Fieldwork Studies in Rural Areas: Growth of Students in an Urban University in Japan

For rural revitalization, universities in Japan encourage students to nurture relationships with partner organizations in rural areas. Fieldwork studies are one of the prominent methods for rural revitalization. However, students in urban universities should less likely maintain such relationships in rural areas even if they undertake fieldwork studies. The present study illustrated how students and graduates had relationship with rural areas after the fieldwork studies. The author contacted with three professors in an urban university who implemented advanced fieldwork studies in five rural municipalities of Kinki region, Japan. The author asked the three professors about excellent graduates and students who had undertaken fieldwork studies, in total 16 individual. The author interviewed these students for their experiences and growth through the fieldwork studies. As a result, 11 of 16 interviewees lived and worked in urban areas. However, students from urban hometowns became interested in revitalizing rural areas through their jobs, whereas those from rural hometowns were motivated to return in the future. After fieldwork studies, students determined the strengths and weaknesses of rural areas compared with those of urban areas, which could contribute to future rural revitalization through their jobs. For rural revitalization in the future, collaboration between urban universities and rural areas are recommended.