Activities of community development for tourism preceding placement of Tomioka Silk Mill by using text mining

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to objectively chronicle regional activities, in particular the activities of an organization that is responsible for community development, before the Tomioka Silk Mill was placed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Based on previous studies, analysis using the text -mining was considered appropriate to objectively examine regional activities that preceded placement of the Tomioka Silk Mill on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Using the text -mining, the present study examined occurrence frequencies and collocations of words and word classes extracted from articles in Jomo Shinbun, a regional daily newspaper. Subsequently, to verify collocations elicited by the text -mining method, an interview survey was administered to the Tomioka Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Tomioka Community Development Promotion Council, focusing on their activities in the past.The study found that regional activities centering on the Tomioka Silk Mill preceding placement on UNESCO’s World Heritage List included coordination and cooperation among mu ltiple organizations, such as the Tomioka Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Tomioka Community Development Promotion Council.