Social and family ties in Japanese traditional communities have declined, evidence of which is the widespread isolation from the community and often lonely deaths. This research aims to find a way to solve this problem. Here, we propose a new value system to revive Japanese communities by focusing on pioneering practices to create a new type of community in the Islamic world. 
     The history of the Islamic world provides economic and social wisdom in accordance with the teaching of Islam, including promoting commerce and fair trade, as well as charity and support for the impoverished and socially vulnerable. The contemporary Islamic revival challenges market fundamentalism, and proposes a new economic and social philosophy with reconstructing and renovating abovementioned ideals. 
     This study will include field research of Islamic mutual-support funds and Islamic finance in Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Middle East. We will then clarify the Islamic principle of coexistence, the economic philosophy embedded in society to alleviate poverty and revive communities. The outcome of the research is expected to contribute to several grass roots activities initiated within Japanese civil society via civil dialogues between the Islamic world and Japan.

This research project focuses on the frontier practices of the community building in the Islamic world in the 21st century, especially, picks up the case studies of the collaboration of Islamic finance with Islamic mutual/charity funds in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, and aims to clarify the dynamics of the combination of traditional ideas on mutual assistance and the modern commercial practice of Islamic finance for the sustainable community building. Then, the case studies show that the new coexistence principle or socio-economic philosophy has been emerged in the Islamic world by enhancing the community building practices. Such a principle or philosophy can be explained as "a unique well-balanced spirit or value which coordinate pursuit of self-interest with altruism." This research project suggests that this unique well-balanced spirit or value can contribute not only to revitalize deteriorating communities in Japan but also dedicate to form the new solidarity for the next generation's sustainable global community in the post-capitalist era.