Dissecting the sharing paradigm: A case-study research of rural Japan

Abstract: The sharing economy emerged in the last decade as an innovative business model in response to economic fallout, societal distress, and surging awareness over the devastating effects of the climate crisis. It pledges to repudiate mass consumption in favour of a democratization of access to common resources. This thesis seeks to dissect how the Japanese government has employed the sharing economy––and the theoretical basis at its foundation, the sharing paradigm––as a potential solution for salient socio-economic challenges faced by rural Japan. By adopting a case study approach–– examining the municipalities of Yuzawa City, Shimabara City and Taku City– this paper aims to assess how the sharing paradigm is depicted as a viable alternative to existing modes of rural revitalization. Through the utilization of discursive framing, this study examines how the sharing paradigm is depicted in its diagnostic, prognostic, and motivational frameworks against the backdrop of a socio-technical transition. The findings suggest the existence of persisting contradictions within the sharing paradigm, its lack of consistency, and its agenda-driven element. The paradigm fails to establish a viable alternative able to address the challenges affecting rural Japan, and often falls back on conventional yardsticks of economic performance and cost-benefit maximization.