Soundscape preservation policy and local society correspondence: A case of "100 soundscapes of Japan"

This study focuses upon the national project "100 soundscapes of Japan," which was carried out by the Environmental Agency of Japan in 1996. The project designated 100 local soundscape items, which are regarded as significantly meaningful in preserving sound environments. This is still a rare case of a policy aimed at preservation of soundscapes taking the cultural aspect into account. It would therefore be significant in the field of noise policy to research how local societies have corresponded to the designation of the soundscapes in these 20 years after the implementation of the project. We conducted a survey using a questionnaire of the municipalities in which the designated soundscapes are located. The results showed that most of the municipalities had taken one or more actions about the soundscapes such as announcements, preservation, or utilization. It was especially prominent that many of the municipalities utilized the soundscapes as a tourism resource. On the other hand, it was found that several municipalities took no action, and that some of the soundscapes could not be heard anymore. In conclusion, this policy was considered effective in order to promote the local soundscape preservation.