Conclusion
The introduction of networking strategies to build bridging and bonding social capital to the
community stimulates spontaneous knowledge creation and sharing through establishing ties
between individuals and organizations in the community and strengthening relationships
between community members. These ties and the resulting knowledge creation and sharing
outcomes can promote community capacity developmentthroughcontributing to trust, shared
values, norms, and vision, commitment, as well as the community’s collective ability to assess
the current situation, discuss options, organize, recognize and obtain resources, and act.
Community capacity development involves an increased ability to successfully introduceand
implement higher value -added and more sophisticated community policy structures. Thus,
increased knowledge creation and sharing contributes to both community capacity
development and the introduction of higher value-added community policy structures.
Likewise, the introduction and successful implementation of higher value -added policy
structures results in both capacity development and knowledge outcomes.
This paper explored these processes by looking at the development experience of
Oyama-machi, an inspirational archetype of the One Village, One Product (OVOP) movement.
Three social capital building (networking)strategies introduced to Oyama-machi prior to the
introduction of the OVOP movement in Oita were examined: Oyama Yuusen Housou; the
Ohayou softball tournament; and an overseas sister city relationship. These strategies built
bridging and/or bonding social capital, impacting upon knowledge creation and sharing and
community capacity development and the subsequent successful introduction of higher
Knowledge and Networking Strategies for Community Capacity Development in Oyama-machi: An
Archetype of the OVOP Movement
- 18 -value-added community policy structures such as new types of produce, agricultural
processing, ways of conceptualizing community , as well as improved community organizing
and collective activities. Encouraging knowledge sharing and creation and the endogenous
development of community capacity through suchsocial capital building strategies is highly
recommended for communities wishing to introduce higher value-added ormoresophisticated
community policy structures such as the OVOP movement.