Seeking the Happiness Agents in Rural Japan through the Case Study in Kyushu Region

Abstract

Even though rural Japan have mostly same infrastructural conditions as urban sides have, due to the aging and depopulation, Japanese rural communities have still been facing the issue of sustainability. There are many projects and studies, which aim economic and material development for the rural community. However, those studies or projects, which aim “happy community”, are mostly carried out without questioning what happiness is for the rural community. Thus, this paper is going to attempt firstly to expose what is the happiness for the rural community, secondly to see the relationship between rural problems and happiness/unhappiness actors that are pointed out as most important, and ultimately to discuss the possibility of the perspective that includes non-material happiness factors as much as material ones by considering the field data which were taken at Ukeguchi village in Oita Prefecture, Japan.

Keywords

• Japon Toplumu
• Kırsal Kalkınma
• Japon Modernleşmesi
• Mutluluk
• Kırsal Sürdürülebilirlik