지역 자산을 활용한 지역 주체성 확립과 관계인구 형성 - 일본 히가시카와의 자연 문화를 중심으로 - = Establishing Local Agency and Forming Related Population through Local Assets : Focusing on Natural Culture of Higashikawa, Japan

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Despite various support measures and policies implemented in Korea and Japan to address local extinction driven by recent population decline, the downward trend in regional populations continues, and the extinction crisis remains unresolved. Even amid this instability, the case of Higashikawa in Japan—where the population has been increasing annually—offers a compelling example that massive infrastructure investment or indiscriminate support policies are not the only viable pathways to regional revitalization.
Grounded in Edward Relph’s theory of place identity and Seiji Kamimura’s cycle of local agency formation, this study investigates how Higashikawa’s regional revitalization policies have succeeded in increasing its resident population. Higashikawa strengthens residents’ place identity through policies that strategically leverage its unique natural environment, while also establishing platforms for communication between locals and outsiders, thereby cultivating emotional networks anchored in the relationship between people and place. Through these processes, both residents and newcomers develop a sense of subjectivity and local agency, enabling them to participate actively in resolving regional issues.
This analysis suggests that local extinction is not merely a statistical manifestation of population decrease, but fundamentally arises from the dissolution of the relationship between people and place. Accordingly, while physical infrastructure and institutional support remain vital components of regional policy, this study argues that equal attention must be devoted to fostering sustainable, long-term relationships between regions and the subjects who inhabit and engage with them.