Role of Youth in Implementing SDGs Future City in Tosacho, Kochi, Japan

Yamazawa, Nanami; Ozaki, Yasutaka; Shaw, Rajib

doi:10.35534/rrd.2023.10004

Submit to RRD

Article Open Access

Role of Youth in Implementing SDGs Future City in Tosacho, Kochi, Japan

Rural and Regional Development . 2023, 1(1), 10004; https://doi.org/10.35534/rrd.2023.10004

Nanami Yamazawa Yasutaka Ozaki ^*

Rajib Shaw

Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Fujisawa 252-0882, Japan

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 07 Apr 2023 Accepted: 09 Aug 2023 Published: 21 Aug 2023

Full-Text HTML Full-Text PDF Download PDF

Abstract

The “SDG Future Cities” established by the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Promotion Headquarters of Cabinet Office of Government of Japan, are being expanded to all municipalities in Japan through government support for the efforts of leading municipalities. Tosa town is a small town with less than 4000 people with high aging population and surrounded by mountains in Kochi Prefecture. The town was selected as one of the SDG Future City in 2020. In this paper, through a literature review, interviews with the Tosa Town Office, and a questionnaire survey and interview with residents of Tosa town, we considered what young people need to do to achieve SDG-11. Although Tosa Town has a variety of local government initiatives, the definition of a town where young people can continue to live, as revealed in the literature review, was found to be insufficient in terms of “economic resources,” “decision-making,” “data,” and “knowledge”. However, it was found that “community leaders,” “nature/topography,” and “community/people” are the most important factors for creating a town where people can continue to live. As for future issues, it is necessary to take measures for “decision-making,” “data,” and “knowledge,” as well as to solve issues specific to Tosa town.

Keywords

Sustainable Development Goal 11; SDG future cities; Tosa Town, Kochi Prefecture; Youth

As the sense of crisis over a society with a declining population intensifies, the nature of local communities and the sustainability of local governments are being questioned anew. The concentration of population in large cities is still difficult to solve, and population decline is a serious problem in rural areas. Therefore, various attempts have been made in various places to solve social problems in Japan local communities [<a href='#B1' class='html-bibr' title='1'>1</a>]. Regional revitalization aims to halt the declining birthrate and aging population, overcome the declining population and shrinkage of regional economies, and secure growth potential into the future [<a href='#B2' class='html-bibr' title='2'>2</a>]. Although the population of some municipalities is increasing, Japan as a whole is shrinking. If this is the case, it is necessary to change the mindset of “the region continues to be healthy despite the declining population” rather than the conventional “overcoming the population decline and revitalizing the region.” In order for regional areas to secure growth potential into the future, it is important to create sustainable communities and revitalize communities so that people can live with peace of mind. In particular, in areas where the population is rapidly declining, it is necessary to maintain and regenerate the foundation of daily life [<a href='#B1' class='html-bibr' title='1'>1</a>].

In the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in September 2015, 17 goals and 169 targets were set. 232 indicators were also presented to measure progress. By utilizing these, it will be possible to have a common language for regional revitalization among different stakeholders such as governments, private businesses, and citizens, advance understanding of policy goals, and promote rational cooperation among local government operations [<a href='#B2' class='html-bibr' title='2'>2</a>]. However, we considered that sufficient consideration has not been given to SDG 11 for young people in Japan on the issue of sustainable urban development for young people. In addition, “SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities” has 10 targets and SDG 11 will be achieved by achieving these 10 targets.

In order for young people to participate in SDG 11, it is necessary to build a field where high school students can participate and play an active role in community development and activities and projects related to SDG 11. To this end, a platform needs to be built that brings together high school students, young people, school officials, non-profit organizations, local governments and private business establishments (including small stores) and will launch projects in which high school students and young people can enjoy and participate proactively while exchanging opinions on urban development and SDG 11 in a flat relationship. Adults serve as good advisors and companions for high school students and young people. Through this process, all participants aim to improve community development and SDGs literacy. By linking these efforts to Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, it is expected that the possibility of cross-curricula that encompasses various themes such as disaster prevention and mitigation, universal design, inclusive education, and climate change centered on urban development will increase [<a href='#B3' class='html-bibr' title='3'>3</a>].

In response to the adoption of the SDGs at the United Nations Summit, the Japan government established the SDGs Promotion Headquarters, headed by the Prime Minister and composed of all ministers. In December 2016, the SDGs Implementation Guidelines were launched, in December 2017 the SDGs Action Plan 2018, and in June 2018, the expanded SDGs Action Plan 2018 was launched. In promoting initiatives for sustainable urban development and regional revitalization, the Cabinet Office is promoting regional revitalization (Cabinet Office, Regional Revitalization SDGs) driven by the SDGs because synergistic effects such as overall optimization of policies and acceleration of solving regional issues can be expected by incorporating the principles of the SDGs [<a href='#B4' class='html-bibr' title='4'>4</a>].

In addition, since 2008, Japan has selected “Environmental Model Cities” and “Environmental Future Cities” for the realization of a sustainable economy and society. In addition to “Environmental Model Cities” and “Future Cities for the Environment,” the SDGs Future Cities select regions and cities that are strategically working to achieve the SDGs as “Local Government SDGs” that lead to regional revitalization in collaboration with local stakeholders. In addition, particularly outstanding and leading initiatives are selected and supported as “Local Government SDGs Model Projects” and the dissemination of successful cases are promoted [<a href='#B5' class='html-bibr' title='5'>5</a>]. A total of 154 cities have been selected as SDGs Future Cities so far: 29 cities in fiscal 2018, 31 cities in fiscal 2019, 33 cities in fiscal 2020, 31 cities in fiscal 2021, and 30 cities in fiscal 2022. Of these, the smaller the population, the lower the certification rate.

