Measures of Local Economic Build-up and Sonobe Park

Abstract

Sonobe Park was set up in 1897 and enlarged in 1906. Originally its area was a national forest. The establishment of the park was connected with the economic development in Sonobe which was expected by road improvements between Kyoto and Miyazu, finished in 1889 and the opening of railway between Kyoto and Sonobe, completed in 1899. The demand to set up a public park broke up in 1896 when the constraction of the railway was started. We can understand that setting up a park was one of the indispensable elements as a means to attract tourists and as a prestige of the district, where had public institutions, e.g., a district office, a courthouse and so on.