Session Name: Living “Here and Now”: Ethnographic Insights on Informal Life Politics in the Asia-Pacific Region
1 - There is Fortune in Leftovers: Rediscovering Value at a Flea Market in Tatsuno City, Japan.
Tuesday, July 30, 2024
16:15 – 18:00 (GMT+7)
Presentation Abstract The increase in akiya or vacant houses has been a longstanding issue in the rural areas of Japan as a direct result of rural outmigration and demographic decline. These developments have led many municipalities to introduce machizukuri or community development initiatives to revitalize the area and attract new residents. Given these circumstances, akiya are frequently viewed as an issue that should be addressed with urgency, so that the property can be reused as a residence or business. In this process, many possessions by the previous owners of the property are disposed of. These developments are also noticeable in Tatsuno City, a regional city in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan.
This presentation considers the case of a flea market organized by Goodstock, a local NPO active in the castle town area of Tatsuno City. This area has the highest rate of akiya in Tatsuno City, which is only expected to increase as it also has the highest aging rate in the city. Goodstock was founded to salvage objects from akiya and to repurpose them. As part of their approach, it hosts a monthly flea market.
By focusing on the various interactions between market participants, this presentation explores how these abandoned objects become valuable once again. The politics of value derived from this case study is then placed in the broader anthropological discussion of value. Ultimately, this examination posits that value is something that has been rediscovered, rather than created.
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