N°148 [FOCUS] Shiga, happiness laboratory

Head of the prefecture for more than 10 years, Mikazuki Taizô is trying to implement a new lefistyle there.

Mikazuki Taizo has been the governor of Shiga Prefecture since 2014. After graduating from Hitotsubashi University’s Faculty of Economics, he joined JR West Japan where he worked as a station attendant and train driver, also serving as the chairman of several JR West Union Youth committees. In 2002, he entered the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management and was first elected to the House of Representatives in November 2003. After serving as Vice-Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism under the Democratic Party administration, he ran as an independent in the 2014 Shiga gubernatorial election. In 2022, Mikazuki was reelected for the second time. 

You had an unusual career as a governor. Looking back at your time at JR West, how do you think it connects to your current job as governor?

There are connections, but the first one I would like to pick is the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. I experienced it when I was a station employee. While helping with the reconstruction of Kobe’s stations, railways, and towns, I realized the importance of public transportation and railways to people’s lives. I later worked as a train driver in Okayama, Hiroshima, and Yamaguchi. At that time, I realized that I was working with and for so many people. There is only one driver on the train, but all kinds of people are involved in transporting people and delivering them to their destinations, from those who repair the tracks to those who work at the station. This kind of work is connected in many ways to my current work as governor and public administrator. Now I feel like I’m doing all sorts of things, such as driving, inspecting, maintenance, and making timetables, and I try not to forget what my past experience has taught me.

Your favorite book is Konosuke Matsushita’s How to Save a Collapsing Japan. What do you think we should do to improve Japan’s current social and economic condition?

Many years have passed since Matsushita wrote that book, and times have changed, but I think some things are still relevant. One of them is that there is still dissatisfaction, distrust, and grievances among the people in society, and Matsushita asked whether politics is able to properly address these issues and provide solutions. He said that politics should find a philosophy at its root, and that people should work together to face difficult situations. I find there are some points that are relevant to the current political and social situation, and another thing is that, although we have been through a deflationary era, we are now experiencing inflation, so how do we manage the economy in an era of rising prices? These themes are also relevant to the present, so we should reflect on them and once again cherish those perspectives and apply them to the management of local government administration.

Where do you think the potential for the prefecture lies? 

There are many potential possibilities for Shiga Prefecture. First of all, looking back, I can see that each region in Japan has its own history and charm. Now, Shiga is located in the center of Japan and has a connection with nature, and perhaps Buddhism as well. It may be true that the Buddhism-related lifestyle is the root of the Japanese spirit and culture, and we should look back on history. Throughout Shiga’s history, we have overcome many problems together. We should first learn and remember the wisdom we have accumulated in the past and then share it with other people. Also, Shiga is dominated by Lake Biwa in the middle of the region, and there is a lot of water there, as well as water from Mt. Hiyama that flows into the lake. Water is essential for us as humans, and it is also an important resource for industry, so we need to protect this water and use it wisely. Now that temperatures are rising due to climate change, water resources are probably going to dry up. When that happens, we can show a model of how to live, so when we look at history and the water resources that we are entrusted with, I think these two possibilities are significant in terms of fulfilling our responsibility to the world.

I understand that you are aiming for a sustainable Shiga where people can experience what you call “new abundance.” What kind of plans do you have? Also, how exactly are you creating the Living Together: Healthy Shiga initiative?

Since I became governor ten years ago, I have been saying that we should all create and experience new wealth. Not just now, and I’m not talking about things or money, or just about ourselves, but for the future. Let’s all create a wealth that can be felt in our hearts. However, wealth is a vague term, so it’s a little hard to understand. What is a really wealthy society? To me, the keyword is health, so I chose “Healthy Shiga.” Healthy people, both in mind and body. And a healthy society. What I mean is creating a supportive society. And of course, socio-economic health is important but we should not forget nature, including Lake Biwa, which is its foundation. 

