This paper examines the sociological factors in the in-situ conservation of traditional varieties of sorghum in the Yamato Highlands, Nara prefecture. In village A, red sorghum is still grown to color red bean rice, an auspicious food used in celebrations. A village enterprise dedicated to food processing plays a key role in red sorghum production. Elderly females grow this crop to dye other products bright red, the color favored by fellow villagers. In the adjacent village B, which has no enterprises, the same red sorghum is grown by some households but strictly for domestic consumption. In both cases, social relations based on reciprocity within the neighborhood and family are important factors in maintaining this kind of traditional food and crop.
