Depopulation, aging, and population migration—nationwide phenomena—are having a significant impact on local governance in Japan's rural and mountainous villages. Japan leads the world in these demographic trends, offering critical lessons for other aging societies. This book focuses on Ōtoyo Town in Kōchi Prefecture, a municipality at the forefront of these challenges. Researchers from the fields of political and administrative science, agricultural economics, and rural sociology have joined forces to tackle this issue, presenting the results of their collaborative study.

Takayoshi Uekami is a Professor of Political Science at Gakushuin University, Japan.

Yoshiaki Iiguni is Professor Emeritus, Kochi University, Japan