We will maintain and improve people’s health, society, the economy, and nature, and we need to work together to achieve this goal. I believe that we can feel wealth and happiness in these things. We have experienced Covid and the Noto Peninsula earthquake, so we need to cherish our sense of community. I am now emphasizing the importance of creating a healthy life together, and I am calling on everyone to do so. We are currently creating various policies to improve the three health aspects I mentioned earlier. One example is public transportation. I specialize in this field, so I have been working on making public transportation more convenient in the prefecture, helping people move around and improving their lives. I am creating a system in which not only the private sector, but also the public sector can work together to make this kind of initiative. Also, let’s not forget parks because they are essential for life. We have started an initiative to increase the value and appeal of parks under the jurisdiction of various departments. I am currently working on concrete initiatives like this because I would like to create a city where everyone can experience such richness and happiness.

Speaking of health and happiness, the aging of the population is an issue that concerns Shiga, as well as many other prefectures in Japan. What policies are you taking to rejuvenate the population?

This is also a very philosophical question. First of all, before talking about the declining population, we should value the role played by each individual. Each person’s life is important, and we want to adopt policies that value each individual. As people age, we get weaker, but at the same time, we have a vast wealth of knowledge and skills, and we should make use of our own abilities even when we get older. This can be achieved through pursuing a hobby, volunteering, or the Silver Human Resources Center. What we aim to do is provide a place where each person can be active by making use of their abilities. We call them “active seniors.” 

Another important point is what I emphatically call “children, children, children.” Children are our hope for the future, so we should devote our efforts and energy to protecting and nurturing children. We should provide opportunities for children to experience all kinds of things; cooperate with companies to enrich their activities in after-school children’s clubs; and provide environment-oriented lessons such as the “Umi no Ko” learning activities on Lake Biwa. Our purpose is to help children acquire skills and wisdom for living in the future. I think that by implementing such policies, we can create a society where everyone can be healthy and true to themselves, even though they may be old and weak.

Are you in favor of mass tourism, or would you like to develop a more qualitative approach?

I don’t really agree with the term or concept of mass tourism or, even worse, overtourism. Of course, we want the people who visit our prefecture to go home happy and satisfied, but we cannot forget the people who live in the area. They should be happy too. In this respect, we should pursue a kind of tourism that makes everyone happy. During the pandemic, we came up with a new keyword for tourism: Shigarism, which also rhymes with rhythm. We want to create a type of tourism in Shiga that will allow people to take a deep breath, relax, and feel revived while cherishing nature while enjoying the daily rhythms of life and participating in various activities. Instead of resenting the tourists’ presence, I want Shiga residents to meet them and share things together. 

One of the themes we have come up with are the Mother Lake Goals (MLGs), a sort of SDGs for Lake Biwa. We have been discussing this for about ten years and set a few goals. For example, elementary and junior high school students from outside the prefecture who visit Shiga on school trips can take part in activities like cleaning up the lake and observing wildlife. 

As you said, it can be difficult to reconcile the economic benefits of tourism with the residents’ interests.

Yes, but, as I learned from Claude Leblanc, at a study session four or five years ago, tourism promotes diversity. It can be used as an important tool, or an entry point. Obviously, overtourism, like any case of over-exploitation, can have negative effects, but there are things that you can only experience by visiting other regions or countries, such as eating different food and interacting with the locals. Shiga Prefecture has been enriched by this. So, even though it may be a bit of a problem for everyone if it goes too far, we would like to cherish this idea. After all, tourism in Japanese is called kanko (観光) which means “seeing the light.” 

You have formulated a new vision for promoting tourism – what you call Shigarism – and are running the “Let’s go! Lake Biwa, Shiga!” campaign. I would like to hear more about educational travel, and experiential and environmental tourism.

Indeed, “experience” is one of the things we are focusing on in our campaign. We want people to experience the vastness of Lake Biwa and local handicrafts. It is important not only to see things but actually try them yourself and feel them with your body. For example, we want to introduce where tea is made and processed, but also the process of making sake, from rice cultivation to brewing, where it is made, and the warehouses where it is stored. Food is another important source of stories. We love to eat, of course, but going beyond eating, we want to create an environment where people can hear the stories from the fields and rice paddies, and meet the chefs. 

