TOTTORI (Kyodo) A hundred residents of a small town in Tottori Prefecture have joined to draw up plans to revitalize their ailing community.
The "100-man committee" of Chizu has finalized 18 plans, including a budget, after holding a public hearing in December. Members are currently working with municipal authorities on how to reflect their voices in the local budget for the fiscal year starting April 1.
"Direct involvement in compiling the local budget is still very rare in Japan," said Tamio Yoshida, a professor of urban management at Tokai University. "It is a new type of autonomy — to build a community by respecting the opinions of residents."