1. Ageing Society and Local Communities in Transformation

1. 1. 1) Establishment of Akita Age Lab
   1. 2) Joint Research with NETT (North East Think Tank of Japan) and Hamanasu Foundation on “Formation of Resilient Communities”
   1. 3) Research on the Acceptance of Foreign Workers for Elderly Care
      This project’s outcome was published in March 2018 as an article on “Current state of foreign careworkers and linguistic support in Akita” (in Japanese).
   1. 4) Research on “Socio-Spatial Change in the Shrinking City: Local Perspectives on the Future of Chonaikai and Impacts of Land Use Change in Akita City”

    

   2. For Akita’s Strategy in Globalizing Economy

   1. 1) Research on Russia and Russia-Akita Economic Relations
      Part of research outcomes were included in Yutaka Takemura, “The Current Situation and Issues of Japan-Russia Relations Observed in the Russian Far East”, Journal of IASRC, Vol. 6, 2018.
   1. 2) Support for Akita Prefectural Government’s Russia Business Challenge Mission
      Select Prof. Yutaka Takemura accompanied the Akita Prefectural Government’s Russia Business Challenge Mission in Vladivostok in July 25-29, 2017.
   1. 3) Cultural Heritage Project
      We pursue research on cultural heritage in Akita Prefecture. IASRC offers JR-East Endowment Lectures on Cultural Heritage since 2016.
   1. 4) Support for the Odate City’s Akita Dog Project
      Select Prof. Kenro Nagoshi support Odate City for its tourism promotion with Akita Dog. On January 20, 2018, he was one of panelists in “Akita Forum: Hachiko, Odate, and the World.”
   1. 5) Business Research in China and Singapore
      IASRC accepted Mr. Yukito Munekata, a journalist of Sakigake News, as a guest researcher and dispatched him to China and Singapore from February 20 to March 16, 2018 for a research project on “Current Situations of Akita’s Business Expansion in Greater China and Conditions for Success.”
   1. 6) Symposium on “Charms of Tohoku’s Towns and Nature for Visitors from Overseas”
      On October 14, 2017, IASRC organized jointly with the Tohoku Branch of the Japanese Institute of Landscape Architecture, a symposium on “Charms of Tohoku’s Towns and Nature for Visitors from Overseas.”

    

   3. Collaboration with Local Entities

   1. 1) Uploading Bus Routes on Google Map
      In collaboration with Google Transit, IASRC has uploaded bus schedules of, so far, Akita Chuo Kotsu and Ugo Kotsu (two of the three major bus operators in Akita Prefecture) and community bus networks in the cities of Oga, Katagami, Nikaho, Semboku, and Yurihonjo, the town of Ikawa, and village of Ogata.
   1. 2) Support for Faculty Projects
      1 Hideyuki Nakagawa, Survey on Disappearing Marginal Communities in Akita
      2 Kuniko Abe, International dimensions of Akita Ranga and its new narrative Part II
      – From Akita to Paris: interaction with Japonisme
      3 Florent Domenach,
      Naoko Araki, Teaching Programming in schools in Akita – A PBL approach
   1. 3) Support for Students Projects
      – From Project Akita: a student group for active learning programs for senior high school students
      – Collabo Labo: a student group for activities in Kayagasawa community in Yuwa District in the city of Akita
      – Takinomata Team: a student group for activities in Takinomata community in the city of Yurihonjo
      – AUWA: a student group for activities in Shikida community in Kawabe District in the city of Akita
      – Masuda Local Residents Survey: a student research on local residents’ perspectives for the conservation of heritage buildings in Masuda in the city of Yokote

Titles in Volumes 5 and 6 of the Journal of IASRC

1. Vol. 5 (Open the volume in the PDF.)
   Ayumi Sugimoto, “Children Narrate Their Father’s World War Ⅱ Experiences – A case of rural Akita, Japan”
   Tomoki Sato, “Akita Prefecture’s Potential for Attracting Tourists from Thailand”
   Takeshi Akiba, Yosuke Hashimoto and Chiharu Shima, “Symposium on Foreign Care-workers from Indonesia and Philippines – Potentials and Issues in Akita –Minutes from the Panel Discussion”
   Yo Negishi, “Research Project on Cultural Heritage Tourism: Report of JR-East Funded Course in 2016”

1. Vol. 6 (Open the volume in the PDF.)
3. Yoshitaka Kumagai, “Geoparks in National Parks: Challenges and Potentials for Promoting Sustainable Tourism”
   Tetsuya Toyoda, ” International/Domestic Immigration and the Question of Membership of Territorial Communities in Japan”
   Yutaka Takemura, “The Current Situation and Issues of Japan-Russia Relations Observed in the Russian Far East ”
   Kenro Nagoshi, “How Akita Should Activate and Utilize the International Popularity of Akita-Inu”