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About TRALIVE Kamikawa
What if people living all over the world could give this town a helping hand?
"Kamikawa, the smallest town in Hyogo Prefecture," is one of the regions most affected by shrinking population in Japan. This town has been officially categorized as a disappearing community.
Kamikawa has an immigration policy targeting various generations, especially those of fertile age, but we concluded that this was not enough as Japan's population as a whole is declining.
So, we made it possible for people from around the world to assist in solving the lack of local supporters and troubles of the community "while having fun" by interacting with locals either from the comfort of your own home or on the side of your trip to Japan. This is TRALIVE, a program based on the concept of "traveling as if you live here".
Discover hidden gems of Japan through TRALIVE activities*, which is something you can't experience on ordinary trips. Support Kamikawa while enjoying traditional Japanese culture and interaction with local residents. Your supports and involvement will bring this disappearing town back to life!
*TRALIVE activities are activities that we organize based on the concept of "solving the lack of local supporters and troubles of the community" and "promoting multicultural understanding in a town". These are the contents of our web site.
How can I support Kamikawa?
Here are some examples of what actions you can take to assist and support this town. You may find many more besides these.
Get interested in Kamikawa
Look into and think about visiting this town someday...
It is actually very important actions to become interested in and familiar with Kamikawa.
Popularize Kamikawa
Post photos of pleasant memories and scenery of Kamikawa on SNS. Quiz friends, "Which town has the newest ski resort* in Japan?"
Thanks to you, we will get more support for this dissapiaring town.
Join TRALIVE Activities
Participate in TRALIVE activities and help the local community to solve the lack of supporters and troubles in the community. We do our best to create a fun activity that you can get involved in supporting this town.
Visit Kamikawa
“I wanted to do TRALIVE activities in Kamikawa”,“Having had errands to Japan, I was curious about here and came to take a look”,“I visited here to simply enjoy nature and sightseeing”
There will be various reasons, and we appreciate you for coming here in Kamikawa.
TRALIVE Activities
What kind of experiences are offered?
TRALIVE activities include "Local Experience," which you can experience by visiting Kamikawa-cho, and "Virtual Experience," which you can participate in online from the comfort of your home.
Story of Kamikawa
Kamikawa is a small town that exists in Hyogo Prefecture, located in the western part of Japan, in what is called the Kansai area. It is called "Kamikawa-cho (神河町)" written as the town of "God(神)" and "River(河)".
By the merger of two dissapearing towns of Okawachi and Kanzaki, Kamikawa was created in 2005.
Kamikawa is a town composed of mountains and valleys, where about 80% of the town is mountain forests.People of various generations live their lives while preserving good old traditions in a town rich in nature with beautiful mountains, streams, and rice paddies where you can fully experience the "satoyama" of Japan.
Kamikawa is called the "town of hearts" because of the warmth of the people who live there and the shape of the town.
Kamikawa is also rich in tourism resources.
In spring, countryside cherry blossoms can be seen in Oukaen Garden and in the gardens of traditional temples, giving visitors a sense of life in Japan's past.
Beautiful tea fields are also a highlight. It is a famous place for Senreicha(仙霊茶), a green tea that has been offered to an ancient Japanese emperor and has received a special name.
In summer, people can enjoy river activities in typical Japanese mountain and village streams. You can experience the twinkling of fireflies, which can only be found in clear streams, and the star-filled sky. Since the town is located in the mountains, temperatures do not rise so high, and the highlands feel rather cool even in summer.
Autumn is the season when the mountains of Kamikawa turn colorful.Autumn leaves can be seen here and there throughout the town.
The Hase Dam was built using the unique topography of Japan, and the Okochi Plateau area is located upstream of the dam. Tomine Plateau, one of those highlands, is one of the most famous silver grass plateaus in Japan.
It was the filming location for Haruki Murakami's movie "Norwegian Wood" and a Japanese historical drama. Visitors can stroll through the fantastic silver grass highlands.
In winter, the mountainous areas offer special winter satoyama scenery. Kamikawa is also a popular skiing location because of its easy access from Himeji and Osaka. Mineyama Highland in Kamikawa has the newest ski resort in Japan.
About us
TRALIVE Kamikawa was established with the goal of mutually beneficial rerationships between the local residents of Kamikawa and supporters around the world.
We aim to develop this scheme where people from all over the world to assist in solving the lack of local supporters and troubles of the community "while having fun" by interacting with locals either from the comfort of your own home or on the side of your trip to Japan.
Through solid partnerships with the local residents and government of Kamikawa, we are able to offer experiences that would otherwise be inaccessible. Our supporters can discover "hidden gems" in Japan that are difficult to experience on ordinary trips.
We believe that by establishing an environment where supporters from around the world are interested in and support this dissapearing town as relationship population, we can contribute to the local development and create multicultural coexistence of this town.
We aim to create a platform where people can experience Japanese countryside, Kamikawa, no matter where they live in the world.
Are you interested in the traditions, culture, and lifestyle of rural Japan and its local people? Register now with TRALIVE community.
Your supports and involvement will bring this disappearing town back to life!
Founder
TRALIVE Kamikawa was established with the support of various people as part of a master's research project at Kobe Institute of Computing.
We will strive to ensure that this initiative will not only entertain supporters from around the world, but will also assist in the rural revitalization and creation of a multicultural coexistence in Kamikawa, as well as support local traditions and services that are dying out because they cannot be maintained.
Your interest and concern will help to preserve and breathe new life into a minor town and traditional culture in Japanese.
May many people around the world enjoy and discover the charms of Kamikawa.
Tsuchida Laboratory, Kobe Institute of Computing
Rio Suga
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