Yasushi Hanasaka of Ferias Kamaishi

Yasushi Hanasaka
of Ferias Kamaishi

Hanasaka is originally from Kamaishi. He lived in Kamaishi until Junior High, before moving to Ichinoseki Technical High School. He completed his undergraduate and postgraduate education at a university in Niigata.

After graduating, he moved to Tokyo to pursue a career in the finance industry. After 3 years in Tokyo, he returned to Kamaishi in April 2016. He began working with Kamaentai, a local support network, via Ferias Kamaishi. His current projects include “Entrance”, a website that provides information about Kamaishi.

Post-reconstruction community development

After building up his skills, Mr. Hanasaka always intended to return to Kamaishi to take part in its redevelopment. He currently works with the support network, Kamaentai. The city has a need for software development, and Mr. Hanasaka is putting his experience to good use at Ferias Kamaishi.

He gave his thoughts regarding local redevelopment. “Five years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, and in some places we’ve got to start moving beyond the reconstruction. I think that both residents and businesses have to take another step forwards, towards sustainable redevelopment. That’s why I want to work together with local people.”

Distributing information about redevelopment

Mr. Hanasaka also spoke enthusiastically about how the distribution of information can contribute to redevelopment. “Kamaishi’s ‘open city plan’ addresses the expected population decline. Rather than aiming to drastically increase the population, the plan aims to bring people here via work or travel. Even if they don’t live here, they’ll come to love the city, and that way there’ll be more people with a connection to Kamaishi. I’d like the website “Entrance” to help with that by providing entertaining information to people who live here, and by informing others about what’s happening in Kamaishi.