking shoes and set off to Brandenburg.

Without a car, there are two possibilities to go there: either by bus that drives by every hour or so, or a 10 kilometer walk. We chose the second option and passed through small sleepy villages in-between large fields and pine forests. Surrounded by nature, I was expecting to find a community embedded in its natural environment, with inclines towards self-sufficiency, organic produce and sustainable farming. Previously, I had heard of farms in Brandenburg selling their local produce on markets in the capital. But what we found was slightly different and surprising.

After a two hour walk and a cold picknick on the damp grass, we were happy to reach the small village where the community project is located. Just across the pebble stone road, facing the church, is the entrance of Hof Prädikow: an abandoned complex that hosted many different buildings for different activities such as a forge, a brewery, a bakery and different storage buildings. Passing the gates, we entered the first courtyard: while the small café, the adjacent barn and an old building were already in use, most of the other buildings were either under construction or still rather run down. As soon as we arrived, one of the residents, whom I had previously emailed, greeted and invited us to sit and enjoy some home-made sweets and coffee.

In the café, we had the opportunity to talk to our host about the community project, how it came to be and how it functioned. It is run by a collective that currently consists of 60 adults and 30 children, mainly from Berlin. All members have already moved or will soon be moving to the village. The community is organized in specialized groups that are responsible for and possess expertise on different key fields in the community. It is based on the principle of sociocracy. Each adult member has a voice and participates in the decision-making process. One of the important decisions the community collectively makes is whom to accept as a new member and resident. They receive many applications and carefully choose its members, making sure they fit their mindset and agree to their overall goal to live together. But what did those individuals seek in the countryside? For some, it is a life surrounded by nature to raise their children as well as a life within a community. The latter refers to the feeling of being part of a collective and being able to realize personal projects within a group. Most of the residents want to get away from the city. Although the community is not designed as a weekend destination some residents seem to still be very much connected to the capital and keep their apartments in the city to return whenever necessary.

The first courtyard: while the buildings on the right are almost finished, the one on the left is under intensive construction
Copyright © Cornelia Reiher 2022

While living in the cooperatively owned apartments, residents initiate different events and projects. One project is the Café where locals and visitors of all ages can meet while enjoying a drink, a hearty homemade meal or artisanal cakes. Other projects include as a co-working space, a barn for events organized by locals and newcomers. Realizing these projects and the costly renovation of the old buildings was only possible thanks to several sponsors. I was surprised to find out that many actors from NPOs to regional and national governments were involved in financing the project.

The second courtyard: the chimney from the old forge dominates a collection of old brick buildings that are all in need of thorough renovations – a great potential for many future projects
Copyright © Cornelia Reiher 2022

This was a very interesting trip that allowed us to get a glimpse into urban-rural migration at our doorsteps. It was not exactly what I had expected. While I thought I would find more connections to agriculture and nature, the focus of the community was rather on communal and shared living. I was also surprised by how popular communal living is in Germany, something I have not come across in Japan – at least to that extent. On the contrary, some problems seemed to be quite similar to what we have seen in Japan, especially the relationship they had with the local population, between consensus building, skeptical beginnings and ideological differences. Do these types of community also exist in Japan? This is a question yet to be explored.


[1] https://www.arte.tv/de/videos/093706-001-A/re-der-lockruf-der-provinz/

Yarabu Tree: Multi-species collaboration and co-habitation on Ikema

by Sarah Bijlsma

In order to make tamanu oil, you first need a tree known as penaga laut or nyamplung (Calophyllum inophyllum) or terihaboku in Japanese. In the local dialect of Ikema-jima, a small island just off the coast of Miyako, this tree is called yarab. The local population of Ikema-jima has been planting yarab trees since the times of the Ryūkyū Kingdom on shores and around agricultural fields. Together with the lower adan tree (Pandanus odoratissimus), these lines of vegetation serve as windbreaks against the strong northern winds that come from the ocean. As such, they protect crops from damage by outside forces, while simultaneously preventing ki (energy) to flow out of the island.