Experiencing things, of course, is very effective for children, especially on educational trips, so we are pushing to further develop educational tourism. Also, when emphasizing experiences on educational trips, environment-friendly tourism immediately comes to mind. So we offer opportunities to learn about the ecology of living things, how to enjoy sightseeing by using public transportation and without producing lots of garbage. 

Another thing that is dear to me is cycling. Right now, Shiga Prefecture is running a cycling tour around Lake Biwa called Biwaichi, and we are promoting cycling as an environmentally friendly and healthy form of tourism. You can cycle around towns and enjoy our magnificent nature. Well, driving a car is nice, but when you cycle you can feel the wind. You can also hear different sounds. It’s nice to cycle while listening to the waves in nearby Lake Biwa and the birds singing. For example, you may be riding on the east side of the lake and see the snow-capped mountains on the west side. You can enjoy the seasonal colors, with the lake in the middle and the mountains close by. The roads around Lake Biwa are flat, and we’ve widened them to make it easier to cycle. We are also still working on creating new routes and making cycling easier. We hope to make this available to as many people as possible.

Please tell me more about the Mother Lake Goals.

As I mentioned earlier, Mother Lake Goals is a localized version of the SDGs for Lake Biwa. In order to pass on knowledge about the rich and beautiful Lake Biwa to the next generation, we need to discuss and take on new initiatives, not just through the government, but involving everyone. We created a list of 13 goals. For example, the first is to make the water pure and clean. The second is to bring back the rich seafood, and so on. In order to achieve these goals, we are currently working on spreading the word through websites and social media, holding workshops to deepen our reach, and connecting each entity through such activities. We hope that we can all create something good together. 

August 27th is World Lake Day. This international day was born on the opening day of the First World Lake Conference, which was held in 1984 on the shores of Lake Biwa. We have been involved in numerous activities to tackle our lake’s pollution and deteriorating environment. It is our responsibility to share this experience with the world.

Washoku (Japanese cuisine) is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. Shiga Prefecture has a rich gourmet culture, and the Lake Biwa System has been recognized as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. What efforts are you making to protect and spread this richness?

Eating is an activity that allows us to feel the joy of being alive, and it makes the moment and place enjoyable. We want to cherish the act of making food and eating together. Agriculture plays an important part in Shiga. There are also fish and other products unique to Lake Biwa, and we are rich in products such as rice. There are also many fermented products that are rooted in the local culture such as pickles, funazushi (fermented sushi), soy sauce, and sake. 

Now, like in many other countries around the world, the number of people working in agriculture, livestock, and fisheries is decreasing because they are not able to earn enough income. In order to address these challenges, I would like to work on creating a framework system that connects producers and consumers. In 2022, this sustainable system in which people care for the environment has been recognized as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System, so I would like to further strengthen such efforts by creating a narrative about these issues and introducing it to everyone along with the food.

Public transport is a very important issue both for the daily life of local residents and for the development of tourism. As a former railway man, I would like you to say a few words about the railway problem in Shiga. The future of the Omi Railway, for instance, has been an issue for several years. How is the prefecture addressing this issue amid a trend of local lines being abolished one after another?

It’s such a big theme that I can’t answer it in one word. First of all, public transportation is very important in our daily lives, going to places we want to go, going to work, and meeting people, but these are difficult times as the number of people using buses and trains has decreased. Many have stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also, fewer people are driving trains. Private cars have now become popular, and public transportation has fallen into disuse. 

