SEEKING THE HAPPINESS AGENTS IN RURAL JAPAN THROUGH THE CASE STUDY IN KYUSHU REGION

Her ne kadar son yıllarda kırsal ve kent arasındaki altyapısal ve niceliksel eşitsizlik azalmış olsa da, göç ve demografik yapıdaki değişime bağlı olarak Japon kırsalı halen hem üretsel hem de sosyal yaşam açısından derin sorunlarla karşı karşıyadır. Japon kırsalının bu sorunlarını çözebilmek amacıyla pek çok farklı proje gerek yerel yönetimler gerekse merkezi yönetim tarafından hayata geçirilmiştir. Ancak sorunların kökten çözümü noktasında net bir gelişme henüz elde edilebilmiş değildir. Dahası, kırsalın mutlu olması amacıyla yapılan bu çalışmalarda, kırsalın mutluluk algısının ne olduğu, hangi faktörlerin mutluluk kaynağı olarak görüldüğü çoğunlukla ortaya konulmamaktadır. İşte bu noktada, hem kırsalın mutluluk algısını genel hatlarıyla özetleyebilmek, hem de ileride uygulanacak sosyal politikalara bir perspektif temeli oluşturmak amacıyla bu çalışmada Japon kırsalında mutluluk kavramının nasıl algılandığı, mutlu ve mutsuz köyü belirlemede ne tür enstrümanların daha öne çıktığı yapılan saha çalışmasında toplanan veriler üzerinden tartışılacaktır. Bu tartışma ile, merkezi sosyal politikaların material merkezli oluşturmaya çalıştıkları 'mutlu ve sürdürülebilir' kırsal resminin sahada ne kadar karşılık bulduğu sorusuna da yanıt aranmış olacaktır.

Japon Kırsalında Mutluluk Algısı: Kyushu Bölgesi kırsalı saha verileri üzerinden bir değerlendirme

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.

