Institutional Crafting and the Vitality of Rural Areas in an Urban World: Perspectives from a Japanese Community in the Amazon

摘要

This essay presents the story of the Japanese diaspora community of Tome-Acu in the Brazilian Amazon as a basis for reflecting on the challenges of maintaining social and economic vitality of rural areas in many parts of the world. Over the years, Tome-Acu farmers faced the struggle of finding viable land-use and economic systems to sustain their community, promote prosperity and engage the younger generations. They experienced economic booms and busts associated with monoculture and global markets. They re-emerged from economic collapse by developing a production system based on agroforestry systems and diverse land use strategies. Tome-Acu farmers have cooperated to develop value-added industries for their production. Notwithstanding their specific historical-geographical context, their ability to craft and re-craft cooperative institutions, their agricultural experimentation with regional plants and forest products, and their entrepre-neurship in creating value-added industries offer an opportunity to reflect on the potentials and challenges faced by rural communities in an urbanized world.