Host: The Association of Japanese Geographers
This paper examined the utilization of a unique snow melting system for clarifying the human adaptation to the heavy snow in the mountainous region of Iiyama city, Nagano Prefecture of the central Japan. The author simultaneously applied the participatory research and the life history of the two aged inhabitants. The average snow depth of this region is 200-300m with a maximum depth of 438m in 2006. The residents call this melting system "tane". People build up the water channel and throw the snow into the running water of the channel. Some of the residents build "fuyu-tane" which means the winter ponds for melting snow. Every year, they dig the ponds for melting the snow, especially snowdrops from the roof at the same location of their homestead. They bury the ponds when the spring comes. They also regard the importance for raking snow away from the surrounding of the house entrance. They utilize the tane and fuyu-tane for early snow melting and this activity prevents from damaging the house and enables them to start the rice-planting at their paddy field. The distribution of tane and fuyu-tane is predominant at the mountains of Sekita with the streams of the abundant water. Based on the life history of the residents, they acquire the ecological knowledge, cognizance and hard-job virtue for the adaptation to the severe winter. The maintenance of tane and fuyu-tane indicate the symbol and identity of the residents for their decision to survive the severe winter and heavy snow environment.