But does that mean that it should disappear, or are private cars enough? An increasing number of people can no longer drive as they get older, and tourists usually need public transportation to go around, so we need to create a community that values ​​public transportation. We have set this as our vision, and now we are holding workshops and discussing new plans to make this vision a reality. We are holding a forum in February about what it would be like to live a more enjoyable life thanks to convenient, easy-to-use public transportation. The important thing is that we don’t want it to end up being a pipe dream. People say, I wish it would be like this, but we can’t do it because we don’t have the money. Okay, so how do we create the financial resources to make it a reality? Of course, the financial support from the National Government would be required. Additionally, it would be necessary for the owning railway company to make its maximum effort and for users to bear some of the costs. However, I believe that it is not only the users who benefit from public transportation but everyone who lives in the area. That’s why we are discussing a system where everyone supports public transportation.

The Omi Railway is an old railway that was built more than 120 years ago during the Meiji era (1868-1912). It is about 60 kilometers long and has 33 stations in the prefecture, spanning five cities and five towns. In the past, it was an indispensable means of public transportation in the region east of Lake Biwa, which was rather isolated. However, I heard from the company president eight or nine years ago that if it continued like this, it would go out of business, so I decided to study what was going on and what we could do. My reasoning was, if it is no longer needed, let’s close it. However, if people think that it is still necessary, we should all work together to preserve it. In the end, we reached the conclusion that residents still needed and wanted the railway, and in order to save it, not only the private sector, but also the prefecture and the city had to share the burden. Last year, we introduced a new mixed public-private system. In this system, the current railroad company is responsible only for the operation and service of the railroad, while the prefecture and the municipal governments are responsible for the facilities such as the tracks and railroad vehicles. It immediately became profitable, and the whole operation has created a virtuous circle, which motivated the railway company to further improve its service. Now people over 65 can ride as much as they want for 100 yen per trip. My experience with the Omi Railway shows that if we all support each other new challenges can be taken on and various ideas can be born.

Of course, aside from people who really love trains, many Japanese use a car to go everywhere. However, for foreigners, public transportation is often the only option. 

Trains are important in that respect too. We need to re-recognize and enhance the role of public transportation so that everyone can use it easily. For example, getting on and off the train without having to buy a ticket every time. Also, providing more information in multiple languages. I would like to put more effort into such things in the future. Also, let’s not forget about “the last mile.” I mean, you get off the train, but your destination could be a little far from the station, and the bus doesn’t come for a while, especially in rural areas, or you have to take a taxi. There is still a lot to do, and we should try new transportation systems, ride-sharing, autonomous driving, and so on.

Tourists aside, last year and the year before, we did a social experiment on using public transportation for commuting. Company employees who used to drive their own cars started commuting to work by train or bus, as a test. At that time, the president of the company said that most of the employees who joined this experiment hadn’t wanted to use public transportation. However, they also realized that in commuting this way, they had walked more, which was good for their health. Also, you can read books on your way to work, which makes it smarter. Another thing is that it opens up new and possibly better routes, you can do more and have more fun. If people can feel the benefits of commuting by public transportation instead of driving their own cars, it will be a win-win situation for both the railways and commuters.

Shiga Prefecture does not have a nuclear power plant, but Fukui Prefecture does have more than one, and if an accident were to occur, Lake Biwa could be contaminated, so the nuclear power issue arises. What kind of preventative measures is Shiga Prefecture taking in this respect?

There are many nuclear power plants in Fukui Prefecture, which is located next to Shiga, mainly in the Wakasa area. There are more facilities here than in other areas, including some that are currently operating, some that are not, and some that will be decommissioned in the future. We are grateful to the residents of the area and respect those who are working hard to keep the facilities safe. Although we are not directly involved in the safety issues of this nuclear power plant, we are involved in disaster prevention and safety measures and always value risk communication about what is happening now, what measures are being taken, what kind of trouble has occurred, and what measures are being taken. At the same time, we are training together on how to evacuate and restore safety when a problem occurs. We may not have as much history or experience as Fukui, but if something does happen, the damage will be widespread. With that thing in mind, we want to be as ready as possible if and when a dangerous situation arises. 

Interview by Gianni Simone

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