Topics

Faculty of Law 's Pakui Seminar conducted field surveys on the theme of local government at three locations in Osaka Prefecture.Hachioji Campus

On Monday, August 4th and Tuesday, August 5th, 2025, 13 students, mostly third-year students, from Teikyo Faculty of Law Associate Professor Akira Pakui's Department of Political Science, visited three locations in Osaka Prefecture to conduct field research on local government. Pakui's seminar is conducting research on the theme of "local government," and through these field visits, they provide an opportunity to learn directly from actual officials about local government initiatives. This year marked the third consecutive year that the field research, which targeted multiple institutions in Osaka Prefecture, was conducted. In Yao City, where Associate Professor worked for 30 years from 1992 to 2021, the students visited relevant institutions that practice "collaboration" within local government.

On the first day of the survey, students visited the Osaka Prefectural Association for Municipal Development, a public interest incorporated foundation. The association operates the Osaka Prefectural Association of Mayors and the Osaka Municipal Officials Training and Research Center, and plays an important role in resolving administrative issues through inter-municipal collaboration and as a regional human resources development organization for municipal officials in Osaka Prefecture. Building on their knowledge of the local government system learned in their previous classes, students were able to deepen their understanding of the importance of the Association of Mayors' wide-area policy coordination and consensus building. For students in this seminar, many of whom aspire to become civil servants, this exposure to the role of a regional research and training organization was a valuable learning experience. The next day, students visited the Yao City Cultural Center Prism Hall, a hub for arts and culture policy that they have visited regularly in the past, and Yao City Hospital, a core hospital in the region. At both facilities, collaboration between the city, citizens, businesses, and the government is steadily progressing, and they learned about the efforts and attitudes behind steadily achieving their stated missions.

As part of this survey, we also held three networking events with current civil servants, deepening our friendships and building relationships that we hope will continue in the future. Through the survey and interactions, we were able to deepen our understanding of the reality of local government and the role of civil servants, and also raise awareness of future career choices. Hearing directly from the field provided a practical learning opportunity that prompted us to think independently about our own careers.

For more information about Faculty of Law Department of Political Science click here
For more information about the Osaka Prefectural Municipal Development Association, please click here
For more information about Yao City Cultural Center Prism, click here
For more information about Yao City Hospital, click here

To the topic List