Role of Youth in Implementing SDGs Future City in Tosacho, Kochi, Japan

The “SDG Future Cities” established by the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Promotion Headquarters of Cabinet Office of Government of Japan, are being expanded to all municipalities in Japan through government support for the efforts of leading municipalities. Tosa town is a small town with less than 4000 people with high aging population and surrounded by mountains in Kochi Prefecture. The town was selected as one of the SDG Future City in 2020. In this paper, through a literature review, interviews with the Tosa Town Office, and a questionnaire survey and interview with residents of Tosa town, we considered what young people need to do to achieve SDG-11. Although Tosa Town has a variety of local government initiatives, the definition of a town where young people can continue to live, as revealed in the literature review, was found to be insufficient in terms of “economic resources,” “decision-making,” “data,” and “knowledge”. However, it was found that “community leaders,” “nature/topography,” and “community/people” are the most important factors for creating a town where people can continue to live. As for future issues, it is necessary to take measures for “decision-making,” “data,” and “knowledge,” as well as to solve issues specific to Tosa town.