In this paper, young people are defined as the age covered by the policy target age for youth support as defined by the Act on Advancement of Support for the Development of Children and Youth enacted by the Cabinet Office on April 1, 2010.
Therefore, in this study, since the SDGs cover a wide range of topics and methodologies, we attempted to analyze the problems to achieve Sustainable Development Goals 11 among young people in Tosa Town, Kochi Prefecture. The purpose is to identify issues for solving problems among young people in Tosa Town, which has been selected as SDGs Future City. Also, the topics of this research are:

1.	What is “urban development where young people can continue to live”?
2.	What are the Tosa Town Hall’s efforts to create a sustainable city?
3.	What is the “sustainable community development” unique to the young people of Tosa Town?

Through the following process, this paper clarifies the challenges in realizing “community where young people can continue to live” and clarifies the situation in Tosa Town.

<em>2.1. Literature Review</em>

From previous researches, we will show the problems of urban development where young people can continue to live, and clarify the significance of this paper.

We discussed what it means to “create a community where young people can continue to live.” According to [<a href='#B3' class='html-bibr' title='3'>3</a>], in order for young people to participate in the SDG 11, it is necessary to build a field where high school students can participate and play an active role in activities and projects related to community development and SDG 11 at the local community level. To this end, it is necessary to build a platform where high school students, young people, school staff, non-profit organizations, community associations, local governments, and private businesses (including small stores) can come together and exchange opinions on community development and the SDG 11 in a flat relationship, while developing projects that are enjoyable and rewarding for high school students and young people and in which they can actively participate. Through this process, it is also aimed at improving the community development and SDG literacy of all those who participate in the project. By linking these efforts to SDG Goal 11: Make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable, it is expected that the possibility of a cross-curriculum encompassing diverse themes, such as disaster prevention and mitigation, universal design, inclusive education, and climate change, with city planning as its core, will be enhanced. The cross curricular possibilities are expected to increase.

According to [<a href='#B6' class='html-bibr' title='6'>6</a>], an analysis of the correlation between the potential of young people to achieve SDG 11 and the challenges they face in supporting that potential shows three phenomena.

1.	Governments tend to rely primarily on older groups for policy and decision-making.
2.	That youth around the world do not have equal use of the same tools, resources, and opportunities.
3.	Youth around the world do not have equal access to the same tools, resources, and opportunities to promote local ownership to make their cities more sustainable.

The results of a questionnaire survey of young people in 19 cities in 17 countries revealed four issues.

1.	Economic Resources: Difficulty in obtaining funds and grants for project development, lack of financial support
2.	Decision-making: Lack of opportunities to exchange ideas and collaborate with decision makers, lack of youth participation in decision making
3.	Data: Lack of access to data
4.	Knowledge: Lack of knowledge to make correct decisions about information, etc.

Based on these analyses in the previous paper, we conducted interviews and questionnaires during our fieldwork in Tosa Town.

<em>2.2. Interview Survey</em>

Interview Period: August 24~September 3, 2022

There was only one investigator. After requesting interviews, we interviewed four Tosa Town Hall staff members and 26 young people from Tosa Town. It was a format in which the listener’s questions were answered freely. Questions were asked according to the situation, and the order of questions was changed flexibly. However, each person was informed in common about the content, purpose, background, progress, etc. of the activities being carried out by the interviewees. The interviews were recorded with a voice coder.

The interview time required for each person was about 60 minutes.

2.2.1. Interview with Tosa Town Hall staff

Interview surveys are conducted to obtain information that is difficult to obtain from the town hall’s website and reports, such as measures and problems in Tosa Town that are considered by town hall staff.

Interviewees: 4 Tosa Town Hall Staff (name: Displayed by last name initials, age, profession, whether from Tosa Town or not.)

O (41 years old, town hall, I-turn※), M (38 years old, town hall, I-turn), K (48 years old, town hall), M (33 years old, town hall, Motoyama town)
※	I-turn means the one who have moved to a rural area other than their place of origin.
※	U-turn means the one who have moved to their place of origin.

■	questionnaire
•	What kind of initiatives is Tosa Town focusing on?
•	What initiatives does Tosa Town actually implement regarding “economic resources,” “decision-making,” “data,” and “knowledge?

2.2.2. Interview with Young People in Tosa Town

Do the problems of creating a town where young people can continue to live, which have been revealed in previous research, apply to the young people of Tosa Town? In addition, we will conduct an interview survey to find out what kind of community development is available so that Tosa Town can continue to live. The responses obtained from the interview survey were analyzed by Pipod tables.

Interviewees: 22 Young people aged 15~39 in Tosa Town, Kochi Prefecture

S (35 years old, town hall), I (36 years old, town hall), T (33 years old, office worker/NPO corporation, I-turn), S (17 years old, high school student, I-turn), S (21 years old, college student, I-turn), M (28 years old, social welfare corporation) T (33 years old, town hall, Okawamura), T (31 years old, town hall), O (30 years old, town hall, U-turn), M (27 years old, general incorporated association, U-turn), S (26 years old, community revitalization cooperation team, I-turn), F (17 years old, high school student), N (17 years old, high school student, I-turn), O (27 years old, general incorporated association, I-turn), K (16 years old, high school student, Motoyama Town), N (28 years old, Community Revitalization Volunteers, I-turn), C (19 years old, Community Revitalization Volunteers, I-turn), S (28 years old, office worker, U-turn), N (29 years old, I-turn), S (34 years old, primary industry, U-turn), S ( 26 years old, Community Revitalization Cooperation Volunteers, U-turn), S (31 years old, primary industry)

■	questionnaire
•	Why do you continue to live in Tosa Town (as a positive side)?
•	What are your reasons for moving to Tosa Town?
•	What are the positive aspects of Tosa Town?
•	What is missing for you to continue living in Tosa Town (on the negative side)?