___

  • Adachi, Ikutsune. Kasochi Saisei no Michi [The Way of Revitalization of Depopulated Area]. T?kyo: Nihon Keizai Hy?ronsha, 1981
  • Arahi, Yutaka. Rural Tourism in Japan: The Regeneration of Rural Communities. 2008. http://www.agnet.org/htmlarea_file/library/20110726130209/eb457.pdf (accessed in 10 January 2015)
  • Berry, Berry J. L. and Okulicz-Kozaryn, Adam. "Dissatisfaction with the City Life: A New Look at Some Old Questions." Cities. 32 (2009): 117-124
  • Berry, Berry J. L. and Okulicz-Kozaryn, Adam. "An Urban-Rural Happiness Gradient." Urban Geography 32.6 (2011): 871-883
  • Binswanger, Mathias. "Why does income growth fail to make us happier? Searching for the treadmills behind the paradox of happiness." Journal of SocioEconomics 35 (2006): 366-381
  • Chakraborty, Abhik and Asamizu Munehiko. "Revitalizing Japan`s Mountanious Areas through Green Tourism: A Human Geographical Perspective." Issues in Social Science 2.1 (2014): 58-77
  • Diener, Edward and Suh, M. Eunkook. (2000). Culture and Subjective Well-Being. Cambridge MA: MIT
  • Easterlin, A. Richard. "Does Economic Growth Improve the Human Lot? Some Empirical Evidence." Nations and Households in Economic Growth: Essays in Honor of Moses Abramowitz. Eds. Paul A. David and Melvin W. Reder. New York: Academic, 1974.
  • Feldhoff, Thomas. "Shrinking communities in Japan: Community ownership of assets as a development potential for rural Japan?" Urban Design International 18 (2013): 99-109
  • Frey, Bruno and Stutzer, Alois. Happiness and economics. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University, 2002
  • Hamilton, Clive & Denniss, Richard. "The transition to a post-growth society." Search of Sustainability. Eds. Jenny Goldie, Bob Douglas and Iryan, Furnass. Australia: CSIRO, 2005
  • Hommerich, Carola and Klien, Susanne. "Happiness: Does Culture Matter?" International Journal of Wellbeing 2.4 (2012): 292-298
  • Ikuta Takafumi, Yukawa Kou and Hamasaki, Hiroshi. "Regional branding measures in Japan: Efforts in 12 major prefectural and city governments." Place Branding and Public Diplomacy 3. 2 (2007): 131-143.
  • Ishizaka, Tokunori and Midorikawa, Nana. "The Aged and `Living-Apart Children` in Underpopulated Area." Mie University Bulletin of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences 22 (2005): 111-128
  • Kumamoto University Community Sociology Department. Hoshino Mura Ch?ki Shakai Ch?sa. Kumamoto, 2009.
  • Kumamoto University Sociology Department. Yamato-ch? Ch?ki Ch?sa. Kumamoto, 2006.
  • Kumamoto University Sociology Department. Yamato-ch? Tashutsushi Ch?sa. Kumamoto, 2007.
  • Kawate Tokuya. "Change and Problems Regarding Women Farmers in Japan." A Turning Point of Women Families and Agriculture in Rural Japan. Ed. Tsutsumi Masae. Tokyo: Gakubunsha , 2010. 22-35
  • Kayano Wataru, Hashimoto Michio, Fukawa Tetsua, Shibata Hiroshi, and Gunji, Atsuaki. "The Social Support System of the Japanese Elderly." Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology 9 (1994): 323-333
  • Kitayama, Shinobu, Markus Hazel Rose, and Kurokawa Masaru. "Culture, emotion, and well-being: Good feelings in Japan and the United States." Cognition and Emotion 14.1 (2000): 93-124.
  • Knight, John and Gunatilaka, Ramani. "The Rural-Urban Divide in China: Income but Not Happiness?" The Journal of Development Studies 46.3 (2010a): 506-534
  • Knight, John and Gunatilaka, Ramani. "Great Expectations? The Subjective Wellbeing of Rural-Urban Migrants in China." World Development 38.1 (2010b): 113-124
  • Knight, John. "Rural Revitalization in Japan: Spirit of the Village and Taste of the Country." Asian Survey 34.7 (1994a): 634-46
  • Knight, John. "Town-making in rural Japan: An example from Wakayama." Journal of Rural Studies 10.3 (1994b): 249-261
  • Kurokawa, Kiyoto. "Effectiveness and Limitations of the One Village One Product (OVOP) Approach as a Government-led Development Policy: Evidence from Thai 'One Tambon One Product' (OTOP)." Studies in Regional Science 39.4 (2009): 977-989.
  • Matanle, Peter and Sat?, Yasuyuki. "Coming soon to a city near you! Learning to live 'beyond growth' in Japan's shrinking regions." Social Science Japan Journal 13.2 (2010): 187-210.
  • Matanle, Peter, Rausch Anthony and The Shrinking Regions Research Group. Japan's Shrinking Regions in the 21st Century: Contemporary Responses to Depopulation and Socioeconomic Decline. Cambria, 2011.
  • Mathews, Gordon. What Makes Life Worth Living? How Japanese and Americans Make Sense of Their Worlds. Berkeley: University of California, 1996.
  • Mollenkopf, Heidrun and Kaspar, Roman. "Ageing in Rural Areas of East and West Germany: Increasing Similarities and Remaining Differences." European Journal of Ageing 2 (2005): 120-130
  • Morifuji, Kyoko. "The Characteristics and the Challenges of Rural Women`s Entrepreneurial Activities in Japan." A Turning Point of Women Families and Agriculture in Rural Japan. Ed. Tsutsumi Masae. T?kyo: Gakubunsha, 2010. 35-4
  • Nandy, A., Yalman, N., Aoki, T., Inuhiko, Y. (2003). "Ajia wa 21-seiki ni Donoyouna Koufuku wo Tsuikyuu Suru no ka?" Ajia Shin-seiki. Vol. 4. Tokyo: Iwanami, 2003.
  • Novin Sheida, Ivy F. Tso. Konrath H. Sara. "Self-Related and Other-Related Pathways to Subjective Well-Being in Japan and the United States." Journal of Happiness Studies 15 (2014): 995-1014
