This paper analyzed how Jizo-Bon, small-scale religious festivals held widely in Kyoto, contributes for improving resilience of “cho”, the basic communities in the central urban area of Kyoto. We clarified that inhabitants who has no involvement or quite limited involvement to “cho-nai-kai”, community management associations are joining management of Jizo-Bon. The result means Jizo-Bon is an opportunity for inhabitants to be involved in “cho” except for “cho-nai-kai”. In addition, it means Jizo-Bon provide “cho” with “redundancy”, another key factor of resilient communities in addition to “diversity”. We also clarified that it is caused with characteristics of Jizo-Bon described as follows.
1. Distribution of management loads to various inhabitants
Loads for management of Jizo-Bon are distributed to the extent that each inhabitant can bear them. For example, people can join in the management only with "arranging place", "supporting events on the day" which is easier to bear than other roles as "manager of Jizoubon", "preparing for events" etc.
It is also clarified that inhabitants who are usually difficult to be involved in communities as those who are not belong to "cho-nai-kai", those who moved in "cho" recently, single old inhabitants and apartment inhabitants participate in Jizo-Bon. It means Jizo-Bon contribute to "Diversity" of "cho".
It is expected that the people involved in Jizo-Bon management to make roles also in "cho-nai-kai" in the future. However, the people differentiate the former involvement from the later as far as we analyzed in this paper. That make it possible the people who cannot bear much loads of "cho-nai-kai" management to be involved in "cho".
2. Flexible meaning corresponded with community situation
Meaning of Jizo-Bon is flexible corresponding with situation of communities and people can join in it with their own purpose or motivation. The recognition about Jizo-Bon is different in the two "cho" communities selected as survey area in this paper. Inhabitants in "A cho", a community managed mainly by people who are living there for long term, recognize Jizo-Bon as "religious events" and "traditional events". On the other hand, inhabitants in "B cho", a community including people who moved in "cho" recently, don't recognize as "A cho" and accept it as rather for "communication among inhabitants" and "fan of inhabitants". It means that Jizo-Bon is sustaining by adding or changing meaning of itself corresponding with characters of community as its population structure.
In addition, we also clarified that Jizo-Bon is an opportunity for people who moved inside the city to become familiar with their new community because Jizo-Bon is held widely in the urban area of Kyoto. The image of Jizo-Bon shared among citizens seems to be a key factor making it possible for various inhabitant to join and collaboratory manage it.
Jizo-Bon is a resource which provide various inhabitants with opportunity to involve in communities depending on their situation and interest. It is precious especially in the context in which decrease of interest and lack of manpower for community management is serious problem. On the other hand, once Jizo-Bon is lost, it is difficult to restore because the characteristics of Jizo-Bon we clarified in this paper is acquired through long-term experience. It is necessary to advocate and measure for conserving Jizo-Bon for the future.
