Held on Saturday, November 26, 2022

Student impressions

• Things I had arbitrarily assumed were impossible in rural areas become possible thanks to technological advancements and people's ingenuity. Even cities, which I had the impression were convenient and full of possibilities, have their own difficulties in daily life. Up until now, I had made assumptions about whether I lived in a city, rural area, or the countryside, but I realized there's no need to make assumptions; possibilities are everywhere, and how you live your life is up to you.
• What left a lasting impression on me was the realization that rural areas have so much potential. Until now, I had thought that many rural areas were depopulated and that agriculture, forestry, and fisheries were the main sources of income. However, after hearing about concrete initiatives in places like Kawakami Village in Nara Prefecture and Ama Town in Shimane Prefecture, I was surprised to see that the options are truly expanding. There was a discussion about "appreciating that things are produced in the place where you live," and this is something that can be said about my own place of residence as well, so from now on I want to be a little more conscious of that appreciation in my daily life.
• I learned about a new perspective on cities and rural areas. Knowing that young people are increasingly migrating to these areas because they are expected to become more livable in the future completely changed my view of cities and rural areas.
• The section about identifying areas of personal connection was particularly helpful. I also want to incorporate areas of connection into my self-analysis and choose the work and lifestyle options that best suit me from among the diverse choices available.
• I was very surprised to see data that included figures showing more than half of the population is concentrated in the three major metropolitan areas, as I had never seen anything like it before. I think this will allow me to approach job hunting from a wider range of perspectives than before. I think I'll try researching companies again. The town revitalization policies were very interesting and piqued my interest. Therefore, this time I would like to research various town revitalization policies in addition to those of the town I heard about.
• I felt like my anxieties were being stirred up. I learned that reflecting on the space, the rich nature, the scenery, the events, and the things in a place is also a form of "empathy." Before attending the lecture, my goal was to decide whether to live in Sendai or the Kanto region, or in a city or a rural area, but after listening to the talk, I felt like "I could have fun anywhere in Japan!!!" and thinking about the future changed from a burden to an ease.
• In the future, Japan will face a declining birthrate and an aging population, which will change the structure of society. Within this context, even more diverse lifestyles and work styles will emerge in both urban and rural areas. Through this lecture, I realized the importance of not being fixated on a single place or job, but rather approaching society with a flexible mindset and a broad perspective.
• The talk about "Our 'Empathy' and 'Points of Empathy'" left the biggest impression on me. As the professor mentioned, when I became a third-year university student, I registered with "Rikunabi" and "Mynavi," and started receiving invitations for internships and other opportunities from all sorts of companies. For me, who didn't have a clear idea of "I want to work for this company or in this industry," these invitations only made me anxious, and until attending today's lecture, I felt anxious and impatient about job hunting. However, I realized that instead of focusing on "industries," it's necessary to change my "perspective" and think about things like "where I can empathize" and "what kind of workplace I can empathize with," such as whether to value "connections between people" or "space" such as "a team/workplace with a comfortable distance."
• I feel like my perception of cities and rural areas has been completely changed.
• What impressed me most this time was the effort being made to revitalize and preserve the region by making the most of the unique strengths of each rural area. I had resigned myself to the fact that small towns and villages have few opportunities to be seen and are only going to decline. Therefore, I felt that the best way to revitalize my hometown was to contribute indirectly to my hometown by revitalizing Fukushima Prefecture as a whole through Koriyama City. However, after listening to today's talk, I realized how narrow my perspective had been. I was deeply moved by the efforts being made to make the most of the unique strengths of the land, even in municipalities with populations the same as or even smaller than my own town. I was also excited to listen to the talk from beginning to end. I was able to reaffirm the reason why I have always dreamed of becoming a local government official. I want to look into more rural and urban initiatives that I am unaware of. By seeing various places and areas, I would like to convey the charm and things I love about my hometown to the fullest extent.
• I learned a great deal from this lecture. I realized that Japan, compared to the rest of the world, has a wide variety of regions and a diverse range of choices. Until now, I had thought that Japan was a country with few choices. I vaguely assumed that after graduating from junior high school, going on to high school, one would either go on to university or get a job. I learned that Japan has a wide variety of lifestyles depending on the region, and my perception of Japan has changed as I realized this aspect of the country.
• I had always dreamed of living in Tokyo, but this lecture changed my perception of the city, so I'm glad I learned about the situation there beforehand. I've decided to think carefully about what kind of person I am and work hard on my job search, taking into account what's important in rural and urban life.