<em>2.3. Questionnaire Survey of Young People in Tosa Town</em>

Based on the results of the interview survey, we created questionnaire survey questions by combining quantitative and qualitative approaches.

The quantitative approach is to aggregate and analyze quantitative data expressed in some definite numerical value or quantity, such as the number of people, percentages, or trend values. The qualitative approach is used by researchers to interpret the meaning of things that cannot be expressed in quantity or percentage, such as individual statements and actions, to obtain qualitative data that leads to new understandings and hints.

Respondents: Those between the ages of 15~39 who work or live in Tosa town.

A total of 33 people, 14 men and 19 women aged 15~39, responded to the questionnaire. There were 19 people from Tosa Town, 7 people from Kochi Prefecture other than Tosa Town, 1 person from Kyoto Prefecture, 1 person from Saitama Prefecture, 1 person from Hiroshima Prefecture, 2 people from Tokyo Prefecture, and 2 people from Kanagawa Prefecture.

Period: October 25–November 22, 2022
Method: Conducted from the WEB questionnaire form

■	Examples of Question Items
•	Which of the following four things do you think is most lacking in Tosa Town?
•	Financial resources and support, ease of decision making, access to data, opportunities to gain knowledge
•	Which of the above four do you think is most lacking in Tosa Town?
•	What are your reasons for continuing to live in Tosa Town (or wanting to continue to live in Tosa)?
•	Why can’t you continue to live in Tosa Town, or why do you want to come back but can’t?
•	Are you interested in decision making?
•	Would you like to participate in decision making in Tosa Town?
•	Are you interested in community decision-making?
•	Do you think Tosa Town is an easy place for young people to express their opinions and make new proposals?
•	What do you think is the best way to gain new knowledge?
•	What do you think about the existence of a community chief?

These analytical processes are consistent with the Research Topics presented in the Introduction, i.e. Topic1 will be clarified through a literature survey, Topic 2 will be clarified through an interview survey with Tosa Town Hall staff and Topic3 will be clarified through interviews and questionnaire surveys with young people in Tosa Town.

<em>3.1. Review of Previous Research</em>

3.1.1. Local Government SDGs and Civic Participation

The achievement of the SDGs and efforts to achieve each goal requires the active participation of citizens. However, one of the obstacles to civic participation is biased access to information and the existence of information gaps. Uneven access to information and the existence of information gaps deprive people of the opportunities to participate in decision-making and reducing their sense of ownership. Therefore, participation can be promoted by providing appropriate information. In this process, participants themselves can become generators of information, which increases their sense of ownership. Increased participation as information generators could contribute to obtaining more detailed data on the SDGs, which are currently lacking. Moreover, the achievement of the SDGs requires the participation of various stakeholders. However, biased access to information and the digital divide deprives them of the opportunity to participate in decision-making and dilute their sense of ownership. In promoting diverse citizen participation, it is particularly necessary to promote participation at the citizen level. In this case, in addition to providing information from the top down, citizens themselves may participate in survey and research activities and become disseminators of information, which may increase the sense of ownership among participants. It is also important to discuss how to create a place for diverse participants to gather, create a mechanism to increase motivation, and maintain the transparency of information. And it is technology that can promote the acquisition and generation of information through citizen participation. By developing infrastructure such as smart cities and data infrastructure, it is possible to promote the acquisition and generation of further information by making it the center of information mechanism [<a href='#B7' class='html-bibr' title='7'>7</a>].

Local governments are working to solve local issues through cooperation among governments, citizens, companies, and other related organizations around the world toward sustainable local communities. “Local Agenda 21” refers to such initiatives and action plans based on “Agenda 21”. The role of local governments working together with citizens is essential for the formulation of the policy, and citizen participation and regional cooperation in the formulation process are important. Local government plans have been expanding their scope not only to the environment but also to other fields through policy coordination with the national government and other local governments [<a href='#B8' class='html-bibr' title='8'>8</a>].

In Japan, following the enactment of the Basic Environment Law in Heisei 5 (1993) and the decision of the “Agenda 21 Action Plan”, the “Local Agenda 21 Formulation Guide” for local governments was compiled in Heisei 7 (1995). By Heisei 15 (2003), plans were formulated in all municipalities at the prefectural and ordinance-designated city levels, but the formulation rate of municipalities was only about 10%. One of the characteristics of Japan’s Local Agenda 21 is that there are many plans and projects in the environmental field such as energy, air pollution, and climate change, and there are few comprehensive plans [<a href='#B9' class='html-bibr' title='9'>9</a>].

In addition, the research of SDGs initiatives by local governments is conducted by the Cabinet Office. According to the results of a questionnaire survey conducted from October 4 to November 11, 2022, 1464 municipalities, or 81.9%, of the 1788 municipalities (47 prefectures, 1718 municipalities, and 23 special wards) responded. When asked how much they know about the SDGs, 65.4% said they knew that economic, social, and environmental integration is important in aiming for sustainable development. “I know that it consists of 17 goals and 169 targets” (26.8%). “I know that this is a goal to be achieved by 2030” (6.3%). 1.6% said they had heard of the SDGs or had seen their logos. “I don’t know it exists” 0%. In addition, when asked how much they are interested in the SDGs, 25.4% are “very interested.”, with “Interested” 64.9%, “Not very interested” 8.7%, “Not interested at all” 0.1% and “I don’t know” 0.9%. When asked whether they are promoting initiatives to achieve the SDGs, 70.6% answered “promoting”, 11.8% “We plan to do this in the future” and 15.1% “We plan to consider promoting it in the future”. 2.5% said they are not promoting it and have no plans to do so in the future. Comparing the results of the past five years, in 2018, 15% said they were “promoting initiatives to achieve the regional revitalization SDGs” or “planning to promote them in the future,” but in 2022, 83% said they were “promoting them,” an increase every year. Among the 17 goals, “11 sustainable cities and communities” was the most common issue with 467 cases, followed by “3 Good health and well-being” at 456 and “4 High-quality education for all” at 435.

