As Japan’s population continues to decline, many local governments have relied on two main strategies: promoting migration and attracting tourism.
Yet migration often poses high barriers, while tourism tends to remain temporary.
To sustain regional vitality, a third framework is needed—one that goes beyond relocation or sightseeing.
MCL（Multi-City Link） is a new residential model that offers such an alternative.
It envisions people who maintain living bases in multiple cities, repeatedly saying “I’m off” and “I’m home” across different places.
Neither tourists nor permanent residents, they blend naturally into local daily life and return again and again.
As their numbers grow, these individuals form a sustainable relationship population that brings new energy to local economies, cultures, and communities.
The defining feature of MCL is that none of its bases are “primary” or “secondary.”
Each city plays an equal role: in Tokyo, people gain information and connections; in regional towns, they collaborate with local communities; in resort areas, they restore mind and body.
By interweaving these distinct daily lives, one individual can take root in multiple cities, and this circulation generates new vitality for both urban and rural regions.
On this page, you can download two resources:The MCL Overview Brochure, which summarizes the model’s concept and structure.AndThe MCL Concept Book, which presents the detailed theory and case studies behind it.(Japanese Only)
We invite you to explore them and apply the MCL approach as a new strategy for sustainable regional revitalization.
Published by :Enlighten Research G.K. and KT&M K.K. (Joint Development)
