Abstract
This paper uses a case study of Oumihachiman in Shiga Prefecture to clarify how residents interpreted the “history” of their region. Heretofor, environmental sociologists have explained the “history” that appears in an area slated for historical preservation as a unitary symbol. However, by implementing such policy, which emphasises a specific “historic” value, residents in the preservation area become subject to restrictions on their everyday life. This paper finds that the residents in the preserved historic environment in Oumihachiman were originally had that own image of “history” that was not based on a single symbol but rather on relationships. The possibility of governance based on the view of history held by the residents is also investigated.
