Local governments and regions using Web 3.0 and NFT technologies have been increasing in various ways since 2022, and Akita Prefecture is one of the local governments taking unique regional initiatives.
Akita Prefecture ranks first in the country in both ageing rate and population decline rate.
Akita Prefecture has long faced a major problem of an ageing and declining population, as evidenced by the fact that it has ranked first in the country for three consecutive years in terms of the ageing population and for nine consecutive years in terms of population decline.
According to estimates by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research (March 2013: mid-level estimates), Akita Prefecture's population is expected to fall below 700,000 in 2040, and if the population decline continues at this rate, the prefecture's economy is expected to shrink in size, the working population to decrease and regional vitality to decline due to a shortage of workers.
These problems are closely related to the creation of employment and the revitalisation of industry, and Akita Prefecture has been struggling with these issues for many years. In particular, with the population declining and the birthrate falling and the population ageing rapidly, it is necessary to develop measures to directly halt the decline in the number of young people in the prefecture and to establish a new social system that can maintain services for residents in a society with a declining population, as well as to establish a solid industrial and economic foundation.
It is therefore important to maintain and expand the scale of the industrial economy and employment by improving productivity and increasing consumption in the prefecture, leading to an increase in income levels, and it is necessary to promote the development of human resources who will be responsible for Akita's future and the revitalisation of local communities.
