(まち)おこし

まちおこし
noun
town revitalization
1. town revitalization, community revitalization
Efforts to revive or energize a town or local community, typically through tourism promotion, local product development, events, or other economic and cultural initiatives. A major topic in Japanese regional policy.
(まち)おこしのイベントに参加(さんか)した。
I participated in a town revitalization event.
ゆるキャラを使(つか)った(まち)おこしが全国(ぜんこく)話題(わだい)になった。
Town revitalization using mascot characters became a hot topic nationwide.
若者(わかもの)中心(ちゅうしん)となって(まち)おこしに()()み、廃校(はいこう)をカフェに改装(かいそう)して観光客(かんこうきゃく)()()んでいる。
Young people are taking the lead in town revitalization, converting a closed school into a café to attract tourists.

USAGE:
(まち)おこし is a key concept in Japanese regional policy, referring to grassroots or government-supported efforts to revive declining rural towns and small cities. It can also be written as 町興(まちお)こし. The related term (むら)おこし is used specifically for village revitalization.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • (まち)おこしに()()む (work on town revitalization)
  • (まち)おこしイベント (revitalization event)
  • (まち)おこしの一環(いっかん)として (as part of town revitalization)

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 地域(ちいき)活性化(かっせいか): regional revitalization (more formal, policy-oriented)
  • 地方(ちほう)創生(そうせい): regional creation/revitalization (government policy term coined in 2014)
  • (むら)おこし: village revitalization (same concept for villages)