Many of Japan's cities and villages resemble Taiwan's in that decline can be seen in densely populated urban areas and towns. After years of effort, residents of Okayama Prefecture's Kurashiki teamed up with the government over river dredging, street beautification, and building restoration. As a result, this textile town became a model for the preservation of Japanese settlements, attracting four million tourists in one year.
日本一些城鎮和台灣一樣，都有人口集中都市，鄉鎮衰微、沒落的現象，以日本岡山縣的倉敷市來說，經過多年醞釀，居民與政府共同努力做好河川整治、街景美化、建築修復後，這個原本以紡織業為主的城鎮，成為日本聚落保存的典範，吸收了不少觀光資源。