8/25/2022-8/27/2022　Tansgashima, Kagoshima (Nishinoomote City, Nakatane Town, and Minamitane Town)

The research team under Research Theme 2 (Co-learning mechanism) organized the “De-carbonization and Future Workshop in Tanegashima, Kagoshima,” on August 26. The workshop was attended by 58 participants from junior high and high schools on Tanegashima Island and supported by seven alumni currently studying at universities outside the island.

The workshop started by raising participants’ awareness of the current situation around Tanegashima City. Experts from the research team introduced the Future Chart 2050 and the Carbon Neutral Simulator, both developed by the research team to give a broader idea of what would happen in coming decades when the participants grew up. Factors of societal transformation such as population, energy supply and demand, regional industry, and workforce, were incorporated into the simulation and modeling of the Future Chart 2050 and the Carbon Neutral Simulator.

Participants were appointed as Mayor of “Future Tanegashima City,” and assigned to formulate possible policy options for Tanegashima’s sustainable future. They took a back-casting approach when working in small groups, which was to define the goal of what the future Tanegashima would look like or what they wanted it to be, then identify the gap between the goal and the current position and discuss what actions they should take “now” to reach that state. Discussion among local participants tended to lead to a narrow view, or sometimes getting stuck, due to a lack of knowledge or experience. To provide them with broader perspectives and technical advice, experts and university students from Tokyo interacted with the participants and assisted in the discussion. At the end of the workshop, each group summarized their discussion into policy recommendations and proposed it to the “present” city government as a message from the future.

A back-to-back workshop and technical tour were organized to showcase technology development in Tanegashima and its connection to the regional economy. Participants, organizers, workshop collaborators, and Co-JUNKAN platform partners visited demonstration facilities and learned about the regional resource potential and technologies. Interaction between and among technical tour participants and facilities hosts led to enhanced Co-learning, a peer-learning process in and for Tanegashima.