By Jan Gruber & Max de Bever
Photos by Lee Chapman (Tokyo Times)
Across the world, rural areas are losing population as more people, especially the younger generation, move to cities in search of opportunity, connection, and stability. While cities continue to grow as hubs of innovation and opportunity, rural areas are often forgotten and left behind. These areas struggle with reduced services, limited infrastructure, and the loss of community life. The consequences are far-reaching: economic stagnation, population aging, social isolation, and the gradual disappearance of local traditions and ways of living.
Rural decline is a particularly an issue in Japan. With only around 8% of its population remaining in rural regions, the country is experiencing one of the most rapid and extreme forms of rural depopulation. Entire villages are falling into decline, local economies are struggling, and younger people are increasingly disconnected from the places their families once called home. This growing imbalance between urban and rural life raises questions such as: What value do rural spaces hold today? How can they adapt to thrive in the modern world? And what does their decline mean for culture, identity, and the future?
Document life in Japan’s rural towns
Share stories and solutions
Inspire change and conversation
The goal is to investigate the issue of rural depopulation in Japan by visiting local communities, listening to personal stories, and examining both the challenges and the creative responses emerging from the communities. Through this research, we aim to create a compelling narrative. Delivered through a printed book and an interactive digital platform that not only documents the concerns on this global issue but also opens up conversations about sustainable rural futures. By sharing these stories, we hope to inspire curiosity, cross-cultural dialogue, and concrete action around rural revitalisation.
So why are we making a book in a time dominated by digital media?
Because we believe that print offers a slower, more reflective way to engage with stories. We easily get lost on the endless amount of content online, while a book is timeless. Also book gives the opportunity to add more value to the voices we encounter and allows us to bind together photography, interviews, and personal reflections in a tangible, lasting format. It’s not just a way to document our journey, but a way to share it with readers at talks, exhibitions, schools, and beyond. The book serves as an archive and an invitation to pause, to reflect, and to reconsider the value of rural life.
We will be presenting the book and our story at various universities. Hoping to reach a wide audience of various backgrounds and to spark curiosity and engagement.
As digital creators, we also know the power and reach of online media. That’s why we’re building a digital platform that brings together this website, social media, and other interactive formats to share the full scope of our project. The website will host our full interviews, extended stories, behind-the-scenes content, and visual media that doesn’t fit in the book. While our social channels will help expand the conversation, connect with new audiences, and explore creative offshoots of our work. Together, this platform allows the project to live, grow, and reach beyond the page.
A photo Exhibition
An Audio Project