As for the future of SDGs in local governments, according to [<a href='#B10' class='html-bibr' title='10'>10</a>], the government is strongly promoting the SDGs. However, since there is no legal basis, it has been proposed to make it an ordinance as a means of ensuring the sustainability of the SDGs in the midst of weak sustainability. For example, Kiryu City (Gunma Prefecture) has realized an ordinance to utilize the SDGs for urban development in Kiryu City through a proposal by a council member (enacted on March 19, 2019). The purpose of the Kiryu City Ordinance is to “aim for sustainable urban development by building partnerships and solving various issues surrounding Kiryu City and the local community in an integrated and cross-sectional manner based on the principles of the SDGs, which are common goals for international society” [<a href='#B11' class='html-bibr' title='11'>11</a>]. However, some say that new concepts such as the SDGs are difficult to enact. (Makise 2020) On the other hand, each local government’s approach to the SDGs has a high affinity with the comprehensive five-year plan, and it is possible that the measures implemented so far can be reconsidered in each item of the SDGs (sustainable cities, education, health, etc.), and it is possible that more local governments will formulate medium-term plans based on the SDGs in the future [<a href='#B12' class='html-bibr' title='12'>12</a>].

3.1.2. Challenges for Young People to Achieve the SDG 11

Analyzing the correlation between the potential of young people to achieve SDG 11 and the challenges they face to support it, three phenomena are currently occurring.

(1)	Governments tend to rely mainly on older groups in policy and decision-making. 
(2)	Young people around the world do not have equal access to the same tools, resources, and opportunities.
(3)	Young people around the world do not have equal access to the same means, resources, and opportunities to promote local ownership to make their cities more sustainable.

As a result of actually conducting a questionnaire survey of young people in 19 cities in 17 countries, four issues were revealed. First, half of the respondents cited lack of access to economic resources in the form of poverty, difficulties in accessing funds and grants to develop projects, lack of donor engagement, lack of financial support, lack of access to data, and lack of networks. It shows a lack of paid opportunities to raise funds and for youth to work on any of the SDGs, especially SDG 11. Next, lack of opportunities for cooperation with decision-makers, limited access to government institutions, lack of access and representation of young people in decision-making positions, lack of desire and openness to the participation of young people in institutional spaces, lack of opportunities for co-creation, the power to influence fragility policymaking, and bureaucracy limit opportunities. As for the third point, one-fifth of respondents say they lack access to knowledge in the form of illiteracy.

These include a poor education system, inconsistent capacity-building training, and a lack of awareness of the demands of 21st century social conditions. Nearly one-fifth of respondents cited a lack of access to data formats, including a lack of local-level data availability, a lack of government access to data or data in general, the financial cost of accessing data, and a lack of transparency [<a href='#B6' class='html-bibr' title='6'>6</a>].

From this, it was found that the following four issues are concerned.

(1)	Economic resources: Difficulty in obtaining funds and grants for project development, lack of financial support
(2)	Decision-making: There are no opportunities to exchange opinions and collaborate with decision-makers, and young people cannot participate in decision-making
(3)	Data: Inability to access data
(4)	Knowledge: Lack of knowledge to correctly judge information, etc.

Tosa Town in Kochi Prefecture is located in the northern part of Kochi Prefecture, almost in the center of Shikoku at an altitude of 300~500m. It is a mountain town located in the current basin of the Yoshino River. It covers an area of 20 km from east to west and 19 km from north to south, with a total area of 212.11 km². 87% of the area is occupied by mountain forests (Figure 1). The Yoshino River flows east and west of the town, and there is the Sameoura Dam, one of the largest dams in the western Japan, which is said to be the life of Shikoku, and sends water to the other three prefectures of Shikoku. With an average annual rainfall of 2700 mm, it is a city with a very rainy water source, and in recent years it has been developed into a town based on the concept of “living with water.” In order to protect these water sources, it boasts one of the highest sewerage development rates in the prefecture, which is rare in mountainous areas [<a href='#B13' class='html-bibr' title='13'>13</a>].<div class='html-fig-wrap'><div class='html-fig_img'><div class='html-figpopup html-figpopup-link' href='#Figure1'><img data-large='/uploads/2023/08/21/933180e0a6c571b65ddb0868d41f65d5.png' data-original='/uploads/2023/08/21/933180e0a6c571b65ddb0868d41f65d5.png' src='/uploads/2023/08/21/933180e0a6c571b65ddb0868d41f65d5.png'><a class='html-expand html-figpopup' href='#Figure1'></a></div></div><div class='html-fig_description'><b>Figure 1.  </b>Location and data of Tosa town.</div></div>Mori Village and Jizoji Village in Tosa District, which were formed under the town and village system in Meiji 22 (1889), and Tai Village in Nagaoka District merged in March of Showa 30 (1955) to form Tosa Village. Furthermore, in April of Showa 36 (1961), the five districts of Obuchi, Furumi, Ijiri, Shimokawa, and Kamitsugawa, which were part of Motoyama Town at that time, were incorporated and merged. With the construction of the Sameoura Dam, the urban area was opened around the Tai district, and the town system was enforced on April 1, Showa 45 (1970) [<a href='#B14' class='html-bibr' title='14'>14</a>].

