In this study, we traced the change of a marsh as a local resource in "Ukiya no sato". We considered the resident’s cognitive process in the continuation of the rural landscape conservation activity undertaken by them. We identified 3 sites which had a marsh for about 70 years—from 1948 to the present day. These marshes had been an inefficient use of land for the local community as they yielded high food produce. This has resulted from the natural condition of over-humidity due to the poor drainage. On the other hand, residents have initiated conservation activities for these marsh landscapes as the spring water from the buried valley helps in the formation of a rare wetland plant community, turning the marsh into a natural monument. These marshes have now been transformed into local attractions. Iris ensata var. ensata and Euphorbia Adenochlora were viewed as a distinctive characteristic of these marshes. In our questionnaire survey, about 75% of the respondents recognized that the marsh landscape has been preserved by their activities for 20 years. Though they have done various trouble and hard work in landscape conservation work, about 87% of the respondents felt satisfied with their efforts. The results of a cross tabulation indicated that communication between the residents and pride in their hometown are the factors that affect participation in landscape conservation work. The residents continued landscape conservation work as they recognized that growing of E. Adenochlora involved traditional marsh management techniques such as open burning.
