Abstract
In this study, we carried out a sociological analysis on the activities of the civilian agency in Minamata City, Kumamoto Prefecture, thereby elucidating the community-building functions of activities to develop experience-based program for community-based tourism. Our analysis led to the results that there were three functions that built community sentiments in the above-mentioned activities. The first function is the formation of "role-feeling" among the local residents in the process of developing their program. The second function is that the residents learned about their own region as they participated in the activities as the hosts of the groups and by so doing, developed civil consciousness. The third function is that the local residents acquired their confidence and nurtured their pride as a member of their region. As our conclusion, we indicate that the activities to promote community-based tourism will prove to be helpful in the promotion of the region.
