2018 Volume 91 Issue 3 Pages 229-248
In recent years, the utilization of local resources has attracted attention in community development. Local resources include a wide range of features such as history, culture, community, social capital, etc., and are defined as elements that add utility and/or interest to a locality. This paper takes a“ soundscape” as an example of local resources. The soundscape concept was developed in the late 1960s and refers to the relationship between sounds and human activities. Among the elements of a soundscape, “keynote sounds” and “soundmarks” are discussed. Field surveys were conducted on a community development effort utilizing the chirping of bell crickets in the village of Matsukawa, Nagano prefecture, to clarify the process of utilizing the resource of bell cricket chirping and show the role of a soundscape in community development.
In Matsukawa, two local groups organized in different settlements each started to utilize bell cricket chirping. One group collects living bell crickets as a basis for activities, and the other holds hiking events around the bell cricket habitat. The difference between the activities of these two groups was based on their experience of and attitude toward the soundscape. In addition, the utilization of bell cricket chirping as a local resource in Matsukawa was helpful for residents to develop their local identity. It should also be noted that the utilization of the soundscape concept helped them gain a new understanding of their hometown.
Geographical Review of Japa,. Ser. A, Chirigaku Hyoron
