Abstract
This is a research for historical changes of the relation of common reeds and people around Lake Biwa in Shiga prefecture, based on documents and hearings.In this prefecture, common reeds had been more related to peoples life. But, today lakeside developments and life style changes have made them out of people's concern. They have been paid less attention in their life. Recently, as environmental value of common reeds, such as a water quality purifying function, have been focused on, Administration and some local residents perform common reeds preservation action, that is, reaping common reeds and making them torch to use in their torchfestival event.
In this research, referring to opinions of the ecologists who have special knowledge ofcommon reeds, and of the common reeds producer and processor, and clarifying importantpoints of maintenance and management of common reeds, tried is to propose a way of the futurecitizen participation type event of a common reed reaping and torch festival.
