A study on Japanese Guerrilla Gardening “Katte-Kosaku” as deviant act on riverbed from the perspective of social well-being

Abstract

In Japan, illegal cultivation practiced on riverbeds is often perceived negatively by the public. However, guerrilla gardening, a similar phenomenon of illegal cultivation, is positively recognized in other parts of the world including Europe and North America. By using the term “Katte-Kosaku (勝手耕作)” to conduct an unbiased analysis, this study aims to identify welfare functions of Katte-Kosaku through a case study in Chiba City. The results show that Katte-Kosaku provided support to socially vulnerable people, and the act of Katte-Kosaku was accepted by some people surrounding it. Ultimately, this paper reveals that more research is required to further advance the discourse on whether Katte-Kosaku can be positively recognized by Japanese society.