In Thailand, the investigation taking top priority for Kurokawa is the “One Tambon One Product” (OTOP) movement—otherwise known as the one village one product movement. With government support, OTOP has long been conducted as a means of community revitalization. In recent times though, with the aging of the main participants in the activity, it has taken on an even more powerful meaning as a source of employment opportunities for the elderly. Because Thailand has no pension system like Japan, elderly citizens have to earn a living. They manufacture traditional crafts such as silk fabrics known as “Mudmee” and flower decorations, and jointly sell them to earn a profit. “There are many things to learn from this employment mechanism. For example, by placing a weaving machine in each house, the elderly can work at any time and for as long as they like.”

Thailand is also ahead of Japan in the use of vacant rooms available in farms in depopulating agricultural villages in an attempt to respond to the global trend for ecotourism catering to backpackers who want to experience agriculture. Kurokawa points out that not only the government but also higher educational and research institutions such as universities and local laboratories are actively involved and are providing support.
“Above all, what really impresses me when I visit OTOP groups in various villages with the students is the fact that the elderly have great confidence in their work in a rewarding and lively manner,” Kurokawa continues. Further, OTOP does not simply offer work; it also functions as a mechanism for enjoying recreational activities, contributing to society, and promoting health through mutual care. In Thailand, where there is no national pension system, the economic aspects of OTOP are crucial, but Kurokawa observes that there are many hints and ideas for “living a healthy life with a real reason for being.”

At the same time, in Shiga Prefecture, Kurokawa is interested in a successful case of revitalization of the downtown area of Nagahama City as an example of local economic revitalization. Using the traditional building of the Kurokabe Bank that once existed in Nagahama City, the previously struggling downtown area of the city was transformed into a tourist destination that now attracts two million visitors every year. This case of successful regional development mainly driven by the residents without depending on the government, attracted attention from Thailand, Kurokawa notes, as well as across Japan.

“In modern Japan, where the labor force is shrinking and the failure of the national pension system is feared, the ideal of living a comfortable retirement must inevitably change,” Kurokawa points out. He finishes by expressing his determination: “From now on, we need to explore a new form of elderly citizenship, in which even the elderly can work for a long time, through which they will contribute to society and have a reason for being. Through international studies, I want to present a new viewpoint on what an aging society should be.”