Visual characteristics of the tea plantation landscape in Wazuka town as a suburban rural area

Abstract

Wazuka town is located in the southeastern part of Kyoto prefecture and is known as a tea plantation production area. The landscape created by the livelihood has been inherited. This study aimed to show the visual characteristics of the tea plantation landscape in Wazuka town from the viewpoint of visitors and obtain basic knowledge on the enhancement of landscape planning and revitalization of suburban rural area. First, based on the impression evaluation of the tea plantation landscape through a photo projective method, factor and cluster analyses were performed. The first factor was interpreted as the “openness” and the second factor as the “uniqueness”. Second, in classifying landscape photographs, four types were shown: high openness, high uniqueness, moderate openness and uniqueness, and low openness and uniqueness. Third, the relationship between the types of landscape photography and landscape components was analyzed. In conclusion, it was shown that the tea plantation occupancy rate is approximately 60％ or more as a landscape, which has the uniqueness of a tea plantation. Moreover, it was shown the uniqueness of a tea plantation, in cases of the upward view and where the tea plantation occupancy rate is high on the slope, regarding the landscape where the tea plantation occupancy rate is less than 60％.