Thinking about the changes in Okazaki and Kosei: What it means to 'preserve the future'

In the previous article, we looked back at the history of how department stores disappeared from Okazaki City.

The Kosei district once flourished as one of the largest commercial hubs in the Nishi-Mikawa region.

While many large commercial facilities like Matsuzakaya, Sibico, and Celvi once lined the streets, they changed their form with the times, and now not a single department store remains.

So, why did Okazaki take the plunge into the first large-scale redevelopment in the country?

In this article, I would like to focus on the 'human feelings' that existed in the background.

Redevelopment was a challenge to 'protect the town'

What left the biggest impression on me after reading the second part of the article was that the shop owners at the time did not necessarily want to attract flashy department stores.

'We want to make this a town that our children can be proud to return to.'

'We want to leave the shopping district for the next generation.'

Such earnest wishes were the starting point of the redevelopment.

Today, it is sometimes described as 'a redevelopment that didn't fit the scale, costing 7.6 billion yen.'

However, that might be something we can only say because we know the outcome.

The people at the time were seriously thinking about the future of the region and were seriously trying to protect the town.

No one knows the right answer at the time

The article introduced words from the shopping district side about wanting to 'educate the customers.'

From the perspective of current marketing concepts, this might be an expression that feels a bit strange.

However, that too was likely a thought born from the desire to 'make the town of Okazaki better.'

However, the times changed at a speed faster than expected.

As the car-oriented society progressed, people began to go shopping in the suburbs.

Lifestyles also changed, and we entered an era where 'convenience' was prioritized.

It is not that anyone was wrong.

The era itself has changed.

No one can accurately predict the future.

That is precisely why I believe we have no choice but to accumulate the choices we believe are best at any given time.

Preserving 'buildings' versus preserving 'sentiments'

As a judicial scrivener, I receive consultations daily regarding inheritance, wills, family trusts, and adult guardianship.

What I feel through this is that what many people truly want to leave behind is not just money or real estate.

'I want my family to live together in harmony.'

'I do not want to be a burden to my children.'

'I want them to cherish the land inherited from our ancestors.'

Such sentiments are always in the background of these consultations.

Is urban development not the same?

Buildings will eventually grow old.

Systems also change with the times.

However, the feelings we have for others and the desire to pass things on to the future are inherited even as the times change.

I was thinking about such things while reading the article.

Succession does not mean 'not changing'

When people hear the word 'succession,' many may imagine 'leaving things exactly as they are now.'

But in reality, it is not just that.

It is about passing on what is truly important while transforming it into the form necessary for the next generation.

I believe that is what succession is.

The shopkeepers in Okazaki's shopping districts back then also shared the same desire to 'protect the town'.

However, the methods they used no longer fit the changing times.

Perhaps that is all there is to it.

That is precisely why we, as professionals, must not only look at the systems, but also make proposals that consider the families' lives, values, and the outlook for the next 10 or 20 years.

As a judicial scrivener rooted in the community

I was born and raised in Okazaki, and I currently have an office in Kota Town.

I receive consultations every day from people in the Nishi-Mikawa region, including Okazaki City.

As someone who grew up in this area, I sometimes feel a sense of sadness at the changes in the town.

Even so, what I felt anew after reading this article was that the desire of people who wish to 'make the community better' remains unchanged, now as it was in the past.

I, too, as a legal professional and a companion who walks alongside people in their lives, would like to help everyone in the community pass on their wishes to the future with peace of mind.

Whether it is town development, inheritance, or business succession.

Perhaps what we truly want to leave for the future is not a physical form, but our 'wishes'.

Thank you very much for reading until the end.

When you hear the phrase 'things you want to leave for the future,' what comes to mind?

Is it your assets?

Is it the time spent with your family?

Or is it your feelings for your community?

Please do share your thoughts with me.