Prominent guests from Japan included Katsumi Nemoto, chair of JTB Taiwan, and Mitsuru Ookuma, founder of Ukiha no Takara in Fukuoka prefecture, who jointly explored trends and opportunities with local teams from Taiwan, the NDC said.
According to NDC Minister Yeh Chun-hsien, the forum centered on transnational cooperation, intergenerational integration and cocreation, and public-private partnerships.
In his remarks, Yeh noted that regional revitalization is a common strategy to address demographic changes, adding that since 2014 Japan has promoted related policies to respond to issues such as the rapid population decline, aging society and resource overconcentration in big cities like Tokyo. Taiwan faces similar challenges, and local revitalization can not only help address such concerns, but also boost national resilience and sustainable development for future generations, he said.
The minister took the opportunity to praise Taiwan and Japan’s close mutual exchanges in recent years, adding that a youth delegation is set to visit Hokkaido to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and innovative development among teams on both sides.
In response, Nemoto said that in recent years JTB Taiwan has promoted international exchange and collaboration by encouraging Japanese schools, businesses and tourists to visit Taiwan and gain deeper insight into the country’s education environment, industries and culture. Ookuma shared how his company has helped citizens aged 75 and older participate in food preparation and sales, enabling them to generate income for themselves and their communities.
In addition to the Japanese speakers, representatives from six local revitalization teams showcased initiatives in street revitalization, in-depth tourism, care for Indigenous seniors and catering services for older adults using local ingredients, demonstrating Taiwan’s strengths in culture, tourism and long-term care, the council said.
The NDC vowed to continue coordinating cross-ministerial efforts to support regional revitalization by encouraging young people to return to their hometowns and contribute to local development and community resilience. (POC-E)
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from Taiwan Today – Top News