Human networks supporting a life in the mountain village: A case study in Sawauchi Village, iwate prefecture. J. Jpn. For. Soc. 83: 47~52, 2001

Nowadays people can freely choose their place of residence because they have been almost emtirely released from traditional bondage to inherit and maintain their property while living in their parents' home. As a result, it becomes very important to choose their residential location based on, whether a certain village is attractive or not. In Sawauchi Village, several activities, such as the manufacturing of special products, which originated from a governmental campaign created in response to local characteristics, have been comstructively carried out, based on the human relations within each sub-village. Through those activities, human networks supporting them have spread throughout the city area. The more densely and widely such human networks were set up inside and outside the sub-village, the more those activities could be vitalized. While people living in the researched sub-villaged positively participate in the activities, they can keep living in their sub-village with confidence and pride. This is one of the reasons why the population of Sawauchi Village has not declined as rapidly as that of other mountain villagers.