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International Journal of Law And Criminology

Peer Reviewed | Open Access | E-ISSN: 2771-2214
Published Article

The Role of Prefectural Government in Cross-Sector Collaboration for Regional Revitalization: A Public Policy Perspective from Yamagata, Japan

The Role of Prefectural Government in Cross-Sector Collaboration for Regional Revitalization: A Public Policy Perspective from Yamagata, Japan

  • I. Watanabe
    Center for Entrepreneurship Education and Research, Yamagata University, Japan
Collaborative governance collective impact exit design

Collective Impact assumes that a backbone organization already exists; in depopulating rural regions it does not, and only government can supply the start-up cost and the legitimacy to convene. This article asks how a prefectural government initiates, sustains and relinquishes a privately led cross-sector collaboration, drawing on the author’s role as the responsible official in Yamagata Prefecture’s yori-i project (2022–2025). The prefecture acted as initiator, funder and convener, but exit was never designed: involvement contracted with the rotation of officials, and the performance target was lowered to match. Exit design must be institutionalized at initiation.

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