Hannan Neopolis
Kanan Town, Minamikawachi District, Osaka
About Hannan Neopolis
Hannan Neopolis in Kanan Town, the Minamikawachi district of Osaka is a suburban housing complex made up of single-family dwellings that went on sale from 1970, taking the form of a fully planned “blue and green” community that provides a life where residents are free to relax away from the noise of the city. Although somewhat distant from Osaka and Umeda (about 90 minutes by train), today as in the past, the neighborhood remains one that corresponds to the ideal of many families, meeting the needs of parents who want to raise their children where they can enjoy an uncluttered environment.
With many people of similar age having come to live at the housing complex in its early years, the aging of the resident population started to become more readily apparent from the late 1990s. With the closure of childcare facilities due to the declining birthrate, and a noticeable number of empty stores in the shopping district, it came more often to seem rather lonely and quiet.
About Hannan Neopolis
- Sales start: 1968
- Site area: 740,000m2(about 16 times the size of Tokyo Dome)
- Number of lots for sale: 2,360
- Percentage of elderly: 37.8%*
- Population: 4,534*
*From 2020 census
*The total population includes persons of unknown age, but the percentage of elderly is calculated by excluding persons of unknown age from the total population.
We returned to Hannan Neopolis in 2021 and started out by gaining a good knowledge of the community to help fill the void.
The first step in the Hannan Neopolis development was to create opportunities that would get everyone living in the area to think about their community. Based on the views expressed by local residents, we came to realize that an emphasis on building relationships between people was more important than anything else, with feedback recognizing that, while a large project does not get completed in a day, the way to deliver a better outcome is by getting a large number of people onboard as active participants.
The residents have told us about what makes their town special, including a popular hill known for its sakura cherry trees and its educational and cultural facilities. They also spoke about their current difficulties and concerns. The goal is to become a place that addresses the challenges it faces by forging relationships with a wide range of people, and where people feel a shared conviction. To this end, residents working toward community redevelopment came together to begin activities as “Odakara ii ne!” in July 2024.
Roundtable Discussion for All in Odakara and Opinion-reporting Session for All
A Roundtable Discussion for All in Odakara was held in April 2023 for everyone to discuss the attractions of the town as well as the challenges it faces. Although most participants were meeting each other for the first time at the event, they each shared their thoughts on the neighborhood and a total 51 attendees shared a combined total of 350 passionate opinions. These opinions were compiled and later shared at an Opinion-reporting Session for All held in June 2023 with those who were unable to attend the roundtable.
Participants’ opinions
- ●Accessibility to cultural, art, and natural experiences makes the town attractive
- ●The good environment for raising children increases the attractiveness of the community
- ●We must create a comfortable community circle
- ●We want to address future concerns
Keywords
“Every small action makes the town a fun place"
Meeting of Odakara ii ne! Community Development Volunteer Group
More and more residents came to think about the town by sharing their ideas with others at the Roundtable Discussion for All. It was against this background that volunteer members involved in community development came together and formed Odakara ii ne! group in July 2024, answering to a call to join the effort for making Odakara community an even better place. All members are passionate about the community. As a first step to bringing everyone together, they opened a stall at Odakara Festival, which was resumed by volunteer residents. Activities included a quiz about the area and map creation introducing attractions in the neighborhood. This experience provided us with an opportunity to think about the town together with local residents.
Lantern Event
After repeated discussions on community development with Odakara ii ne! members, we have embodied various activity ideas they raised. One of such activity is the Lantern Event. Seeking to make it a new community event, volunteer members planned this event on their own and held it in March 2025. There remains a lot to do to make the event familiar to the community, but it gave birth to a new event at the initiative of residents. Together with the members of Odakara ii ne!, we will carefully nurture these budding initiatives so that they bloom into large flowers, with the ultimate goal of community development in close cooperation with the community members.