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OtherActiveSince 2021

Kobe Rural Startup Program

Kobe, Japan · Operator: 神戸市(経済観光局 農政部)/プラットフォームチーム

Overview

A roughly six-month intensive program focused on starting businesses and livelihoods in the rural districts of Kobe's Kita and Nishi wards. In areas facing depopulation and vacant houses, it aims to create a new rural culture unique to Kobe, where a big city sits compactly beside the countryside, training people through lectures and fieldwork on using vacant houses and satoyama resources.

Citizen participation

Residents and prospective movers learn theory and know-how of food, farming and environmental businesses through lectures on using vacant houses and satoyama resources plus on-site fieldwork, aiming to start businesses or relocate in Kobe's rural areas.

Operating model

Run as a Kobe City agricultural-policy program; farmers, university researchers, relocation coordinators and designers form a platform team supporting rural startups and livelihoods.

Impact

It develops urban residents into rural entrepreneurs and successors, helping revitalize and repopulate Kobe's rural areas.

Crops

  • vegetables
  • rural produce

Scale

神戸市北区・西区の農村地域を対象に、月1回土日を基本とする約6か月間の集中プログラム

Sources(2)

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Kobe Rural Startup Program — Urban Farm DB