Abstract
Regional communities can be improved through residents’ voluntary contributions. The voluntary contribution of residents is based on their attachment to the region. However, there is not sufficient research on the factors that lead to the development of regional attachment. The present study highlights the role of conservation of the landscape in developing residents’ attachment to the region. This study set two hypotheses: first, that the degree of conservation of the landscape, as evaluated by the historical landscape characterization method, affects the recall of residents’ memories about the region, and second, that the recall of residents’ memories about the region affects their attachment to the region. The hypotheses were examined based on a questionnaire survey and a survey on the conservation status of the landscape in the Tsushima area of Uwajima City, Ehime Prefecture. The results showed that the higher the time-depth, the more residents recall their memories of natural features, and the more they recall their memories, the more they become attached to the area, which supports the above hypothesis.
