Study of Elements Facilitating Historical Landscape Preservation in Ouchi-juku

• Published in: Kikan chirigaku Vol. 74; no. 1; pp. 1 - 20
• Main Author: Hong, ZHANG
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Japanese
• Published: Sendai The Tohoku Geographical Association 2022; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: decision-making; elements; historical landscape preservation; Local government; Ouchi-juku in Fukushima Prefecture; residents
• ISSN: 0916-7889; 1884-1252
• DOI: 10.5190/tga.74.1_1

This study identifies the elements that facilitate historical landscape preservation in Ouchi-juku, Fukushima Prefecture, by analyzing the decision-making processes of local residents.　After a reassessment of the cultural value of historical buildings in Ouchi-juku by an independent researcher, the residents of the study area decided whether they would preserve the historical buildings based on various opportunities presented by the local government’s historical landscape preservation movement.　After the decision-making, the local residents chose 3 types of behavior related to thatch-roofed buildings:preservation, restoration, and abandonment.　Economic and public elements played a vital role in facilitating the residents’ decisions and behavior that led to the preservation of the landscape.　Given the economic and public elements, social elements have been added to enhance the existing elements.　This type of well-balanced elements have facilitated the preservation of Ouchi-juku’s historical landscape.