ABSTRACT
For the last few decades, Japan has gone through drastic political, administrative, and fiscal reforms based on neoliberal ideologies toward a “small government,” leaving a substantial impact on its rural societies. This study aims to elucidate struggles of some rural stakeholders in the political-economic and sociodemo-graphic changes and assess the impact of the neoliberal reforms in rural Japan. More specifically, we will present two case studies of Community Farming Enterprises (CFEs) as social service providers in remote rural localities and discuss their significance, challenges, and potential to build socioeconomically sustainable rural communities. CFEs are groups consisting of members of agricultural communities collectively engaged in farming. By jointly owning equipment and arranging labor, CFEs have proven to be effective and efficient entities in building viable farming in even agroecologically and economically disadvantaged areas. Meanwhile, the neoliberal reforms led by the national government, including municipal mergers, have posed daunting challenges to local governments’ ability to deliver public social services to aging and depopulated rural areas. As a result, the reforms have prompted some CFEs to embark on social service businesses, such as elderly care, in rural areas (Iba, 2012).
