Abstract
The issue of vacant houses is attracting nationwide attention. Especially in rural areas, there are many cases where vacant houses are left unoccupied without being offered for sale on the market. This study conducted a life history survey on the cases of vacant house utilization in rural areas, and examines how owners and tenants made decisions regarding the utilization of vacant houses in their life experiences. To this end, interview survey was conducted with owners and tenants in two cases in Ehime Prefecture. The study explored relevant factors that led to the use of vacant houses in each case. It then reconsidered the problem structure of utilization of vacant houses in rural areas in terms of (1) trust relationship between house owners and tenants, (2) spatial and temporal contextual dependence of vacant houses, and (3) life history conditions of owners and tenants. Finally, implications of our findings for promoting the utilization of vacant houses in rural areas were discussed.
