Paper short abstract:

This paper explores possibilities and limitations of participatory planning and democracy in rural Japan from the perspective of self-censorship and social exclusion to find out why residents often prefer not to express their dissatisfaction when they disagree with the local government.

Paper long abstract:

Should a famous architect be paid to design a local museum? Does a small town in rural Japan need its own concert hall? Should a local government build parking lots for tourists or rather a supermarket for residents? Because city planning is often controversial, local governments involve citizens in some of their programs and projects. In rural areas of Japan, on the other hand, public works projects are still mostly planned based on local government decisions and funded with subsidies from the central government. While there are examples of participatory planning in Japan, such as planning cells, in rural Japan local governments often do not provide many opportunities for citizens to contribute their ideas and needs to the planning process. Residents are concerned about the future of their town and the use of public space, but they often voice their criticisms only among themselves and not in public. Based on online and on-site research in two communities in rural Kyushu that included interviews, participant observation, and social media research, this paper addresses how citizens express their needs and concerns about the use of public space and why many residents do not do so openly in socially closely-knit rural communities. From the perspective of self-censorship and social exclusion, this paper aims to find out why residents often prefer not to express their dissatisfaction and often feel powerless when they disagree with the local government. In this way, the possibilities and limitations of participatory planning and democracy in rural Japan will be explored.