Study of Current Status of Vacant Houses and Sites in Kimiidera District, Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture

Abstract

In areas where historical townscapes remain, the number of vacant houses and sites are increasing as the population decline which can create impacts and changes to the scenery. This can also be seen in the town center of Kimiidera Temple in Wakayama, which has a history of 1,250 years, vacant houses and sites are increasing due to the declining population. The aim of the study is to investigate the current situation of vacant houses and vacant sites in the Kimiidera district for landscape conservation with site investigation and map reviews. From the findings, the rate of vacant houses in the area to be at 19.1 percent, which is more than the average rate nationally. These are located and concentrated on the East side of the Nagusa mountain, a place of the famous water.