The population of the town, which was about 8500 in 1965, will be 3807 in 2020 and is expected to be about 3000 by 2030, and the population is rapidly decreasing in the face of a significant natural decline with an aging population exceeding 45%. On the other hand, since 2011, social changes have improved. This is because the total number of immigrants in Kochi Prefecture in terms of population ratio to 163 people from 2014 to 2019 has boosted social growth. There is still a lot of social decline centered on higher education and employment, and although it does not lead to a permanent increase in society, the demographic composition is improving. Furthermore, as a result of efforts to support child-rearing from a relatively early stage, such as making medical expenses and childcare fees free, the working generation is small in proportion of the population, but the number of marriages is high, and the number of births is 25 to 25 per year on average. About 35 people, which is quite a lot. The total fertility rate (1.61), which was still one of the top in Kochi Prefecture as of 2014, has improved further in recent years, and if the same fertility can be maintained in the future, it is expected that the population by generation aged 0 to 60 will be close to flat (the same number of generational populations) will be close to flat around 2045, and stable town development will be possible. On the other hand, since the number of women in the generation that gives birth to children itself is small, the high Total Fertility Rate has not sufficiently contributed to the natural increase in the population, and more than 90% of the female graduates of local prefectural high schools since the 28th academic year have gone on to education outside the region. Based on these trends, in recent years in addition to child-rearing support, the local government have been actively working to enhance the educational environment [<a href='#B15' class='html-bibr' title='15'>15</a>].

However, the current population of young people (15~39 years old) in 2021 is 642, and the proportion of young people is about 16.8%, and the decline of the young people who are responsible for Tosa Town has not stopped [<a href='#B16' class='html-bibr' title='16'>16</a>].

<em>4.1. Results of the Interview Survey</em>

4.1.1. Tosa Town Hall Staff

The town hall staff talked about the activities of Tosa Town to achieve the SDGs. What kind of initiatives is Tosa Town focusing on? In addition, “economic resources”, “decision making”, “data” and “knowledge” are important. There is a previous study, but we asked what kind of efforts Tosa Town is actually making regarding economic resources, decision-making, data, and knowledge (Table 1).<div class='html-fig-wrap'><div class='html-table_wrap_discription'><b>Table 1. </b>Initiatives of Tosa Town: from the interviews of the town hall staff.<div class='html-figpopup-table html-figpopup-link'><img data-large='/uploads/2023/08/21/8edcb8eee4b251778ffde39849bb4b33.png' data-original='/uploads/2023/08/21/8edcb8eee4b251778ffde39849bb4b33.png' src='/uploads/2023/08/21/8edcb8eee4b251778ffde39849bb4b33.png'><a class='html-expand html-tablepopup' href='#Table1'></a></div></div></div>For these reasons, Tosa Town is actively engaged in support and education for children. In addition, support for migrants is outsourced from the town hall to the Rural Living Network (private organization) in cooperation with private organizations. On the other hand, there are few opportunities for young people to participate in decision-making.

4.1.2. Young People in Tosa

For the young people of Tosa Town, why do they continue to live in Tosa Town as a positive side of Tosa Town? What are the good things about Tosa Town? What is missing to continue living in Tosa Town as a negative side? We asked (Table 2).

On the positive side, nature is rich. People are warm. The food is delicious. Assistance for children is generous. On the negative side, there are few places to work and there are few occupations, so you can’t choose a job. Since there is no housing, it is difficult to live alone and difficult to increase the number of migrants. They also want to participate in decision-making. They’re interested but don’t know what to do. There were many topics such as this.<div class='html-fig-wrap'><div class='html-table_wrap_discription'><b>Table 2. </b>What young people think: from the interviews from young people.<div class='html-figpopup-table html-figpopup-link'><img data-large='/uploads/2023/08/21/72078b9b6e7c3f0662c5a2b5f6a0e733.png' data-original='/uploads/2023/08/21/72078b9b6e7c3f0662c5a2b5f6a0e733.png' src='/uploads/2023/08/21/72078b9b6e7c3f0662c5a2b5f6a0e733.png'><a class='html-expand html-tablepopup' href='#Table2'></a></div></div></div><em>4.2. Survey: Questionnaire Survey</em>

The total number of respondents to the interview survey and questionnaire survey was 63, 29 men and 34 women. Of the 63 respondents, 28 were from Tosa Town and 35 were from areas other than Tosa Town (Table 3). Since the population of young people (15~39 years old) is 642, we were able to answer about 10% of the young population in Tosa Town.<div class='html-fig-wrap'><div class='html-table_wrap_discription'><b>Table 3. </b>Results of Questionnaire Survey.<div class='html-figpopup-table html-figpopup-link'><img data-large='/uploads/2023/08/21/fe85b106eacb0ba84081c9640b29d46c.png' data-original='/uploads/2023/08/21/fe85b106eacb0ba84081c9640b29d46c.png' src='/uploads/2023/08/21/fe85b106eacb0ba84081c9640b29d46c.png'><a class='html-expand html-tablepopup' href='#Table3'></a></div></div></div>As for other answers

•	It is easy to access Kochi city within 1 hour by car.
•	The number of places for communication has decreased due to the closure of individual shops such as restaurants.
•	There is no data that can be used as a basis for decision-making and policymaking.
•	Economic support such as corona benefits and subsidies for vacant houses is being provided firmly.
•	Hospital facilities such as obstetrics and gynecology are not completed in Tosa Town. Or you can’t choose a hospital.

<em>5.1. Push Factors and Pull Factors to Live Tosa Town Continuously</em>

The total number of respondents to the interview and questionnaire survey was 63, including 29 males and 34 females. Of the 63 respondents, 28 were from Tosa Town and 35 were from outside Tosa Town. The population of young people (15-39 years old) is 642, which means that approximately 10% of Tosa’s young population responded to the survey.

