Hometown Stories
Stories about people, stories about life. Intimate portraits of people from around Japan, each leading diverse lives while enriching lives of others.
4. Soccer Team Raises Community Spirit
0.0Feb 5, 2023 · 25 min
A small community in Niigata Prefecture is surrounded by beautiful, abundant rice fields, but its population is shrinking as younger people leave in search of opportunity. To reverse this trend, a local NPO decided to launch a women's soccer team to attract new residents. It pays team members, who are also farm workers, to play soccer. In its seventh year, the team has become a source of community pride and passion. And older residents are among its most enthusiastic fans.