Maniwa City launches humorous PR video to combat population decline

Maniwa City in Okayama Prefecture has released a unique promotional music video titled ‘Maniwa no Niwa ni wa’ to encourage migration and settlement. The campaign aims to address the city’s serious demographic challenge: the high rate of young women moving to urban areas, particularly in the Kansai region, and not returning.

Departing from traditional, formal government communications, the video uses a pop music video format featuring catchy lyrics, dance, and humorous self-deprecation regarding difficult-to-read local place names. The project was designed to target women in their 20s and 30s living in urban centers, framing a return to their hometown as a positive life ‘update’ rather than a regression.

While Maniwa is recognized as a leader in decarbonization and sustainable development, it faces the risk of becoming a ‘vanishing city’ due to population decline. The city’s approach relies on entertainment and humor to create shareable, addictive content that fosters emotional connections to the region.