Nagano Pref. village elects 1st foreign district head
Matt Dunn may be a long way from his Scottish roots, but his groundbreaking election as district head of a village in Nagano Prefecture suggests he has settled into his adopted home nicely. Dunn, 32, operates a lodge in Hakubamura, which sits at the foot of the Northern Japanese Alps's Happo mountain range. He is the first foreigner to be chosen to head one of the village's 29 districts, and residents hope he can play a leading role in developing a community that has seen a growing number of foreigners coming to stay. Dunn, a British citizen, was born in Scotland and first came to Hakubamura in 1999. He says he was moved by the village's beautiful natural scenery. While working as an assistant language teacher in a cram school and middle school in Matsumoto and Matsukawamura in the prefecture, Dunn frequently visited Hakubamura. In 2006, he moved to the village's Wadano district and opened a lodge together with a Canadian man.
There has been increasing development at the foot of the Hakuba-Happoone resort, located in the same village, and about one-third of the 60 lodging and ski facilities located there are managed by foreigners. But the increasing number of foreigners moving into the district -- an influx that began with Australians -- has highlighted several issues, including how best to collect local taxes from foreign residents, care of elderly residents and cooperation on self-help disaster-prevention activities. Another outstanding issue is the proposal by Australian investors to construct a luxury resort condominium, over which negotiations with the property developer are ongoing due to concerns over how best to protect the local scenery.
Prior to Dunn's appointment, district heads had typically been senior citizens familiar with local customs and practices. However, long-standing residents and foreigners alike were unanimous in their support for Dunn at the district's general meeting on April 8. Locals say that they backed Dunn because he has thrown himself into Hakubamura life, including participating in local events and working on efforts to protect the area's scenery. Hidefumi Hasui, 58, who assists the district head, said: "We chose Dunn because of his personality. The expectations of the district's residents are high, and they're hoping he can get across the real meaning of the district. They also hope he'll be able to coordinate [between locals and foreigners]."
The district head is expected to coordinate preparations for local events, including festivals and special events for the elderly. In addition, Dunn will be responsible for liaising with the village government, including submitting requests for subsidies for facilities and equipment including crime prevention lights and garbage collection sites. On April 10, Dunn attended a meeting of district heads held at the Hakubamura village office. "There's going to be a lot of work, but that's OK," Dunn said. "I'll work hard so that the abundant natural wonders of Hakubamura are left intact."