A yarab tree bearing fruits
Copyright © Tomoko Miwa 2020

Yarab trees bloom in the spring and fall and often bear fruit throughout the year. The fruits are round and a few centimeters in size, have a greyish green color and pungent taste. While humans generally do not consume the fruits, the bats on Ikema-jima are fond of them. At night, they pick them from the trees and eat the pulp with their small teeth. The seed inside the fruit is too hard to eat and hence dropped. Bats only eat those fruits that are free from chemicals; finding yarab seeds on the ground is a sign that no pesticides are used.

The local population celebrates yarab trees as symbols of fertility and scolds them for the many seeds and fruits that are lying around everywhere. Yet, recently the Ikema residents began to view them from a new perspective. After working for seven years for the Ikema Welfare Support Center (Ikema fukushi shien sentaa), Kanagawa-born Tomoko Miwa realized that creating jobs for the island’s children in the future would help Ikema island the most. Together with her husband she started Yarabu Tree, a small company that plants yarab trees and produces tamanu oil from their seeds.

The seed of the yarab tree
Copyright © Tomoko Miwa 2018

A first step in the oil production process is to go out and collect the seeds. In this, Tomoko and her husband are helped by Ikema’s obaa-san and ojii-san. At that point, the seeds are still wrapped in a hard brown shell that needs to be cracked with a hammer or nutcracker—another job for the elderly islanders. Tomoko explains to me that planting yarab trees helps against soil erosion, but the oil production process also enhances the social relationships between the islanders. “There are of course people who are not able to receive salaries like we do, who are disabled, or who cannot live a normal life for any other reason. These individuals quickly withdraw from [social life on] the island” [1]. An example are the many old men on Ikema-jima who develop drinking issues. Without having anything better to do, they start early in the morning, and just wait until the evening comes, drinking by themselves. “Our idea was that with Yarabu Tree, these people can get a job that they can do anytime anywhere, in their own pace, with people they like […]. Bit by bit, we touched upon different kinds of people and while we had never imagined that before, these people built relationships with one another. Of course, they receive money because that is important too, but what surprised us the most is how the relationship between the people on the island is changing gradually” [2].

Islanders cracking the seeds together
Copyright © Tomoko Miwa 2020

After the shells are removed, the seeds are washed and dried in the sun. This process can take up to three months. Tomoko has tried to dry the seeds mechanically but concluded that much of the natural resin is lost in that way. When it is time, the seeds are turned into tamanu oil by using cold-pressing techniques. The oil is sold pure, as body oil, or mixed with the flowers of shell ginger (Alpinia zerumbet). The Yarabu Forest that Tomoko and her husband began will be turned into a commons when fully grown. In this way, everyone on the island can go and collect the seeds, crack the shells, and produce the oil by themselves.

Drying the seeds in the Ikema sun
Copyright © Tomoko Miwa 2020

Tamanu oil is a product of multi-species collaboration and co-habitation. Tree, bat, and human work together to secure each other’s livelihoods. “[When I first told the obaa-san and ojii-san about my plans], they were like, ‘that is definitely impossible! Those fallen things, let’s just throw them with the garbage’” [3]. Tomoko laughs and says that the locals still can hardly believe that people in big cities actually buy the product. This illustrates how tamanu oil creates a bridge between Ikema-jima’s local traditions and people in Japanese metropoles who support the island through buying the products. Tamanu oil also connects Miyako’s long-term residents and newcomers. “I think that you heard this as well, but it is true that the people who migrated [to the Miyako Islands] and the people from here usually do not have so much contact with one another. They have separate communities, and the migrants are not so interested or involved with the islanders, I believe. But the tamanu oil that we produce is made by the elderly of the island, you know. […] And the migrants are very interested in [the oil], which means that there is a connection after all, I think” [3].


[1] Interview with Tomoko Miwa, 23 March 2022.
[2] Interview with Tomoko Miwa, 23 March 2022.
[3] Interview with Tomoko Miwa, 23 March 2022.
[4] Interview with Tomoko Miwa, 23 March 2022.

