Town management in a Period of Urban Growth: A Modern Twist to the Traditional Japanese Jichi-kai Town Management Model Found in Azabu District of Minato Ward, Tokyo

This paper proposes a series of town management models that could help conserve and revitalize communities in major cities undergoing urban redevelopment. It identifies three new models of jichi-kai, a type of non-government community organization, that have survived the major changes brought upon them by large real estate development projects. It examined what community roles they’ve played in their region’s local community activities, how they’ve adapted, and what type of relations they have with large real estate corporations. This study found that stakeholders in the target region of this study shared the idea that town management is not a zero-sum game between “locals” and “outsiders” such as corporations, and that, for companies, supporting local town planning is not a charity case or a means of avoiding residential conflict for corporations, but is part of a long-term, financial strategy in the region. This research shows that the study of jichi-kais in the modern context can provide insight for Civil-Private Partnerships, a way of ensuring participation and involvement in urban development. The results have great implications for the future of achieving a more inclusive, sustainable democracy in that they present new ways of providing financial and human resources to local community organizations.