Abstract

Aging and depopulation are among the most urgent challenges Japan is facing, with rural and regional areas of the country already experiencing the shrinkage or disappearance of entire communities and their consequences. At the same time, global environmental issues, such as climate change and the decline of natural resources, require a transition towards downsized economies and more sustainable, localized lifestyles. In Japan, there is evidence of a growing trend of urban-to-rural lifestyle migration, and among people going back to the countryside, sustainability-related goals appear to play an important role in the choice to move to rural areas and in the performance of rural lifestyles, although often in indirect ways. In response to the decline of rural and regional areas, the Japanese government has also launched policies aimed at regional revitalization, including programs to attract in-migrants. Such policies, however, tend to prioritize socio-economic regeneration and economic growth over broader sustainability goals. This chapter examines the everyday practices of rural lifestyle migrants from a sustainability perspective, highlighting key opportunities and challenges for the transitions towards more sustainable lifestyles, but also resilient communities, in post-growth Japan.