Creating physical and digital connections – New rural lifestyles in Japan (part 1)

by Cecilia Luzi

As many posts on this blog have shown, rural Japan is diverse. The experiences of living in rural areas vary according to geographical, economic or demographic conditions. But local or prefectural authorities, the central government and individual citizens spread an image of an idealized rural life which is highly homogeneous. Images of idealized rural lifestyles are not something new, and in times of the Covid pandemic, digital media are becoming the perfect tool to circulate new images of rural lifestyles.

Migrants use social media to share information about their lives and their jobs, often on a daily base. The great creativity in terms of creating jobs and businesses always strikes me when I go through migrants’ profiles. Many are owners of small independent businesses such as cafes, shops, guesthouses and wellness-related enterprises. This plurality in urban-rural migrants’ entrepreneurship was already discovered by other authors who have studied urban-rural migration in Japan. Among young urbanites’ reasons for leaving the metropolis is their desire to live and work in a community with close social ties and enjoyable interactions with people from this community [1].

A local market in Wakayama Prefecture
Copyright © Cecilia Luzi 2019

Migrant entrepreneurs become part of social networks which extend beyond work. They participate in local markets, buy ingredients from small local farms, organize events for the town and receive help from and exchange vegetables with their neighbors. At the same time, they post about their lives on social media and receive comments and likes from all over Japan, sometimes from the entire world. What these social media profiles seem to suggest, or at least what migrants want followers to see, is that living and working in rural areas today does not lead to isolation and disconnectedness. On the contrary: it can lead to close local connections while at the same time virtual interactions allow migrants to cultivate the bonds with those left behind and maintain their social networks even beyond the place they live in.

Municipal and prefectural authorities also use official websites and social media to promote the life in the countryside. They aim to appeal to urban dwellers in pursuit of newcomers to rural areas. Local authorities tend to emphasize that rural environments offer rich and new possibilities for interactions with locals. However, finding a job or starting a new business can be a daunting task for newcomers who cannot count on their social safety net. Therefore, municipalities and prefectures provide measures to support work and occupation for migrants. These are at the heart of their rural revitalization strategies.

Recently, I observed something interesting on Nagasaki Prefecture’s website for prospective migrants, Nagasaki ijū-nabi. To the many pages full of support schemes and facilities, the prefecture added a link to a new section advertising remote work around September 2021. On this new website, the prefecture promotes events about remote working facilities and provides a list of several local initiatives and start-ups that support connectivity and remote work. My impression is that Nagasaki aims to expand the opportunities and the use of telework in many professions of the tertiary sector in order to attract people who want to leave Tokyo during the pandemic [2].

A local market in Wakayama Prefecture
Copyright © Cecilia Luzi 2019

The message on Nagasaki prefecture’s website is simple: the prefecture provides in-migrants with all that is necessary to stay fully digitally connected and to be able to work remotely after migration. This way, they can have a fulfilling professional life while enjoying Nagasaki’s rich natural and cultural environments. Moreover, they can maintain the connections with the metropolis, while living “a better life” in the countryside with people who share their lifestyle.

In conclusion, exploring how migrants and local authorities showcase rural life in the digital space can help us to understand multiple layers of connectedness between rural and urban areas. Nowadays in Japan, the possibility for connections and social networks appears to be key to realize a good life in the countryside. Real world interactions are what many migrants aim for, while digital connections are what they bring to rural areas. I would say that the access to digital networks enables the sustainment of existing social and professional networks and the creation of new ones. Digital networks and remote work make rural lives possible for many migrants. One fundamental aspect of new rural lifestyles in contemporary Japan is social connections, both physical and digital.

References

[1]
Klien, S. (2020). Urban Migrants in Rural Japan: Between Agency and Anomie in a Post-Growth Society. Suny Press.

