Kamigo NeopolisKamigo Neopolis

Noshichiri Terrace was built as a symbol of the new approach to urban development at Kamigo Neopolis on a site zoned as a primary low-rise residential district where the construction of commercial facilities is not permitted. Coming after time had been spent gaining the consent of local residents and consulting with the authorities, the opening of the building in October 2019 was attended by a large number of people. The facility serves a variety of roles. The local people employed to work in the convenience store look out for the elderly people who shop there, and the community space that shares the building with the store provides somewhere for shoppers to sit down and chat.

As it is local residents who staff the facility, their activities include helping elderly visitors with their shopping, talking to children to keep an eye on them, and assisting with the sale of produce such as sweets and locally harvested vegetables. The facility also serves as a source of community information, including updates on town planning matters or upcoming events. It has also come to be loved by people of all ages, being used as a venue for events such as neighborhood taiko drumming sessions.

Residents who place great value in family feel a strong sense of affinity with the Livness Town vision for giving the neighborhood a bright future. Dialogue is an ever-present part of urban development and serves as the basis for everything else. This work continues, with new challenges being taken up through collaboration between industry, government, academia, and consumers, including trials of short-distance mobility to help the elderly and others to get around and of living support services that make use of video calls with distant family and friends.