Plural Use in Shotengai: Based on a Case Study of a Machiguwa Area in Naha City

Abstract

Shotengai (mom-and-pop retailers' streets) have been in steady decline. Shotengai are trying to manage vacant stores and public spaces. The problem here is a framework that separates private space from the public space. This paper analyzes a machiguwa area in Naha city from a historical perspective that seeks to explore how a certain form of “public” land use might overcome the dichotomy between private space and the public space.