This workshop aimed to contribute to local revitalization projects in Japan through the use of ICT (information and communications technology). The ICT tool we focused on was the LocalWiki system that is maintained by a non-profit organization based in San Francisco. The wiki is organized to collect, share and open the world’s local knowledge. There are more than 300 communities from all over the world active on LocalWiki.
Two fieldwork projects were conducted as part of the workshop. The first focused on the Muroran LocalWiki in Hokkaido. The Muroran LocalWiki is one of the most active communities in Japan. Participants of the workshop visited the city of Muroran on September 26 and 27, 2015. The second focused on the Tomisato LocalWiki in Chiba. The Tomisato LocalWiki had just started, in July 2015. We chose this LocalWiki as one at an early stage of development. The participants visited the city of Tomisato on November 15, 2015.
The participants of the workshop conducted fieldwork in each city with residents and city government officials in order to understand every facet of life in the local community such as its history, streets, shops, cultural heritage, social movements, and townspeople. They found various interesting features that might lead to local revitalization. Moreover, they edited articles of the LocalWikis with community members based on the findings of the fieldwork. The activities of the workshop were positively responded to by community members in both areas. We hope that the activities of the workshop have contributed to local revitalization.