Co-Creation of "Soft Leadership" as Seen in the Kamiyama Project

"Co-Creation" refers to an approach where new value is generated through dialogue with diverse stakeholders. Derived from the meaning of "creating together," it is also called "kyosou" (共創). The co-creation portal site "cotas, " operated by Dentsu Inc. and Infobahn, held the third annual Japan Co-Creation Awards 2014 to recognize outstanding examples of co-creation. This series examines co-creation trends and movements through the award-winning cases and the perspectives of the judges.

For the third installment of the series, we welcomed Shinya Ominami, Chairman of the NPO Green Valley, from the Kamiyama Project, one of the five best case studies recognized at the awards.

Working backward from the future to envision the ideal state

Murakoshi: Now in its third year, the Co-Creation Award has clearly shown that companies and local governments are getting serious about their efforts. Opportunities for people to collaborate across fields and positions are expanding, and I feel that co-creation is gaining attention as a method for tackling difficult social issues such as improving medical care and realizing diversity.

The success of the Blue-Eyed Doll Homecoming Project gave us confidence, and we started various community revitalization initiatives with our friends. However, things didn't go very well. Just as we were beginning to feel that it might be impossible for us to do it on our own, we heard the news that Tokushima Prefecture was planning to build an international cultural village as part of its 10-year plan. We thought, "Eventually, the local residents will manage and operate this," so rather than leaving it entirely up to the prefecture, we made various proposals to the prefecture to incorporate our requests. At that time, we saw their approach to revitalizing towns and regions. This is how the Kamiyama Project started.

We thought that continuing projects like bringing the dolls back home would lead to something, but we realized that it was more important to think about what we wanted to become in 10 or 20 years, how we wanted to develop our community, and to work backwards from the future. The members of Green Valley, who were in their late 30s at the time and were called "eccentrics," became the chairmen of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry 20 years later and are now the core of Kamiyama. I feel that the foundation of this town is different from other municipalities.

 

Soft leadership puts everyone in the spotlight

Nomura: What do you think is the background behind the acceptance of the Kamiyama concept?

Ohminami: At the International Culture Village, we developed two projects: environment and art. For the environment, we had volunteers clean up each area. We wanted to make Kamayama a town where visitors could feel comfortable with all five senses. To achieve that, we couldn't have trash littering the roads. Next, on the artistic side, there was someone in Kamayama who had a dream of creating an artists' village, so we started an initiative called "Artist in Residence" to invite artists to the town and support their work. If the goal is simply to attract people by having famous artworks created in the town, you must constantly add new pieces; otherwise, people stop coming. Instead, Kamiyama became "a place where artists come to create." This led to changes, such as artists not just staying temporarily but actually moving to Kamiyama.

After years of this effort, just when we thought we'd overcome all the problems, another challenge inevitably emerged. What we see as a problem is always just the tip of the iceberg. But we've faced these challenges without resentment, embracing them with a spirit of tackling problems with enthusiasm.

Murakoshi: So she discarded the old leadership style and demonstrated a new kind of leadership.

Onami: In that sense, Kamiyama's leadership might be unique. We call it "floating leadership." Someone who oversees and coordinates an entire project might work under a different leader on another project. Everyone covers for each other where needed, exercising leadership in their respective areas. As we each led in our strengths and unconsciously covered each other's weaknesses, a shared sensibility naturally developed.

Murakoshi: It's like a team sport.

Onami: You could also call it soft leadership. I believe this approach attracts motivated people and creates an atmosphere where anyone can be the protagonist.

Entrust what you can't do to those who can.

Murakoshi: When everyone exercises leadership, you could also call it a total war effort.

Nomura: It could also be described as planner thinking. A skilled planner, after conceiving an idea, gathers the people needed to execute it. They don't assume they can do it alone. What I'm working on, the Future Session, visualizes this planner thinking. Future Sessions are creative spaces where not just experts, but a wide range of stakeholders gather. They encourage participants to create their own objectives and take proactive steps toward them. Here, we interview various people and first define the questions needed to solve the problem. For example, there's a meeting on the theme "Creating an Environment Supportive of Child-Rearing," which Mr. Murakoshi also participates in. If we had named this meeting simply the "Child-Rearing Meeting," only those directly involved in child-rearing would have attended. By instead framing it as a meeting on the theme "Creating a Society Where Children Shine at the Center," we attract a diverse range of people. The Future Sessions initiative involves gathering diverse individuals, facilitating dialogue to foster mutual understanding, and then supporting the leadership that emerges from these interactions.

Murakoshi: So, those who know what they can't do become capable of anything by developing the skill to find those who can.

Onami: Exactly. Also, we don't think of plans to achieve goals as a single, straight line. A weakness in government is drawing a single line with five-year or ten-year plans. Since it's a plan, things don't always go smoothly. But because that line is drawn, they can't change direction and just keep pushing forward. We narrow down the target direction to some extent, but we connect multiple options like a string of beads. When a change of direction is needed at a branching point, we shift sideways without hesitation. No matter how much the amplitude, it's not a problem because the target direction is narrowed down. We continuously repeat changes of direction to take the optimal route toward the goal.

 

"Gaps" gather diverse people and foster diversity

Murakoshi: Still, why have so many young people started gathering in Kamiyama?

Ominami: When you look at rural Japan, often the entrance is wide open—"Anyone is welcome!"—but once you step inside, there are unspoken rules and conventions. Kamiyama is the opposite. We narrowed the entrance, saying, "We want people like this to come." But once you're inside, the space opens up, and you're free to do as you please. It's filled with an atmosphere different from other towns, which probably makes it comfortable for young people.

Nomura: Will other regions also become places where outsiders can thrive?

Ohminami: I think so. It's survival of the fittest for both residents and regions. It's not the law of the jungle, but rather those who adapt to the environment and the region will survive. It's uncomfortable to live in a society that says, "We won't change, but newcomers must change" in order to preserve tradition. I think changing that is Green Valley's greatest contribution to the town.
Thirty years ago, Kamiyama was a stifling place where, once you left, you wouldn't want to return. Within that environment, Green Valley members, though called "oddballs," began to gradually expand the boundaries to make it a place where people could stretch their legs. As a result, spaces opened up in the town where people could freely engage in activities. Those spaces became comfortable places for migrants and IT ventures. They eliminated the bad aspects of rural communities and preserved the good ones.

Nomura: It seems that if you make it a place where you can realize what you want to do within the gaps, rather than just solving problems, it will become a fun community. I think there are more and more people who want to be active in the margins of the community.

Nomura: Convenience doesn't necessarily enrich life. In crowded, cramped places, people lose the freedom to pursue what they want. If we continue concentrating everything in Tokyo until 2020, we're approaching a critical turning point: will a new future blossom, or will it collapse? It would be great if regional areas became more interesting, and interesting people could truly thrive there.

Ominami: For that to happen, we need people who can demonstrate diverse ways of living. Two years ago, a bistro opened in Kamiyama. I worried it might be slow in winter, wondering if it would be okay, but it's been incredibly successful. Naturally, from the perspective of ordinary people like myself, you'd think: earn more, pay off the debt faster, and if it goes well, open a second location... But they were different. In September, they closed the shop for a month and took a vacation to France together. They went to source wines for the restaurant. People around them were surprised, but when various individuals demonstrate different ways of living, it brings diversity to the town. As more unique people emerge, the town becomes even more interesting.

Murakoshi: Creating space, how that space gathers diverse people, and how diversity emerges from there. I feel this offers significant insights not just for regional revitalization, but for corporate approaches and how each individual works. Thank you very much for today.