Session Information
| Session | Poster Session | | Date | Monday (2008-04-07) | | Time | 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM | | Room | Grand Terrace |
Presentation Information
| Presenter | Yosuke Watanabe | | Title | Cultural landscapes and regional identities: Greenhouses and regional identities in Kumamoto, Japan | | Affiliation | The University of Tokyo | | Authors | Yosuke Watanabe, Makoto Yokohari, Mototsugu Ochiai | | Keywords | Agricultural landscape, Greenhouses, Living experience, Native place, Regional identity | | Presentation Type | Poster | Abstract:
In recent years, the role of cultural landscapes in the formation of regional identities has drawn increased attention throughout the world. In 2000, the European Landscape Convention stressed that the conservation of regional landscapes is intricately interlinked with the preservation of regional identities throughout Europe, signaling an acute and growing interest in the preservation of regional identity. Owing to this increased attention, it is expected that efforts to conserve cultural landscapes will intensify in years to come. In Japan, the drive to conserve cultural landscapes has largely been advanced in aesthetic terms, remaining squarely focused on the conservation of sights considered aesthetic ‘beautiful’ or ‘traditional’. In contrast, the role of landscapes in the formation of regional identities has been largely overlooked and underplayed. Amidst the emphasis on aesthetic conservation, greenhouses occupy a precarious position, having been often cited as one of the most aesthetically displeasing features of modern-day agricultural landscapes. Yet, in a number of regions, these ‘eyesores’ are an essential and highly-productive component of the agricultural landscape. Greenhouses play a particularly important role in Kumamoto prefecture, canvassing the region’s agricultural landscape and occupying an essential role in regional production of watermelons. Accordingly, for people who grew up in areas where greenhouses are an integral and extensive component of agriculture, such as Kumamoto, these man-made structures may be a critical component of regional identity as well. This research evaluates the value of greenhouses to the formation of regional identities in the area around Kumamoto City, Japan. Through surveys and interviews of Kumamoto residents, this paper elucidates the linkages between greenhouses and the formation of regional identities. Current and former residents of the area around Kumamoto City, and visitors from outside the region, were presented with a number of photographs and asked to evaluate them according to a number of criteria. Results indicate that former residents of the area identify greenhouses as an important and symbolic part of their regional identities. These preliminary results suggest that greenhouses are an integral component of the cultural landscape of Kumamoto and the regional identities of its residents. |
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