Based on this result, the reason for living in Tosa town in Tosa town is the pull factor (+). The points of improvement in Tosa Town will be divided as push factors (-) (Table 4). We categorized the characteristics of the interview and questionnaire results into push and pull factors.

(1)	Economic resources (difficulty in obtaining funds and grants for project development, lack of financial support)
•	Subsidies and support for children (child-rearing) are provided (+)
•	No job (-)

(2)	Decision-making (lack of opportunities to exchange opinions and collaborate with decision-makers, and inability for young people to participate in decision-making)
•	There is a small community of young people (-)
•	Unknown ways and routes to express their own opinions (-)

(3)	Data (inability to access data)
•	Not feeling the need to know the data. (-)
•	There is no data that can be used as a basis for decision-making and policymaking (-)

(4)	Knowledge (lack of knowledge to correctly judge information, etc.)
•	Because most of the information they get online, they have never paid much attention to the places and opportunities to get it (-)
•	Compared to urban areas, there are overwhelmingly fewer opportunities to acquire new knowledge (-)<div class='html-fig-wrap'><div class='html-table_wrap_discription'><b>Table 4. </b>Pull factor and Push factor Analysis.<div class='html-figpopup-table html-figpopup-link'><img data-large='/uploads/2023/08/21/5c2beda4c85ff19b437930938984cdfb.png' data-original='/uploads/2023/08/21/5c2beda4c85ff19b437930938984cdfb.png' src='/uploads/2023/08/21/5c2beda4c85ff19b437930938984cdfb.png'><a class='html-expand html-tablepopup' href='#Table4'></a></div></div></div>Then we classified the pull factors into “Local government rule”, “Community leaders”, “Nature resource/Geography”, and “Community/People” to Table 5. From this table, it was found that “Local government rule”, “Community leaders”, “Nature resource/Geography”, and “Community/People” play an important role in Tosa Town.<div class='html-fig-wrap'><div class='html-table_wrap_discription'><b>Table 5. </b>Classification of Pull and Push factors.<div class='html-figpopup-table html-figpopup-link'><img data-large='/uploads/2023/08/21/c89f2bde046d0d1fa26698582a7fb5f4.png' data-original='/uploads/2023/08/21/c89f2bde046d0d1fa26698582a7fb5f4.png' src='/uploads/2023/08/21/c89f2bde046d0d1fa26698582a7fb5f4.png'><a class='html-expand html-tablepopup' href='#Table5'></a></div></div></div><em>5.2. Analysis of Interview Surveys and Questionnaire Surveys</em>

A literature survey found that the issues for young people to achieve SDG 11 were “economic resources,” “decision-making,” “data,” and “knowledge,” but young people in Tosa Townhad a negative impact other than “economic resources”.

On economic resources, [<a href='#B17' class='html-bibr' title='17'>17</a>] noted that there is an important link between the economy and the SDGs. There is also evidence that the economy plays a major role in achieving the SDGs. Positive effects such as the development of transportation have been confirmed between economic activities and the achievement of the SDGs, and negative effects have been confirmed between urbanization, the natural environment, and human health [<a href='#B18' class='html-bibr' title='18'>18</a>]. However, young people have little influence on the policy-making process of how their cities are planned and organized [<a href='#B19' class='html-bibr' title='19'>19</a>]. And although youth involvement in policymaking, particularly on the economy, is currently limited, with the support of local governments, young people can also contribute to the ‘source of the economy’ [<a href='#B20' class='html-bibr' title='20'>20</a>]. Despite the socio-economic aspects, the town is also considered an “artifact environment”, where quality of life and environmental friendliness undermine all the benefits associated with the agglomeration economy. Therefore, various theories and policies aim to lead the economy to a “sustainable economy”.

It turns out that “community leaders” play an important role in Tosa Town, but [<a href='#B21' class='html-bibr' title='21'>21</a>], states that local governments need to take the initiative in achieving the SDGs. But in order to take the initiative, great effort and resources are required, and strong local leadership is required. Local governments must also consider where to focus their efforts to develop SDGs policies [<a href='#B22' class='html-bibr' title='22'>22</a>]. As such, city policymakers will have a responsibility to ensure that urban development is consistent with SDG 11.

It was found that “nature/topography” also plays an important role in Tosa Town. In Japan, several studies are being conducted to investigate the relationship between natural resources and SDGs, such as forest management policies [<a href='#B23' class='html-bibr' title='23'>23</a>]. SDG 11 aims to eliminate slum-like situations, provide affordable public transport, reduce urban sprawl, strengthen urban governance engagement, improve the protection of cultural assets, address urban resilience and climate change issues, improve urban management (pollution and waste management), and ensure access for all to safe public places. It aims to “ensure inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable cities and human settlements” through strengthening urban management by improving urban rules and regulations [<a href='#B24' class='html-bibr' title='24'>24</a>] Here, in line with the objectives of the SDGs, “natural resources/landforms”, which are positive elements of Tosa Town, can play a role in mitigating the effects of climate change. Currently, the frequency and scale of climate-related disasters such as floods are increasing due to the increase in torrential rains and rising sea levels due to the effects of global climate change and other factors. As a result, in a world where population and economic assets are concentrated and various activities are carried out at a high density, the damage caused by disasters is becoming more serious. It is important to note that cities, which account for only 3% of the Earth’s area, account for 60 to 80 percent of the world’s energy consumption and 75% of its carbon emissions. Therefore, the consequences of relevant regulations in cities could have consequences for the entire planet. Furthermore, the implementation of SDG 11 will have an impact on forests and forest livelihoods, both near and far from urban centers. Strategically incorporating urban and suburban forests into urban agendas and planning may highlight their role in fostering productive rural-urban relationships and manage their negative impacts [<a href='#B25' class='html-bibr' title='25'>25</a>]. The most drastic changes towards sustainable cities require long-term planning, and future research may lead to further discussion and decision-making processes.

