Changes of Local Community Environment in Yagi-cho, Nara Prefecture: Focusing on Comparative Analysis with Yagi-Cho and Surroundings Areas

Many art events have been performed in Japan, since the early 2000s. An art event related to community development activity by local residents was performed in Nara-prefecture. How the local residents accept the art event? And how the local residents connect their experience obtained from performing the art event to their community development activity? It is necessary to research the characteristic and the history of the local community to analyze these questions. Because the art event is performed by the local residents, it would be difficult to separate the art event and local community. So this paper tried to describe the characteristic and the history of local community where the art event was performed. And this paper focused on Yagi-cho as a case where the art event was performed. Yagi-cho is one of the regions in Nara prefecture. There were various shops for neighborhood in Meiji- Taisyo Period. However, there are many houses in these days as the residential area. It means the function of Yagi-cho in local community was changed. In local community, how areas surrounding Yagi-cho was changed until Yagi-cho changed into the residential area? This paper tried to describe the changes of local community environment in Yagi-cho through the comparative analysis with Yagi-cho and surrounding area. In this paper, the word "local community environment" means the various environments surrounding one area. The analysis revealed two points. First, three areas surrounding Yagi-cho was changed with the passage of time. It means changes of three local community environment for Yagi-cho, politics, culture and economic. Second, changes of three local community environments also changed the function of the Yagi-cho in the community. It means that under the influence of the changes of local community environment, Yagi-cho was changed into the residential area