Samani is located in the eastern part of Hidaka, Hokkaido, and has a population of about 4,000. The main industry is fishing, and Hidaka kelp and salmon are famous. It was recognized by UNESCO as a Global Geopark in 2015, and next year, the town’s quasi national park will be promoted to a national park. Although Samani is a town with abundant nature, it is an important issue to consider the direction of town development because the birthrate is declining and the population is aging and the survival of the town is in jeopardy.
Although many valuable opinions were obtained in the questionnaire to the residents when formulating the 9th comprehensive plan, which is the basis of all the plans of the local government, the age of the respondents was biased toward the elderly.
In the free description, there were opinions related to young people such as “a town where young people settle down” and “securing a place for young people to work”. In addition, there are voices requesting an increase in the number of permanent residents due to migration, such as “town development that makes people want to move”, but it is unclear what kind of ideas people in these groups have in town planning.
The main purpose of this workshop was to focus on young people and migrants related to Samani Town and to find out what they think about the area where they live.