  • ?no Akira. Genkaish?raku to Chiiki Saisei. Takachi Shinbun, 2008. Oshio, Takashi and Kobayashi, Miki. "Area-Level Income Inequality and Individual Happiness: Evidence from Japan." Journal of Happiness Studies 12 (2011): 633-649
  • Oshio, Takashi. "Gender Differences Among Elderly Japanese: Importance of Family and Social Relations for Life Satisfaction." 2011. RIETTI Discussion Paper Series. Series no: 11-E-051 http://www.rieti.go.jp/jp/publications/ dp/11e051.pdf (accessed 10 January 2015)
  • Ozsen, Tolga. "The Rural Future from the viewpoint of Living-Apart Adult Children: What do they mean to the future of their hometown? A case study on Kumamoto Metropolitan area." Kumamoto University Studies in Social and Cultural Sciences 7 (2009): 139-153
  • Patrick Julie Hicks, Cottrell Lesley Eepperly and Barnes A. Kristy. "Gender, Emotional Support, and Well-Being Among the Rural Elderly." Sex Roles 45.1-2 (2001): 15-29
  • Piccolo F. Ronald, Judge A. Timothy, Takahashi Koji, Watanabe Naotaka, Locke A. Edwin. "Core self-evaluations in Japan: relative effects on job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and happiness." Journal of Organizational Behavior 26.8 (2005): 965-984.
  • Ram, Rati. "Social capital and happiness: Additional cross-country evidence." Journal of Happiness Studies 11. 4 (2010): 409-418.
  • Rausch, Anthony. "Japanese Rural Revitalization: The Reality and Potential of Cultural Commodities as Local Brands." Japanstudien 20 (2008a): 223-245.
  • Rausch, Anthony. "Place Branding in Rural Japan: Cultural Commodities as Local Brands." Place Branding and Public Diplomacy 4.2 (2008b): 136-146.
  • Rausch, Anthony. "Capitalizing on Creativity in Rural Areas: National and Local Branding in Japan." Journal of Rural and Community Development 4.2 (2009): 65-79.
  • Raymond, A. Jussaume. Jr. "Quality-of-life perceptions of Japanese part-time farmers." Journal of Rural Studies 6.3 (1990): 259-268.
  • Sat? Susumu, Demura Shinichi, Kobayashi Hidegetsu, Nagasawa Yoshinori. "The Relationship and Its Change with Aging between ADL and Daily Life Satisfaction Characteristics in Independent Japanese Elderly Living at Home." Journal of Physiological Anthropology and Applies Human Sciences 21.4 (2002): 195-204
  • Savitri, D. "Sustainable Development of Rural Revitalization: The Pioneer of OVOP Movement." Journal of OVOP Policies 1.7 (2008): 21-30
  • Shucksmith Mark, Cameron Stuart, Merridew Tanya and Pichler Florian. "Urban- Rural Differences in Quality of Life across the European Union." Regional Studies 43.10 (2009): 1275-1289.
  • Suzuki, Eitaro. Nihon n?son shakaigaku no genri. Tokyo: Nihon Hyoronsha. 1940. Switalski, A. Piotr. Europe and the Spectre of Post-Growth Society. Strasbourg: Council of Europe, 2014.
  • Tachigawa M., Yabe K., Doi Y., Taniguchi Y., Ichida T. "Sh?hi Sareru N?son: Posutoseisanshugika no `aratana n?son mondai`". Nenpo Sonrakushakai Kenkyuu. 41, Nôsangyoson Bunka Ky?kai: 2005.
  • Takeuchi Kazuhiko, Namiki Yutaka and Tanaka Hiroyasu. "Designing Eco-Villages for Revitalizing Japanese Rural Areas." Ecological Engineering 11 (1998): 177-197.
  • Thin, Neil. "Counting and Recounting Happiness and Culture: On Happiness Surveys and Prudential Ethnobiography." International Journal of Wellbeing 2.4 (2012): 313-332.
  • Tokuno, Sadao and Kashio Tamaki. T gata sh?raku tenken to raifu hisutor? de mieru kazoku, sh?raku, josei no teiryoku: Genkaish?rakuron o koete. Tokyo: Rural Culture Association, 2014.
  • Tokuno, Sadao. Mura no Shiawase, Machi no Shiawase: Kazoku, Shoku, Kurashi. Tokyo: NHK, 2007.
  • Tokuno, Sadao. "N?sanson Shink? ni okeru Toshi-N?son K?ry?, Gur?n Ts?rizumu no Genkai to Kan?sei." Nenpo Sonrakushakai Kenkyuu 43 (2008): 44-95.
  • Traphagan, W. John. The Practice of Concern: Ritual, Well-Being, and Aging in Rural Japan. North Carolina: Carolina Academic, 2004.
  • Tsuru, Reiko. N?kajosei no Shakaigaku. Tokyo: Comons, 2007.
  • Tsutsumi, Masae . (Eds.). Women and Families in Rural Japan. Tokyo: Tsukuba Shobo, 2000.
  • Tsutsumi, Masae. "Succession of Stem Families in Rural Japan: Cases in Yamanashi Prefecture." International Journal of Japanese Sociology 10.1 (2002): 69-79.
  • Uchida Yukiko, Norasakkunkit Vinai and Kitayama Shinobu. "Cultural Constructions of Happines; Theory and Emprical Evidence." Journal of Happiness Studies 5 (2004): 223-239.
  • Uchida, Yukiko and Ogihara, Yuji. "Personal of Interpersonal Construal of Happiness: A Cultural Psychological Perspective." International Journal of Wellbeing 2.4 (2012): 354-369.
  • Veenhoven, Ruut. "Cross-national Differences in Happiness: Cultural Measurement Bias or Effect of Culture." International Journal of Wellbeing 2.4 (2012): 333-353.
  • Wada T., Ishine M., Sakagami T., Okumiya K., Fujisawa M., Murakami S., ?tsuka K., Yano S., Kita T., Matsubayashi K. "Depression in Japanese communitydwelling elderly--prevalence and association with ADL and QOL." Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics 39.1 (2003): 15-23.
  • Winkelmann, Rainer. "Unemployment, social capital, and subjective well-being." Journal of Happiness Studies 10.4 (2009): 421-430
  • World Commission on Environment and Development. Our Common Future. Oxford: Oxford University, 1987.