Our Field: Hamamatsu City
Hamamatsu City, located in Shizuoka Prefecture, is often referred to as a "miniature model of Japan" because the challenges it faces reflect those encountered nationwide. These include a declining birthrate, an aging population, and a steady migration of people to the Tokyo metropolitan area. These issues are particularly severe in the city’s mountainous and rural regions.
Despite being a regional city, Hamamatsu is also notable for its multiculturalism, with a significant foreign population. At College Impact Japan, we are committed to addressing the challenges facing Hamamatsu City and working toward a better, more inclusive future for society.
Field Activities in Japan
(A) Inheriting Traditional Culture in Mountainous Regions
Katsusaka Kagura
Katsusaka Kagura is a traditional performing art that has been passed down for over 420 years in Haruno-cho, Tenryu Ward. It is designated as an intangible folk cultural property by Hamamatsu City. In mountainous regions, the challenges of declining birth rates and an aging population are becoming increasingly apparent. Due to population outflow, there is a shortage of people to carry on the traditional performing arts that have long been preserved in these areas, putting their survival at risk. This project seeks to address these local issues by promoting the transmission and preservation of traditional performing arts.
Kawana Hiyondori
Kawana Hiyondori is a traditional performing art passed down in the Kawana area of Inasa Town, Hamana Ward, and is designated as an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property of Japan. It will mark its 600th anniversary in three years. However, with the declining birthrate and aging population, the young festival group that has traditionally led the event is at risk of disappearing. In response, the Kawana Hiyondori Preservation Society was one of the first to lift the ban on female participation and is taking innovative steps to attract young people from outside the area. Through this project, we aim to explore how traditional performing arts play a vital role in connecting and sustaining local communities.
(B) Cross-Cultural Exchange Project for Students with Overseas Ties
Misha Project
Hamana High School
Many children and students with Filipino connections live in Hamamatsu City's Hamana Ward. We plan and manage international exchange between high school students in Hamana Ward and high school students in Davao City, Philippines. Through supporting exchanges between high school students from the two regions, we learn about multicultural coexistence.
Many children with Filipino roots live in the Sanarudai district of Hamamatsu City. In collaboration with the Department of Education in Davao City, Philippines, we plan and manage programs that allow Filipino children to participate in public elementary school classes in the Philippines. By also providing learning support in Japanese elementary schools, we are growing together as future global leaders who will connect the two regions.
(C) Making the City Center Come Alive
Act Street
In Japan, where the population is rapidly declining, city centers face growing challenges such as low birthrates and an aging population. To foster community connections and breathe new life into the city center, we host a monthly market on the third Sunday in the public space known as “Act Street.” This initiative is carried out in collaboration with the local government, neighborhood associations, and universities as part of broader urban development efforts.
Field Activities Aborad
Fairtrade Project at Buatan Elemntary School
This project was launched in response to a proposal from the Department of Education of the Philippines. It takes place in the Marilog District, a lush mountainous area in Davao City, Republic of the Philippines. Despite its natural beauty, the region—home to many indigenous communities—has little industry. As a result, many children and students live in poverty, struggling to make ends meet and lacking access to quality education. This project aims to improve their living conditions and expand educational opportunities.
Layang Project
The Layang Project is a fair trade education initiative involving university students, children, and local communities in Davao City, Philippines, and Hamamatsu City, Japan. Centered on cacao, the project aims to build a sustainable system that connects Davao and Hamamatsu by integrating cacao cultivation and processing activities into the curriculum of Suawan Elementary School.
Layang Project
Practicum at Davao City Special School
