Regional office” to promote wide-area cooperation

――What kind of relationship do you think is important between individuals and communities in order to “realize individual ideals” and “make the community capable of doing so”?

Nakanishi：I think that no matter how proud a restaurant is of its taste, the fact that customers come to the restaurant is in no small part a benefit from the town. For example, Sapporo has a large population and attracts many tourists. Compared to a town with a population of a few thousand, there is an overwhelming flow of people, and it is more likely to attract customers.

If we compare it to a satoyama, I think it is an environment where we can get a lot of nuts and mushrooms. But that does not mean that we should only take them unilaterally, which would be exploitation. Since we are receiving the benefits of the environment, I think we should make efforts to protect the rich nature and increase the number of nuts and mushrooms.

――It is too one-sided a relationship to simply receive benefits and not care about protecting the environment.

Nakanishi：Yes, yes. It is wonderful to see the number of customers increase through individual efforts, but we should be aware that we are also benefiting from the environment around us, and we should be involved in the process. I don't want people to be indifferent to this, or to have the attitude that “I have nothing to do with it.

Who's going to pay for the resources to maintain that area and make it attractive?” That's what I'm talking about, isn't it? Of course, some of the burden is borne by taxes, but if we become more aware of the benefits we receive from the community, I think we will take more approaches to improve the environment in which we live. There is still a lot of room for this, and I think that the ideal relationship between individuals and the community is to build on that.

Nozawa：In some areas, there are people who say, “There is nothing interesting in my town,” or “My company is not interesting. However, every town and company has something interesting to offer, and we are good at finding it, and I believe we can work with various creators to convey the appeal.

In Dot-Doto, we are proud that we are the ones who can do that better than anyone else, so we are actively working with the local government and local businesses. I would like to help increase the number of people in the region and help industries thrive by having them use Dot-Doto's relationships and resources.

Nakanishi：I believe that a small change in awareness can bring about innovation. Finding local resources can foster civic pride, and noticing the originality of the products you handle can increase your sense of ownership in the company and your motivation for your work. I believe that such a change in awareness will steadily change people's behavior.。

――When the community and the company become a part of our own affairs, we naturally become more enthusiastic about our activities, don't you think?

――You are involved in a variety of businesses, including creative work and consulting-type activities. What kind of company do you two see Dot Doto as?

Nozawa：I believe that Dot-Doto is a company that creates opportunities and communities where people think, “I can do this because it is in Doto” or “I can't do this unless I am in Doto,” both in work and in life.

I think that the movement of people “going to the city because they can't do what they want to do in the countryside” is happening in every local area. This is a sad state of affairs, and I would like to reduce it, even if only a little. The more people think, “I can do what I want to do in the countryside, so let's stay or come back,” the more enjoyable our lives will be. Therefore, I believe that what Dot Doto should do is to push people to take on challenges and create an environment where people can do what they want to do.

Nakanishi：I think that creativity and consulting are just one of the weapons we have. We are often thought of as a company that does these things, but I think of Dot Doto as a kind of regional office or union. It is a union of people who are passionate about Dot-Doto, and it is like a secretariat that supports the increase of things that “only Dot-Doto can do” or “only Dot-Doto can do.

――I see. It is certainly easier to understand the wide variety of Dot-Do East's efforts when you say “secretariat.

Nakanishi：My current hypothesis is that by expanding the circle of people and business in this way, we can create a connection and economic zone in the wide area of East Hokkaido. I live in Kitami, but if I have friends or business partners in Kushiro, I will fall in love with that city. As these relationships expand, people will become more active and money will circulate within the community. In fact, such a movement is emerging around us, albeit a small one.

I feel that when people develop a sense of belonging to the wider region of East Hokkaido as a separate layer from the municipality in which they live, their behavior will also change. The resources and people in the satoyama of Kitami are decreasing, but if a bridge is built between the satoyama of Kitami and the satoyama of Kushiro, people will be able to move around and a satoyama called “Doto” will be created. We always keep this kind of image of wide-area cooperation in mind as we carry out our activities.