On May 15, 2025, we conducted a field tour to investigate the actual state of vacant houses in Toyako Town from an academic perspective.
1. Background and purpose of the tour
Surveys of vacant houses and other properties are essential primary information for drawing a vision for the future of a region. However, simply counting properties does not fully grasp the cause and effect of "why vacant houses have appeared there." Therefore, on this tour,Topography, history, industry, legal systemBy overlaying these four layers, we aimed to provide an overview of the town's three districts (Abuta, Onsen, and Toya) and allow visitors to experience the "regional context" that will lead to the planning of future countermeasures.
This time, we welcomed Professor Majikina from Muroran Institute of Technology and 13 students, and we accompanied them around the site, accompanied by town officials and ourselves.
2. Summary of the day's itinerary
2.1 Itinerary
| time | classification | Main visit points | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:10 | Abuta | Town Hall → Chamber of Commerce → Vacant property | Examination of the exterior of buildings based on water shutoff information and consideration of factors behind the decline of local businesses |
| 9:40 | Abuta | Irie and Takasago Shell Mounds | Confirming the relationship between the World Heritage shell mound and the landscape formation priority area on-site |
| 9:52 | Abuta | Aputa Roadside Station and Fishing Port | Learn about the coastal topography caused by the collapse of Mt. Usu and the fishing industry in Uchiura Bay, including scallop farming |
| 10:05 | Abuta Hot Springs | West Observation Plaza | A look at the craters from the 2000 eruption at the foot of the mountain and consideration of disaster risk and land use |
| 10:16 | hot spring | Hot Spring Branch (rest) → Go around the hot spring town | Observing vacant stores and distribution issues in tourist centers from the train window |
| 10:28 | hot spring | Eruption Relics Park | Learn about the significance of preserving public housing destroyed by the hot mudflow |
| 10:40 | Toya | Silo Observatory → Agricultural land area → Takarada alluvial fan | Explanation of the agricultural landscape and rice-growing culture created by the pyroclastic flow plateau and caldera walls, the history of the designation of the quasi-urban planning area, and landscape regulations |
| 11:05 | Toya | Ukimido Park | Lecture on the importance of land use that takes into account the history of terrace formation and land formation |
| 11:50 | — | Return to town hall | Q&A/opinion exchange |
2.2 Route map
3. Findings from each region
3.1 Abuta District: The Activity of Fishing and Commerce and the Silence of Vacant Houses“
- Impact of industry fluctuations : There are many vacant stores due to withdrawals caused by the eruption of Mount Usu and changes in industrial structure.
- Landscape formation priority area : Restrictions on building height and color around Kaizuka contribute to maintaining a good streetscape.
3.2 Hot Springs Areas: A Tourism Hub with Benefits and Risks
- Remains of the 2000 eruptionVisit the crater group at the foot of the mountain near the city center,The impact of disaster history on vacant housesDiscussed.
- Real Estate Distribution Gap : They pointed out that there are many people wanting to open stores, but information about vacant properties is not appearing on the market, resulting in a "mismatch."
3.3 Toya District: Agriculture and Landscapes Nurtured by Volcanoes
- Large-scale farming on pyroclastic flow plateausExperience the diverse agricultural spaces of rice cultivation on the alluvial fan inside the caldera.
- Quasi-urban planning area + landscape formation priority areaThis will prevent disorderly development of vacation homes and commercial properties.
4. Conclusion
I feel that the field tour is not just a "visit," but a process of "creating a common language" where industry, government, and academia share the same landscape and have the same questions in mind. Toyako Town is a "multi-layered field of learning" where the blessings and threats brought by volcanoes, the cultural landscape that has continued since the Jomon period, and the modern issues of depopulation and aging are layered one on top of the other. I hope to connect the findings from this tour to the next field survey and policy proposals,A new model for dealing with vacant houses in "A town living with a volcano"I would like to co-create this with you all.