Policy Statement
Kiyoto Tanaka, the Director of the Honmachi Shopping Street Promotion Association
Introduction
Japan experienced rapid economic growth and the bubble economy after the World War II, so that many companies achieved a string of successes and young people had very bright prospects for the future.
However, the bubble economy miserably burst and it resulted in mountains of bad loans. Many companies went bankrupt and since then, Japan has been caught in a negative spiral and not been able to get out of the doldrums for 25 years.
Young people grew up in the employment ice age with a sense of uncertainty, so that they cannot have a clear vision for the future and do not seem to know where to put their effort into.
We cannot let this town decline in order to create an environment for ambitious youths to maximize their potential in this city, Toyokawa.
For this reason, we, the local residents, must work together as one and take action for this town.
To develop our community for the next generation
The lack of successors is a big concern for this town to develop.
It is natural that young people do not inherit their family businesses if they are not prosperous.
The fastest way to break through this difficulty is that each shop becomes successful in their business.
For each shop to be successful, we must not fight over the same customers but aim to increase visitors to this town.
In order to achieve this goal, we need to establish an organization in this region and promote community planning together.
We can increase visitors to this town by opening/expanding shops and revitalizing the town based on overall optimization of the region, following Takamatsu Marugamemachi Shopping Street as a successful case.
We believe that promoting the community planning based on the overall optimization will develop this town into a place in which the next generation can inherit their family businesses with no anxiety about the future.
With this ambition, I decided to legally establish the “Honmachi Shopping Street Promotion Association” in front of Toyokawa station, the entrance of Toyokawa city.
We, the association, will put our heads together in order to make the best use of each association member’s type of business and shop location and aim to create synergies for the town.
We also cooperate with neighboring shopping street promotion associations for the overall optimization on a bigger scale, and aim to revitalize the area in front of the station.
Conclusion
As one of the residents who inherited the family business in this town from the parents’ generation, I have a strong desire to develop this town and hand it over to the next generation.
In order to make my ambition come true, I quickly adapt to the changing times, exchange information frequently and work together with all the residents of the shopping street.
I would appreciate your cooperation and support for the prosperity of the Honmachi Shopping Street Promotion Association, to be a leading shopping street in Toyokawa.