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A Town Nestled in the Mountains of Nagano

From September 5-7, students from Waseda University’s Morimoto Lab of Transportation Engineering and Urban Planning and the University of Tokyo’s Koizumi Lab of Community Planning, Design, and Management got together in Komoro City, Nagano for a project that could potentially transform the foundation of the community. Working with Komoro City, students explored the city’s efforts towards adapting to a changing world and a changing Japan. Faced with a growing demographic crisis and historical preservation challenges, the city has been balancing its goals of attracting younger people to the city while conserving its remnant history as an ancient trading hub along the old Hokkoku Road. The city streets, lined with ancient architecture, canals, and cobblestone are reminiscent of a period long lost. Yet, modernity still persists at the hip cafes, restaurants, and shops centered around the city’s lifeline: its central station.

A photo of Waseda University students and University of Tokyo students together.

A Changing Japan with an Uncertain Future

A city official showing restoration work of the Old Komoro-Honjin a major historical site within the city.

As Komoro is reinventing itself, changes are happening all around the city. To assist with this change, the students, including myself arrived to help with and provide consultation for the reworking of the station area. After our arrival, we toured the city and learned of its historical significance in Japan. As a member of the Morimoto Lab, I was witness to the work and progress we inspired firsthand. As we observed the city, many young shop owners were taking advantage of the natural resources and history of the city as a marketing tool. For example, local winemakers within the town utilized the fresh mountain water and produce to help make Komoro Wine. Other examples of the local cuisine included soba, miso, and various fruits that are becoming quite famous on the domestic market.  Shingo Takano is one resident in particular that takes advantage of the opportunities here. He is a recent city official turned real-estate agent that acknowledges an issue that plagues many rural municipalities around Japan. That is the problem of attracting talent to Komoro, and so he set out to become an entrepreneur to solve that very issue. Today, he is operating his business on a street that was known to have many abandoned businesses and has been able to revitalize the area by bringing in several businesses and individuals from all around Japan to Komoro.

Mr. Shingo Takano, shown center, is a local real-estate agent promoting Komoro as a world-class location.

A Potential for Growth and Rejuvenation

Through revitalization efforts, Komoro is seeing a renaissance of growth, and the results are already apparent with increased economic activity around the area. After seeing firsthand this growth and potential, we got to work with redesigning their station area with a focus on sustainability and the concept of developing a more compact city for the benefit of future generations. We gathered into research groups and got to work. The task of keeping the layout of the station area as a flowing, accessible pedestrianized area was balanced with the pragmatism of traffic flows and the local bus transit loop, and many different ideas and plans began to take shape around the room. As many researchers had different backgrounds, we all brought our separate and unique points of view and expertise. Some suggested design features from stations around where they were from, whether they hailed from Europe, Asia, or North America, in my case. As we presented our work, the local media and city staff were visibly excited. An elderly local posted this message on social media about the project that really encapsulates the mood of hope for the future: “Such a blessing. As we enter an era of declining and aging population, I believe that compact cities will be in the limelight from now on!”

Students presenting their work.

The Future Lies Within Us

As Japan and much of the developed world faces a future of declining birth rates, this will become a larger problem for the coming generations. As the climate changes and demographic crises deepen, we, as a society, not only need to collaborate and plan on the national level, but possibly even more importantly, as individuals in local communities. Being a local citizen also means being a global citizen, and we have a duty to ensure the places we live, whether that be at home or abroad, are taken care of and left better than one finds it.

The vice mayor of Komoro, Mr. Yoshiaki Tanaka, addresses the staff and students.

By meeting with the city staff, including the mayor and vice mayor, students were able to see directly into the inner mechanics and policymaking process of local Japanese government. This opportunity provided an environment to share many different perspectives that ultimately led to many insightful suggestions in the planning process. As both Waseda and the University of Tokyo have a longstanding relationship, and both are known for their prestigious academics and worldwide appeal, the students were ultimately able to live up to this reputation and make an impact on people’s lives. The consultation session was a success in that it provided meaningful feedback and plans for the community. Additionally, it benefitted the residents and the students through intercultural communication.  We have yet to see the final product of Komoro Station, but I am confident and proud we were able to provide our insight. Even if it is not taken fully into account at the end of the day, a good experience was shared by all. This collaboration exhibited the best of what can be achieved when meaningful international collaboration occurs, and that is what Waseda aims to achieve on the world stage.

(Photos were provided on behalf of the Morimoto Lab of Transportation Engineering and Urban Planning)

This article was written by the following Student Contributor: 
Connor Mangelson 
Graduate School of Creative Science and Engineering