In 100 years latest of Japan, the “Furusato” has been told according to the three contents. ““Furusato” discovered”, ““Furusato” ideated”, ““Furusato” of which it is expected”. These “Furusato” is contents told by city residents. However, the essential meaning of a “Furusato” is the starting point of human's life in it. That is, a “Furusato” is a place used as the foundation for human to make a living, and it is human's life to build such a place. It means it as the way of life which rooted in land. The way of future Rural community reproduction needs to take in the view of this “Furusato”.

View full abstract

In Nanmoku Village, Gunma Prefecture, depopulation and aging are severe issues. To invite newcomers to vacant houses, the younger villagers have recently started activities named “Conference for Supporting Newcomers in NANMOKU”. In this report, the author provides details until the start of these activities and the activities performed to date. The author also discusses the expectations and problems of these activities. In addition, the activities are influenced by the support promotion for Nanmoku by the Forum for less favored areas to which the author belongs. The author's experience and opinion concerning the support promotion are referred.

View full abstract

Since the period of high economic growth, rapid urbanization, modernization in, we've been left behind worth of daily life that can not be converted into money, the value of community. Wide variety of "community planning" spread in each place currently. While aging proceeds, from the way of life that was at a distance rather than interdependence, in a residential suburb, it is being walked to each other. After the development of a large new town, over a long period of time, the tradition of community and cultural life between old and new residents, are beginning to be fostered. Urban suburbanization was no premeditated intent in the vicinity of downtown Tokyo, matured, we have started a new update. Human network old and new is created, for the challenges facing the region, where, being oriented towards growth management. The "Community planning" is that we create a "Relationships" to become "Happiness" in the "Location". I believe that creating a drama in its place is a town planning, there is a condition that seems home whether it is not to exist. By the wake of the creation of town, to share the space and time to create a relationship between the principal and the principal, community is created, in various regions, the home town feel is being formed.

View full abstract

While sense of place is recognized as essential to mental health and community development, its loss and reduction has become a serious problem in rural Japan. Accordingly, an enhanced understanding of how sense of place is developed, as well as ways it can be fostered, is essential for planners concerned with rural decline. This paper analyzes sense of place from by interrogating the relationships formed between local communities and certain types of landscapes and activities. The findings suggest that pluralistic relationships between local communities and everyday landscapes as well as activities such as work, playful leisure, and seasonal festivals are of particular importance to the development and enhancement of sense of place.

View full abstract

As for the landscape of the rural area, a natural landscape componentry holds big specific gravity.Therefore, it is the greatest factor that maintenance of the land use decides the quality of the landscape of the rural area.There are realistic landscape recognition by the rural resident and essential landscape recognition by the city inhabitants in the recognition about the landscape of the rural area.The code for the landscape formation of the rural area must be examined by these both sides.

View full abstract

Through investigation of fishers' houses and village space in the Sakihama community of Sanriku-cho, Ofunato-shi, Iwate Prefecture, this study examines the locale's spatial characteristics and living conditions, and discusses points that should be reflected in planning for post-disaster house restoration. Many fishers' houses have an attached building called a nagaya and external water supply, and daily life is not confined to the main building but extends throughout the property. Fishing tackle maintenance, seafood processing, and other daily activities characteristic of a fishing village are performed in the space, creating the backdrop to village daily life. Accordingly, we consider the problems with planning only the main building for house restoration in a fishing village. We compared floor plans of traditional and modern fishers' houses, and found that the basic plane composition has been passed down to the present day. The lifestyle in such houses was elucidated, and the organization of life in multigenerational houses was considered. The horigotatsu, a low table with heated sunken leg space found in many households, can be considered an evolution of the traditional hearth; the horigotatsu remains an important fixture that fishers use to warm themselves after fishing. Interviews of disaster victims revealed that many wish for the characteristic lifestyle of fishing villages to continue. For house restoration in fishing village communities affected by the tsunami, closely analyzing the spatial characteristics of the original community is vital at each level: community, site, and residence. Planning should reflect these characteristics, which create the scenic features of a fishing village while also forming a structure that secures occupations particular to fishing villages, a lifestyle integrated with village characteristics, and connections with the regional community. These characteristics underpin the endurance of residential culture in the community, and their continuity ensures that restoration of village society goes beyond simply securing a safe dwelling. To realize such house restoration--not simply rebuilding houses, but considering the continuity of the residence and the endurance of the village society--a comprehensive approach is needed that includes the planning of mass relocation destinations, restoration of industrial facilities, and planning of individual residences.

View full abstract

This paper examines the reconstruction support by the local NPO (FAIR TRADE TOHOKU) in Ishinomaki-city, Miyagi prefecture after the Great East Japan Earthquake. Among a number of tsunami victims, the local NPO found the fact that socially disadvantaged people; elderly people living alone, a person with handicap, and a single-parent family, were not receiving enough relief goods and information about livelihood supports through a public and major volunteer support at evacuation shelter. They suffer inconvenience from the lack of support and it accelerated when the evacuation shelter were closed. Under these circumstances, the local NPO have played a major role to redress the disparity of reconstruction support. Concretely, the local NPO launched some projects to support those socially disadvantaged people. For example, free meal distribution, home visiting support, and social firm. The local NPO has an important role in Ishinomaki-city especially because the city experienced a large-scale municipal merger in 2005 and the detailed assistance is necessary especially for those in need. On other hand, the local NPO can not spend lots of time to review and develop their each project because of shortage of time, money and manpower. So we have been supporting the local NPO from diverse points of view in each special field. Even if it is not large scale reconstruction support, researchers at university might have a role of backup to sustain those niche supports among reconstruction support.

View full abstract

This paper uses a contingent valuation method to investigate the economic conditions for the development of biodiversity-friendly paddy rice agriculture in terms of farmer willingness to adopt such agriculture and consumer willingness to purchase such products. We focus on the rice grown in such a manner to preserve the habitats of the indigenous fish species of Lake Biwa. We gathered the data used in our analysis from questionnaire surveys of six rural communities in Shiga Prefecture from 2010 to 2011 and obtained the following results: (i) a price premium for rice grown through biodiversity-friendly agriculture encourages farmers to adopt such practices; (ii) consumers who are familiar with biodiversity-friendly paddy rice agriculture are likely to purchase such rice. Hence, the information dissemination of such agriculture to consumers will stimulate demand; and (iii) consumers who frequently participate in community events are likely to purchase rice grown through biodiversity-friendly paddy rice agriculture. Therefore, in this context, the accumulation of social capital in any rural community that is engaged in biodiversity-friendly paddy rice agriculture contributes to the development of such agriculture.

View full abstract