"This book discusses the place of creative village (såozåo nåoson) policy in the revitalization of rural Japan. It highlights how rural Japan is moving from a state of regional extinction (chihåo shåometsu) to regional revitalization (chihåo såosei), with the emphasis much more on progressive values such as creativity. The book focuses on Tamba Sasayama in Hyåogo Prefecture where collective initiatives by local government and the role of the creative class - local traditional potters - are invested in fostering an aura of creativity in the region. Looking inside complex social relations and the intertwining values of different actors, the book shows how a growing outlook on creativity, rurality, and rural creativity requires a renewed perspective on and of rural Japan"--