Revitalizing Local Communities through Regional Currencies Using GIS: A Case Study in Kasama and Kesennuma in Japan

Abstract

In Japan as well as in many developed countries, population is decreasing and ageing is progressing simultaneously. Under these circumstances, it is vital for the younger generation to get to know more about the area where they live and work in, so that they can take part in reactivating their areas. Toward this reactivation, regional currency can play an important role in attracting the younger generation to learn how to revitalize their communities. In realizing this goal, GIS (Geographic Information Systems) has great potential as an educational tool for analyzing the geographic facets of the regional currency circulating in the region, and for making reactivation plans for the region. This paper first describes the present situation of regional currencies in Kasama and Kesennuma in Japan. Second, the paper demonstrates a GIS application to improve the accessibility to the terminals in Kasama, at which people exchange points to coupons. Third, the paper provides an educational material for exercising the most basic GIS operations for beginners, that is, how to acquire location data and how to represent the resulting location data on a map using Google My Maps.