In a large city, adding one more person hardly changes anything. On a small island, however, the impact of that “one person” can be much greater.
Schools are one of the clearest examples. On islands with very few children, some communities accept students from outside through ritō ryūgaku (離島留学) programs, which allow students from other areas to attend local island schools. A new student does more than increase enrollment by one. There is another classmate, another person for club activities, and another participant in school events. The national government also supports such programs as one way of contributing to the vitality of remote islands.
The same is true for the community as a whole.
In small communities with many older residents, people may want to continue local festivals and community activities but find it physically difficult to do so. When even one younger person joins in, that can mean one more person who is actually able to help. Just as importantly, simply knowing that “a younger person is doing this with us” can ease some of the psychological burden on older residents.
When the population is small, the influence of one person is proportionally much larger.
Remote workers can bring a different kind of change. Because they can continue working for employers or clients outside the island while living or staying there, they may not only spend money locally but also create new connections between the island and people, knowledge, and work elsewhere.
The goal is not always to persuade every newcomer to settle permanently. Japan also uses the concept of kankei jinkō (関係人口), literally “relationship population,” for people who do not live permanently in a place but continue to have meaningful ties to it. They may visit repeatedly, work with local people, or take part in community activities.
Of course, bringing in a few students or remote workers will not solve population decline by itself. But on a small island, even a handful of people can change the atmosphere of a school or a community.
One more person does not always mean simply “population plus one.”
It can mean one more classmate at school, one more younger person helping with a community activity, or one more person creating links with people outside the island. That is why attracting students and remote workers can matter so much to small island communities.
References
- Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, “Island Study Programs”
- Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, “Remote Island Development”
- Cabinet Secretariat, “Survey on Efforts to Create and Expand the Relationship Population”