It turns out that “community/people” also play an important role in Tosa Town. This factor needs to be taken into account when developing sustainable cities with a focus on SDG 11. According to UNICEF, with the right information and tools, children and young people can promote action in their communities and play an important role in the implementation of the SDGs. If millions of children and young people realize their goals, more people around the world will start taking action. Governments should work closely with municipalities and communities to integrate SDG 11 into the development process, revamp and plan cities and human settlements to foster community cohesion and personal security, and stimulate innovation and employment [<a href='#B26' class='html-bibr' title='26'>26</a>]. In addition, it is important that all stakeholders (vertical and horizontal) participate in community development, build education, training programmes, interactive initiatives, media, and ensure a transparent communication strategy with all communities and stakeholders. Communities and people will be key factors in determining the implementation of SDG 11 at the local level.

Push Factor, on the other hand, has no job. No job options. There is a problem. This shows that it is necessary to enhance career education, enhance internship programs, and link education and employment in Tosa Town to avoid employment mismatches. In the most competitive markets, the role of local governments is concerned with defining the competitiveness of their products and services [<a href='#B27' class='html-bibr' title='27'>27</a>]. In this case, Tosa Town Hall is expected to play a leading role in a plan to create more jobs and lead to a sustainable economy that achieves social inclusion while minimizing the negative impact on the natural environment and current employment.

Regarding decision-making, about 80% of young people answered that they were interested or would like to participate. Therefore, it is necessary to create an environment where young people can participate in decision-making. In terms of decision-making, young people have little influence on the process of making policy decisions about how their cities are planned and organized [<a href='#B19' class='html-bibr' title='19'>19</a>]., the potential for young people to influence positive change by participating in decision-making has not yet been fully realized. Young people are also sometimes seen as passive receivers rather than implementers of change, and problems rather than solvers. And the cross-generational dimension of incorporating young people into the policy-making process will ensure a sense of belonging and continuity in cities. Young people must be recognized and prioritized as active role workers. Young people need to help not only participate in the decision-making process, but also make decisions. It has often been thought that young people cannot participate in the development of society on their own. Also, in the literature there is a tendency to describe young people not as their own active social actors, but as “citizens of the future”. According to [<a href='#B28' class='html-bibr' title='28'>28</a>], this view of youth has brought great normative constraints on the extent to which the new generation reshapes itself against its predecessors, and as a result, the autonomy and political independence of young people have been limited.

<em>5.3. Tosa Town’s Efforts Based on the Results of the Interview Survey and Questionnaire Survey</em>

As can be seen from previous research, “economic resources”, “decision making”, “data”, and “knowledge” are important. Tosa Town needs to take further measures for “decision-making,” “data,” and “knowledge” as future challenges for the town. At the same time, it is necessary to solve these issues specific to Tosa Town, such as “lack of housing,” “lack of complete hospital facilities in Tosa Town such as obstetrics and gynecology”, and “decrease in the number of restaurants and other private stores,” which were answered by the younger generation. In particular, with regard to “decision-making,” more than 80% of the respondents said, “I would like to participate.” or “interested but do not know what to do,” while there are few efforts to address these issues. Therefore, we believe that efforts to promote the participation of the younger generation in decision-making, such as the “Children’s Assembly” for junior high school students in Ichinoseki City, Iwate Prefecture, and meetings between the mayor and high school students to discuss the future of the city, will help to promote their participation.

In this paper, through literature surveys, interviews with Tosa Town Hall, interviews with Tosa Town residents, and questionnaire surveys, we have considered what is necessary for young people to achieve “SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities”.

In Research topic 1, it was found that “creating a city where young people can continue to live” means that they can obtain “economic resources,” “decision-making,” “data,” and “knowledge” from literature surveys. This is an issue not only in Japan but also globally.

The SDGs Future Cities, which are being promoted by the Cabinet Office based on the SDGs Action Plan 2018 established by the SDGs Promotion Headquarters, are being rolled out to local governments nationwide with the support of the government’s advanced local government initiatives. Tosa Town, Kochi Prefecture, which is covered in this report, has been selected as a SDGs Future City. In Research topic 2, the local government is implementing various initiatives as an initiative for the “sustainable community development” of the Tosa Town Hall. In particular, it was revealed through interviews and questionnaire surveys that sufficient measures were being taken to support children and migrants. However, it was found that “decision-making,” “data,” and “knowledge,” which are the definitions of a city where young people can continue to live, are inadequate despite some measures being taken by the town hall.

On the other hand, it was found that “sustainable community development” peculiar to young people in Research topic 3 Tosa Town are “community leaders,” “nature/topography,” and “community/people.” From this, Tosa Town is expected to have a close to flat population of 0 to 60 year olds around 2045, so there is a strong positive factor. However, as future issues, it is necessary to take further measures for “decision-making”, “data”, and “knowledge”, and to solve problems unique to Tosa Town, such as “there are few housing”, “hospital facilities such as obstetrics and gynecology are not completed in Tosa Town”, and “the number of individual shops such as restaurants is decreasing”.

In addition, since the rate of recognition as SDGs Future Cities is declining in municipalities with populations of 10,000 or less, we hope that this paper will be of particular interest to municipalities striving to achieve sustainable urban development for young people in order to create a better world for future generations.

References

1.

Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Heisei 27 Edition White Paper on Health, Labor and Welfare. 2015. Available online: https://www.mhlw.go.jp/wp/hakusyo/kousei/15/dl/1-01.pdf (accessed on 13 November 2022).

2.

Cabinet Office. Regional Revitalization SDGs. Available online: https://future-city.go.jp/sdgs/ (accessed on 13 November 2022).

