In this paper, the author attempts to discuss the function of 'Shizenkyuyouson' (a farm village as it is best known in English) established for the purpose of regional tourism promotion in the Nakatsugawa district, Iide town, Yamagata prefecture.
'Shizenkyuyouson' was founded in 1971 by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry in order to encourage regional promotion by using agricultural resources in tourism. Nakatsugawa district is characterized by the management of 'Shizenkyuyouson' by its local residents.
'Shizenkyuyouson' was not hampered by a decline in the local population. The utilization of available regional resources, however, paved the way for tourism to flourish.
The results of this study are summarized as follows:
1) Some parts of the Nakatsugawa district faced a decline in local population during the construction of the Shirakawa dam. The residents of each settlement proposed a regional promotion plan. This led to the creation of a regional promotion policy by the community leaders for the entire Nakatsugawa district. In 1971, a residents' organization was founded and this served as a catalyst for regional promotion.
2) The residents focused on regional promotion through agricultural development. As a result, 'Shizenkyuyouson' was introduced as a supplementary industry in 1980.
3) 'Shizenkyuyouson' was then facilitated with accommodation, bracken gardens and fishing ponds. It attracted about 80, 000 tourists in 1998.
4) The area around Shirakawa Lake has also developed into a tourist resort due to the introduction of 'Shizenkyuyouson'. Today, eight public facilities have been erected around this area. The total amount of investment has so far reached about 8 billion yen. The residents manage some portions of the project.
5) The local government now manages many tourist public facilities. As a result, the local residents believe that the development of agricultural parks is too large compared with 'Shizenkyuyouson'. There are also concerns as to whether these agricultural parks are profitable to manage and whether they cause environmental deterioration.
