The Functions and Management of Public Wells and Springs in the Castle Town of Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan

<p>Matsumoto is famous for its good quality of groundwater and springs because it is located in a basin surrounded by snow mountains. The castle town of Matsumoto used to have many old wells in ancient times and many of them have disappeared and been abandoned due to urbanization and water supply in the fast economic growth period of Japan since the late 1950s. Around 1990, the government of Matsumoto started to reconstruct the culture of traditional wells in the castle town. This study aims to clarify the current functions and management of public wells and springs in the castle town of Matsumoto and analyze their relationships with land use in the neighborhood. Focusing on the awareness and actions of both the local governments and residents, the impacts on the local communities, especially those brought by residents' participation, will be clarified. Twenty-three public wells and springs freely available for anyone to use, were chosen as the target wells in this study. Interviews with the local governments who did the improvement work and neighborhood associations who are doing the daily management of the 23 target wells, were conducted during 25-29 October 2021 and 23-27 May 2022. </p><p></p><p>Since the local governments finished various well-drilling projects and installed pumps and faucets for the wells around the 1990s and 2000s, public wells and springs in Matsumoto have not only been popular for daily drinking, but also have become a landmark in Matsumoto and have attracted tourists or residents to take a seat and have a rest around them. In addition, parks or tea houses near those public wells have become places of communication for residents. Local neighborhood associations enthusiastically participate in the clean-up activities of public wells. The willingness to clean up the wells is higher in the neighborhood where older people live than those in shopping and dining districts full of employees coming from other towns or cities. It seems that local residents' attachment to the local community influences their willingness to clean up the wells. Groundwater was not considered public in Japan in old times, but in this study we can see that the awareness of groundwater as a public property has grown through the opening-up of private wells to the public and voluntary clean-up activities born from attachment to local communities. However, it is expected that there will be a labor shortage due to the aging of the castle town, and that it is difficult to continue the endogenous activities of the residents.</p>