Creating cosmopolitan rural communities through Japanese crafts: a comparative perspective with Portugal and Brazil

• Project/Area Number: 24K21000
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 80010:Area studies-related
• Research Institution: Rikkyo University
• Principal Investigator: MORAIS LILIANA 立教大学, 社会学部, 特任准教授 (80866658)
• Project Period (FY): 2024-04-01 – 2029-03-31
• Project Status: Granted (Fiscal Year 2024)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,940,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,140,000); Fiscal Year 2028: ¥390,000 (Direct Cost: ¥300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥90,000); Fiscal Year 2027: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000); Fiscal Year 2026: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2025: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000); Fiscal Year 2024: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
• Keywords: craft / community-building / rural revitalization / international mobility / cultural exchange

Outline of Research at the Start

This research explores the possibilities of craft for the revitalization of rural areas through their engagement with global flows. Departing from case studies from Japan, we employ a comparative perspective with other initiatives in Portugal and Brazil that are making use of Japanese craft technologies. We ask: How do rural residents negotiate the meanings of place and instrumentalize craft resources to attract visitors to their communities? And can such initiatives foster cultural diversity, leading to the creation of cosmopolitan communities in rural areas that add to their revitalization?