A Study on the Role of the Local Request and Local Landscape Recognition in Yoshino-Kumano National Park’ s Kumano Area Designation

Abstract

The first 12 national parks in Japan were created from 1934 to 1936, and many of them were designated as mountainous landscape areas. In the beginning, the Yoshino-Kumano National Park was considered as a mountainous park,“ Mt. Odaigahara and Mt. Omine,” and afterward, the proposed area was greatly extended to include the Kumano area （Kitayama river area and the Kumano seashore area）. As a consequence, the Yoshino-Kumano National Park was designated as a unique park that includes a mountainous area, valley area, and seashore area. The proposal to enlarge it to the Kumano area was prepared by the local governments of Nara and Wakayama prefectures. In response to the background of that local preparation, members of the National Park Committee of the Home Office agreed to the enlargement, resulting in the final designation. In addition to the local request, landscape photographic images by a local photo studio played an important role in determining what should be seen in the Kumano area. Landscape of the national park were selected according to local landscape recognition created by the photo images. Tamura Tsuyoshi, who was charged by the Bureau of Public Health, Home Office with a central role in selecting the areas for national parks, did not intend to select Kumano. However, the local request and local landscape recognition led to its inclusion in the national park.