Actual Situation of Allotment Gardens for Rural Residents in Nagano Prefecture

The proportion of nonfarmers is increasing in rural areas, and the need for allotment gardens is growing. Given the changes in rural residents, the issues of allotment gardens are 1) adaptability to diverse residents such as beginners, 2) can meet diverse needs for rural life, and 3) can contribute to the maintenance of farmland. Most previous studies focused on metropolitan areas, so the situation of allotment gardens for rural residents remains unclear. Therefore, this study investigated allotment gardens in the Nagano Prefecture, analyzing the situation from the perspectives of “location type”, “facility status”, and “implementation system”. The location type was classified into four categories, and the “adjacent type” that utilizes adjacent facilities was distinctive. Seeds could be purchased at adjacent facilities, and cultivation courses were also available ; thus, the “adjacent type” was considered significant for issue 1. The facility status was insufficient, but the “plaza-attached type” had a distinctive installed square. In one case, camping was possible by setting up a grassy area on the plots, and the “plaza-attached type” was considered meaningful for addressing issue 2. There were 19 different implementation systems, of which the “user-maintained type”, where the users maintained the garden, was distinctive. Some gardens were maintained on a community basis, and “user-maintained type” was considered significant for issue 3.