Kobe Satoyama Living (Rural Settlement & Urban-Rural Exchange)
Kobe, Japan · Operator: 神戸市（みなと総局・農政部）／農村定住促進コーディネーター
Overview
A Kobe City effort in the rural Kita and Nishi wards to promote urban-rural exchange and rural settlement. In countryside only about 30 minutes from the city center, rural-settlement coordinators bridge visitors to residency amid vacant-house and abandoned-farmland challenges, while residents, students and universities work on satoyama biodiversity conservation and terraced-field restoration.
Citizen participation
Residents and incomers seeking satoyama living get support from visits and exchange to trial stays and settlement. With students, citizen groups and universities they can join conservation of rare species and restoration of terraced rice fields and farm plots; the Ogo and Nishi-ward community groups act as contacts.
Operating model
A public initiative in which Kobe City places rural-settlement coordinators to handle relocation consultations, housing and farmland information, and post-move support, run in partnership with local community groups.
Impact
It links urban residents to Kobe's countryside, promoting settlement and conserving satoyama biodiversity and farmland.
Crops
- vegetables
- rice
- fruit
- satoyama produce
Scale
神戸市北区・西区の農村地域全域。市街地から約30分圏内に自然豊かな農村が広がる
Sources（2）
This entry is compiled from the public sources, official sites and research below.
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