Abstract
This paper examines the information structures regarding land owners of property in mountainous regions. For decades, these areas have been rapidly depopulated by massive migration to urban areas. Recently, the inhabitants have been passing away as they age. Therefore, the land ceases being used and it becomes increasingly difficult each year to find land owners living in urban areas. We investigated the situation in a community within Ohtoyo-cho, Kochi prefecture, through three land owners’ information sources: the land register, the tax cadastre, and the network of regional inhabitants. The information based on the network of regional inhabitants is available in even marginal communities. Maintaining the network is an urgent task. The land registration system has failed to meet the needs of the current situation and should be revised to avoid wasteful land use in the future.
