Shogo ’25 looks to “revitalize Uozu by enhancing the community center’s appeal as a place of learning and growth.”
This summer, my focus remains the same as last year’s project: addressing the issue of rural depopulation in Uozu, a small hilltop village in Japan. Uozu has been experiencing a significant decline in population with younger adults moving to larger cities for better opportunities. This depopulation has led to a lack of community engagement and has been particularly detrimental for Mr. Kanamori and his Yaginomori Community Center. Inspired by the success of the playground I built last year at the community center, which fostered community ties and brought people together, this year I plan to introduce English lessons at the center. This year’s project is more than a teaching opportunity; it aims to further revitalize Uozu by enhancing the community center’s appeal as a place of learning and growth.
To support these classes, I have used the grant money to purchase English study materials and custom t-shirts. These items will not only serve as the foundation for our classes, but they will be lasting gifts for the children.
Ultimately, I hope these efforts contribute to the revitalization of Uozu, making it a place where current and future generations are proud to call home. Additionally, the Noto Peninsula earthquake that happened on New Year’s Day this year affected Uozu, and I hope these classes will bring some smiles to the faces of the local people who truly need it.
So far, I have designed and received the t-shirts as well as buying all the materials for the classes. I have also been able to make it up to the community center and reconnect with Mr. Kanamori and some of the children I worked with last year. I have sent out flyers for my classes and have been working to spread the word within my local community, and I am super excited to host these classes in the upcoming weeks.