[2]
Ueda, M. (2020, 8 July). Urban exodus in cards as people find freedom in teleworking. The Asahi Shinbun. https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13485555

ゲスト寄稿: 有田町と立命館アジア太平洋大学の友好交流協定 Guest Contribution: The partnership between Arita Town and the Asia Pacific University

文/英語訳:ヴィンセント – ホイザ

去年の投稿で述べたように、佐賀県にある有田町は世界的に焼き物で知られ、現在有名な有田焼のリブランドに取り組んでいます。

2019年の10月に有田町と大分県にある立命館アジア太平洋大学(これ以降APUと略称)が協定を締結しました。この協定を通じて、有田町が地域の持続的な発展と国際的に活躍できる人材を育成すること、そして若者の中での有田町の知名度向上を目指しています。有田町とAPUが実行している主なプロジェクトはインターンシップ事業であり、2021年2月から3月にかけて初めて実施し、APUの学生4名が有田に滞在していました。今年2月にインターンシップ事業が2回目に実施され、APUの学生3名が参加していました。日本国籍の学生も応募可能ですが、これまで参加者は全員APUの外国籍の学生です。有田での滞在中、学生たちは有田町の歴史的地区を通る皿山通り沿いの国際的なゲストハウスで生活します。このためこの地区に住む、窯業関係者とよく交流ができる上に、有田町にとって窯業の存在がどれほど重要か、また町並みにどれだけ影響を与えたかがよく分かります。

by Vincent Heuser

As mentioned in my first blog post, Arita town in Saga Prefecture is known worldwide for porcelain and currently trying to rebrand its famous Arita Ware.

In October 2019, Arita Town and the Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University in Oita Prefecture (abbreviated as APU from here on) signed a Partnership Agreement. [1] With this Partnership Agreement, Arita Town aims to find new ways for sustainable development and training of talented people that can interact on an international level [2] as well as to make Arita more widely known among younger people. The main project that Arita and APU have implemented is an internship program that was first carried out from February to March 2021. As part of this program four students from APU stayed in Arita. In February this year, the internship project was held for the second time with three students from APU. Even though it is also open to apply for Japanese students, so far all participants were non-Japanese students enrolled at APU. During their stay, the students live in an international guesthouse in Arita located in the middle of the Sarayama Street, the main street running through the old historic part of Arita Town. This makes it easy to connect with people involved in the ceramics industry living in that area as well as to get an impression on how much the ceramics industry means to the town and how much the townscape is influenced by it.

インターンシップ事業を卒業した立命館アジア太平洋大学の学生が証明書を受け取る
The APU students participating in the 2022 internship program receive their certificates
Copyright © Arita Town 2022

インターンシップ事業の期間は2週間弱で、そのうち5日間学生が派遣された事業者で仕事します。受け入れ先の中には窯業にかかわる企業やまちづくりに取り組む企業、そして有田観光協会があります。有田町が受け入れ先をこの事業に携わる全ての者、すなわち学生本人、受け入れ先と町がそれらの受け入れ先でのインターンシップを通して、どのような成果(物)を期待できるかという基準で選択します。

学生にとって、主な目標は将来、日本で仕事するかどうかを決める際に参考になる日本での実際の仕事経験を身につけることです。そして、学生が派遣された企業の業界を将来の選択肢として本人が視野に入れるかどうか判断する機会を与えられます。受け入れ先にとっては、スタッフとして雇用可能な人材に出会う機会が生まれます。また、外国籍の学生、もしくは外国語が話せる日本人の学生が企業の国際化に役立つ可能性もあります。町にとっては、有田町を町ぐるみ、また生活や仕事をする場所として、佐賀県外や海外からの若者にアピールする狙いがあります。また町は、若者がもっと窯業に興味を持ってくれるよう、宣伝します。

The internship is about two weeks long. Students spend five days actually working at the business that they are assigned to. Among the businesses that accepted the students are companies operating in the ceramics industry as well as a company focusing on town development and the Arita Tourism Association. The local government chooses the businesses based on considerations about whether an internship at that place appears to be promising regarding the benefits for the interns themselves, the businesses and the town.

For the interns, the main goal is to get some firsthand experience in Japanese businesses that can be helpful when deciding if they aim for a career in Japan. Furthermore, students get the opportunity to find out whether the ceramics industry is a field where they want to work in the future. The companies accepting interns get the opportunity to meet potential new staff to recruit. Also, foreign students or Japanese students able to speak foreign languages can contribute to the internationalization of the business. As for the town, the main target is to make Arita more widely known as a town as well as a place to live and work among young people from outside Saga Prefecture and Japan. The town also aims to promote the ceramics industry as a field that young people might develop interest in.

