Why the dream life might not be so dreamy after all (Cary Huang)

As Japan's work-centered culture continues to put pressure on Japanese families to succeed and provide for their offspring, a growing number of urbanites are trying to escape it all by moving to the countryside in Kochi, the southernmost prefecture of Shikoku. They're hoping the farming lifestyle will be more idyllic and carefree than the fast-paced city life they're used to. However, perhaps they're over-romanticizing Kochi. One-sixth of these Kochi immigrants ends up returning to their urban hometowns after they realize farm life comes with its own difficulties.

One of these difficulties is the fact that the local farmers (who have lived in Kochi their whole life) will have trouble seeing eye-to-eye with the new immigrants. With such different upbringings, the two groups see each other as "aliens". In fact, the Kochi government made a 4-minute video showing the urbanites on how "alienating" moving into a rural community can be. They need to dispel the myth that all their problems will go away in Kochi, so these new immigrants can make more realistic life decisions going forward.

BIG PICTURE:
Capitalism is the economic system that runs Japan and much of the developed world. So, many people growing up in these areas find themselves pursuing a capitalistic career for much of their lives without knowing why. Some point in their lives, they may find themselves burnt out, or re-evaluating what they really want to get out of life. Many of the Japanese deciding to move to Kochi are of middle age, like the 51-year-old planning on retiring early, so this move might be the result of midlife crises and such.

As more and more of the world progresses through their economic development (much of Africa, India, and so on), more and more people will live in urban areas and find themselves living in a society moving faster than they can keep track of. We may see rising groups of people also seeking a more relaxed life in the countryside in the decades to come. Perhaps places like Kochi will become overwhelmed with new immigrants, so in a way, this phenomenon could be seen as a form of overpopulation. Countries will need to pay close attention to the flows of their citizens both into cities and out of cities, since both directions might overwhelm services.


A subtle form of xenophobia also plays a role in this story. Although the rural farmers and urbanites are of the same ethnicity, their different upbringings and lifestyles essentially put them into different tribes. The farmers might see the immigrating urbanites as illegitimate, and using their land and resources just for "relaxation" instead of a worthy lifestyle. Or perhaps they will assimilate fine - it all depends on exposure and education.

Humans are naturally suspicious of people different from themselves, especially if these people are "invading" their spaces. Places like Japan, which are somewhat cautious of immigration, may be extra suspicious. So, this form of intra-national immigration might lead to a sort of "class-conflict" as time goes on. Whether urbanites and farmers integrate well, or divide further into a pseudo-caste-system, is yet to be known. Hopefully these two communities can co-exist in a growingly diverse Japan.