Abstract
“Ownership Program”of Rice Terraces is noted as one of the rural-urban interchange activities to revitalize the rural societies. In that program, participants from urbanized area pay some fee, borrow the right for the field, and experience some farming activities such as transplanting and harvesting in those fields with the help of local farmers. In that respect, labor support from local farmers is essential to continue the program. In order to consider the possibility for their labor support to continue, the authors made a case study in“Ownership Program”of Rice Terraces at Ohyama Senmaida in Kamogawa City, Chiba Prefecture. They conducted an interview survey to the local farmers, who are sampled from the members of the Association working for conservation of rice terraces in Ohyama District. Based on the result, the present issues were discussed and some measures were presented.
The followings are the result and conditions to be fulfilled: 1) The Association or new habitants take over the works of landowners who would be too old to provide the labor support for the program. 2) The local farmers, members of the Association, have further understanding for the program including their respective roles, which would construct better relationship among the members and promote their participation. In addition, extension of the field under the program would make the effect more visible and make those farmers motivated as well. 3) The local farmers are to have more opportunities to communicate with the participants from urbanized area, which would be effective for vitalization of those farmers and work on them for further participation. Key Words: 1) the owner ship program of rice terraces, 2) labor support, 3) local farmers, 4) participation to the program
