일본 도시부문에서의 지역활성화 운동에 대한 연구: 토쿄의 미타카시 사례를 중심으로

Abstract

This is a case study on the community revitalization movement utilizing the advanced information technology in the urban sector of modem Japan. It attempts to discern the development strategies of a Japanese city, as well as to broaden our understanding of the contemporary Japanese culture.

The researcher has chosen the Mitaka City in Metropolitan Tokyo for this case study. The city is regarded as one of the most advanced cities in community informatization in Japan. This study focuses on the way in which the advanced information technology has been mobilized in revitalizing the community industry and promoting the quality of life of the residents.

Until the middle of the 20<SUP>th</SUP> century, the Mitaka City was mostly an industrial region. During the past half a century, the city has been turned into the suburban residential area of the Tokyo. Experiencing the serious shortage of revenue, the Mitaka City has gradually turned to information technology as a solution. Fortunately, there are sizable manpower working in the fields related to the information industry around the Mitaka City, which is close to the Shijuku, a center of high-tech industry in the Metropolitan Tokyo. In addition, further developments occurred, including the experiments of INS digital communication by NTT between Mitaka and the downtown of Tokyo in 1984, the appearance of CATV by which the two-way multimedia services are made possible, and the speedy internet service through the optical-fiber cable of the CATV. These developments were instrumental in drawing attention from the SOHO(Small Office, Home Office) workers, who were interested in the information-related businesses.

Based upon these technological and socio-economic conditions, the Mitaka City has established such key IT stations as SOHO Pilot Office, Mitaka Industrial Plaza, and Mitaka Sanrits SORO Center, under the banners of SOHO City Mitaka and Advanced IT City, Mitaka. These stations may be regarded as innovations utilizing the local resources. In addition, the community-based internet shopping mall, Mitaka-Mall, which recently began it"s service, may be regarded as an integrated system of innovations which had been so far independently developed in various sectors of the city.

This case study should not be generalized for the entire urban sector of the modem Japan. However, the researcher believes that this study could be a good lesson for the Korean cities, which are experiencing the trials and errors, with the system of self-government, which has been recently introduced.