Abstract
We analyzed changes in the waterway system by using old maps and GIS and conducted interviews with city planners and waterway managers about the management and use of waterways. Then we discussed how and why the waterway system has changed as a result of rapid urbanization. We found that the cause of the changes differ by region with the same urbanization background. We also found that vanished waterways are linked to rapid urbanization such as expansion of urban areas and widening of roads and that remaining waterways are linked to governmental supports such as conservation of historical landscapes and water rights of paddy fields.
