Study on Landscapes Attractiveness to Residents from the Viewpoint of Topographical Features in Agricultural Areas at the Edge of Senboku Hill

Abstract

This study was conducted to find what landscape was attractive to local residents in a rural area close to an urban city, on the edge of a hill full of farmlands, in terms of topographical features by using a photographic projection method. The results show that the landscape attractiveness to local residents differs depending on the topographical features unique to each local area. On the bottom of the valley, for example, a landscape including a waterway running through the bottom is more attractive to the residents. On the side of the valley, a landscape with step-like paddy fields and slope forests is more attractive. In the depressed or the flat area on top of the valley, pond surfaces or spacious farmlands, which play an important role, as the foreground, of comprising the scenery of slope forests and village houses in the mid distance as well as that of mountains in the far distance, are preferable. These results make it clear that the landform serves as a basis for supporting the attractiveness of the landscape. In addition, cited as favorable aspects by those local residents were, temples and shrines on the valley side, and traditional village houses, stone images of Jizo, lanterns for traditional festivals, as well as temples and shrines in the flat area on the top.