Solving Social Problems in Aging Rural Japanese Communities: The Development and Sustainability of the Osekkai Conference as a Social Prescribing during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Social prescribing is critical during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Social prescribing refers to non-medical interventions related to culture and traditions; they are increasingly being proposed to address wider determinants of health as well as help patients improve health behaviors and manage their conditions effectively. Traditional and cultural behaviors in the community can be utilized for effective social prescribing. Due to the pandemic, social participation opportunities have decreased, resulting in the absence of Osekkai, a traditional Japanese behavior. A driver of Osekkai is the Osekkai conference; it is the model through which Osekkai is implemented in communities to bring resources and individuals together to address community needs. This research aims to clarify the Osekkai conference’s development process and how it can solve social problems, thereby leading to the creation of sustainable communities. We conducted semi-structured interviews with Osekkai conferences’ participants and organizers during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used thematic analysis to achieve the research aims. A total of 12 participants were interviewed. Five themes were developed from the thematic analysis: driver of the Osekkai conference’s development, trajectory of continuity, chain of Osekkai, changes in communities and participants, and sustainability of the conferences. This study showed how reviving traditional behaviors helps face initial difficulties. It described these increasing traditional behaviors in terms of social prescribing that changes the community’s and citizens’ social capital. Reviving traditional behaviors created new challenges and solutions during the pandemic.