Abstract
The current problem in mountainous villages is the anxiety caused by 1) the decrease in population,
2) change from an agricultural to industrial society, and 3) reduction in the functions of a family due to
shrinking household size.
In order to maintain small villages, the development of an analytical framework is necessary for
comprehensively examining factors such as population, household types, economical situation, social
welfare system, ability for life, and existence of an heir.
In order to ascertain the circumstances and identify problems of the village, a resident-oriented
participatory survey that also investigates social support from living-apart adult children may be helpful.
Such a survey will provide a vision of how the village can be sustained and enable the adoption of
effective means for the future.