3.

Yuji J. Collaboration between Community Design by High School Students and SDGs --Exploring its Possibility and Difficulty. Research Bulletin of the Faculty of Joint Education, Utsunomiya University No. 71. 2021, 237–245. Available online: https://uuair.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/12720 (accessed on 31 July 2022).

4.

Cabinet Secretariat/Cabinet Office General Site Regional Revitalization. Available online: https://www.chisou.go.jp/sousei/index.html (accessed on 13 November 2022).

5.

Regional Revitalization Promotion Office, Cabinet Office. Promotion of SDGs for Regional Revitalization. Available online: https://www.chisou.go.jp/tiiki/kankyo/pdf/sasshi.pdf (accessed on 20 November 2022).

6.

Ynestrillas Vega AG. The Role of the Youth in Achieving SDG 11: Paths to Build Sustainable and Resilient Cities. 2020. Available online: https://ic-sd.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Ana-Gabriela-Ynestrillas-Vega.pdf (accessed on 3 July 2022).

7.

Ozaki Y, Shaw R. Citizens’ Social Participation to Implement Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): A Literature Review. Sustainability 2022, 14, 14471. [Google Scholar]

8.

Namiki S. Building a Sustainable Society, Background of Local Agenda 21 and its Development History. 2010, pp. 89–97. Available online: https://www.iii.u-tokyo.ac.jp/manage/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/102_2.pdf (accessed on 20 November 2022).

9.

Tozawa I. Building a Sustainable Society. Research and Legislative Review Bureau, National Diet Library. 2010; Vol. 2009-4, p. 262. Available online: https://dl.ndl.go.jp/view/download/digidepo_1166387_po_20090401.pdf?contentNo=1 (accessed on 20 November 2022).

10.

Makise M. Current Status and Prospects of SDGs in Local Governments. Journal of Information and Communication. 2022, pp. 23–36, Available online: https://sentankyo.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/24 (accessed on 20 November 2022).

11.

Yamanouchi H. Kawada T.; Advanced and Unique Ordinances Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture: Ordinances for Utilizing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Kiryu City Planning. Municipal Legal Research. 2019, pp. 65–69. Available online: https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1523106604860147328 (accessed on 20 December 2022).

12.

Tokuyasu K. Awareness of SDGs in Japan: Consideration. Soc. Ent. Stud. 2022, 2, 51–60. [Google Scholar]

13.

Tosa Town Census Directory 2021. Available online: http://www.town.tosa.kochi.jp/files/lib/3/285/202105111012019179.pdf (accessed on 24 August 2022).

14.

Tosa town regional disaster prevention plan “common edition. Available online: http://www.town.tosa.kochi.jp/publics/download/?file=/files/content_type/type019/2998/202209271820332533.pdf (accessed on 9 January 2023).

15.

Eternal Water Source 7th Tosa Town Promotion Plan April 2021. Available online: http://www.town.tosa.kochi.jp/files/lib/6/306/202107021328091035.pdf (accessed on 19 October 2022).

16.

Tosa Town SDGs Future City Plan. Available online: http://www.town.tosa.kochi.jp/publics/download/177/2020/750/?file=/files/content_type/type014/750/202009010956063368.pdf (accessed on 30 August 2022).

17.

van Zanten JA, van Tulder R. Towards nexus-based governance: defining interactions between economic activities and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Int. J. Sustain. Dev. World Ecol. 2021, 28, 210–226. [Google Scholar]

18.

Ynestrillas Vega AG, Kallab E, Gandhi S, Eke-Okocha NP, Sawaya J. A Comparative Analysis of the Role of the Youth in Localizing SDG 11 at the Local Level in the Global North and Global South. Environ. Sci. Proc. 2022, 15, 47. [Google Scholar]

19.

Borojević T, Vuk D, Petrović N, Slović D. The Level of Youth Activism: Case Study of the City of Belgrade. Management 2015, 20, 23–30. [Google Scholar]

20.

Mutiarani ND, Siswantoro D. The impact of local government characteristics on the accomplishment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Cogent Bus. Manag. 2020, 7, 1847751. [Google Scholar]

21.

Reddy PS. Localising the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): The role of local government in context. Afr. J. Public Affairs 2016, 9, 58190. [Google Scholar]

22.

Tabata T, Zhou T, Ohno T, Murayama R, Iguchi K, Katagiri K. Proposal of Approach to SDGs Localization: A Case Study of Forest Management and Regional Revitalization in Mt. Rokko. J. Japan Forestry Soc. 2021, 103, 33–39. [Google Scholar]

23.

Franco IB, Chatterji T, Derbyshire E, Tracey J. Actioning the Global Goals for Local Impact: Towards Sustainability Science, Policy, Education and Practice; Elsevier: Oxford, UK, 2020.

24.

Devisscher T, Konijnendijk C, Nesbitt L, Lenhart J, Salbitano F, Cheng Z, et al. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities—Impacts on Forests and Forest-Based Livelihoods. In Sustainable Development Goals: Their Impacts on Forests and People; Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK, 2019; pp. 349–385.

25.

UN. 2015. Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Available online: https://sdgs.un.org/goals (accessed on 10 January 2023).

26.

Del-Aguila-Arcentales S, Alvarez-Risco A, Jaramillo-Arévalo M, De-la-Cruz-Diaz M, de las Mercedes Anderson-Seminario M. Influence of Social, Environmental and Economic Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) over Continuation of Entrepreneurship and Competitiveness. J. Open Innov. Technol. Mark. Complex 2022, 8, 73. [Google Scholar]

27.

Gifford C, Mycock A, Murakami J. Becoming citizens in late modernity: a global-national comparison of young people in Japan and the UK. Citiz. Stud. 2014, 18, 81–98. [Google Scholar]