Regional Revitalization through Education : An Example of Wake Town’s Education Policy

This article analyzes the importance of education when attempting regional revitalization by considering the case of the introduction of‘ an English Education District’ and a public cram school in a Japanese town. As Japan faces a depopulated society, it is important for local administrations to maintain their local population through public policy that supports economic activities and improves living conditions. Wake Town in Okayama Prefecture has already undertaken a variety of actions, supported by the human resources of the national government and private companies, to promote its livability. This article elucidates the reason behind Wake Town＇s strong commitment to its education policy, which has resulted in, for example, the creation of a public cram school. This article focuses on three points: （1） the background of the education policy in Wake Town, （2） the management of the newly established public cram school, and （3） the evaluation of this school in the view of its students and their parents. Finally, the article argues that free public education is becoming increasingly important for community development in the global era ofthe 21st century