Abstract
In 1993, Yakushima, a remote island in Japan, was registered as a World Natural Heritage. Since then, Western concepts of “nature” have been brought to Yakushima, causing the mountains of Yakushima and the lives of the islanders to be separated from the traditions of Yakushima in different ways, and the lives of the islanders to be at the mercy of values and lines drawn from outside the island. Furthermore, the rapid increase in the number of tourists and the birth of the profession of mountain guides on the island have changed the way islanders relate to the mountains. In 2015, a revival of a folk song called Matsubanda, which had nearly been lost, occurred. In the revival, the singers particularly like the lyrics of Matsubanda, which are about the mountains of Yakushima. Following the lyrics as a clue, this paper examines how the local people at present cognize “nature” through their folk songs.