有田焼の歴史は400年以上に亘り、何世紀もの間、繁栄と衰退を繰り返しました。戦後以降では、1990年代初頭が最も盛んでしたが、バブル崩壊以降、多くの他の業界と同様、窯業は低迷しています。人口が減少し、工芸家よりもアカデミックキャリアを目指す若者が増えつつある中で、多くの伝統工芸において、後継者の獲得が大変になっています。このような傾向による影響は窯業が主産業である有田町ではとりわけ強く感じられることでしょう。そのため、窯業の人気を高めるよう、有田町と窯業自体が八方手を尽くし、さまざまな方法を試みています。APUとの協定は町の窯業支援策の一つです。

The history of the ceramics industry in Arita stretches over more than 400 years with many ups and downs in its prosperity over the centuries. Within the more recent history after WW2, the early 1990s have been the prime for ceramics production and sales in Arita but since the burst of the economic bubble in Japan, similar to many other industries, the ceramics industry has been in a state of recession. The crafts industry in Japan struggles to find new craftspeople as the population shrinks and the proportion of young people choosing an academic career over a career in crafts is rising. With the ceramics industry as its biggest industry, the effects of that tendency can be strongly felt in Arita. Therefore, the ceramics industry and the town itself are experimenting with different means to raise the popularity of the ceramics industry as a field of employment. The partnership with APU is one of the measures to promote and support the ceramics industry.

有田の窯のツアー
Tour through one of Arita`s kilns
Copyright © Arita Town 2022

上述の2週間程度のインターンシップ以外にも、有田町とAPUが様々なプロジェクトに取り組んでいます。その一環として、2021年11月に、APUの学生13名が有田で週末を過ごしました。学生が有田焼について学び、町民との交流もできました。町の小学生の前でそれぞれの母国についてプレゼンテーションし、国際交流に興味がある町民とのグループディスカッションにも参加していました。

Besides the two-week internship mentioned above, Arita’s local government and APU also work on other projects as part of their partnership. In November 2021, they held an event, for which 13 students from APU spent a weekend in Arita. They learned about the ceramics industry and also got in touch with local residents. They gave presentations in front of elementary school children introducing their home countries and took part in group discussions with locals interested in international exchange.

有田の雛のやきものまつりでの文化体験
Cultural experience during the Hiina Festival in Arita
Copyright © Arita Town 2022

有田町とAPUの友好交流協定の歴史はまだ比較的日が浅いですが、、既に強い絆で結ばれています。特に、コロナの状況の中で新しい協力関係や繋がりを結ぶことが普段より遥かに難しくなっていることを考えれば、2年半たらずの間に、有田町とAPUの交流がどれほど活発になってきたか、目覚ましいほどです。今後、この交流がさらに深まり、携わる全ての人がその目標を達成しますように!

Even though the history of the partnership between Arita Town and APU is still rather short, a strong connection has already developed. Especially when keeping in mind that due to the Covid-19 pandemic it is much more complicated to develop new partnerships and connections than usual, it is remarkable how active the exchange between Arita and APU has become in less than two and half years. May this connection become even stronger in the future and produce results satisfying all parties involved.


[1]
Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, https:// apu.ac.jp/home/news/article/?storyid=3145 (last viewed on March 3rd, 2022)

[2]
Official Journal of Arita Town, December 2019


ヴィンセント・ホイザはハンブルク大学アフリカ・アジア学部日本学科を卒業しました。卒業論文のテーマは「2011年の東日本大震災後の日本:東北地方の復興」です。現在はJETプログラムの参加者として、有田町役場で勤務しています。

Vincent Heuser received his bachelor’s degree from Hamburg University with a thesis on “Japan after the triple disaster 2011: The revitalization of the Tōhoku area”. He currently works as coordinator for international relations (CIR) in the JET-Program at the municipal hall of Arita-chō.