Destination: Oiwa District

The Oiwa Kaidō Area (approximately 40 hectares), located between the southern foothills of Mt. Inari and the Meishin Expressway in Fukakusa, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, was once renowned for the extraction of high-quality Fukakusa clay. This clay has long been used to produce roof tiles, Fushimi dolls, traditional Kyoto earthen walls (Kyo-kabe), and even the dohyō (sumo wrestling rings) used in professional sumo.

Following the opening of the Meishin Expressway in the 1960s, the area was designated as an Urbanization Control Area in 1971, where new building construction is, in principle, prohibited. However, former clay excavation sites became the focus of unauthorized land development, illegal construction, illegal dumping of industrial waste, and open burning, resulting in serious environmental and social problems.

In March 2010, the City of Kyoto adopted the Policy for Community Development toward a Better Environment in the Oiwa Kaidō Area. Since 2015, community planning councils and other local organizations have been established in Areas A, B, and C. In Area B, local residents, working in collaboration with universities, have promoted community discussions, cleanup activities, and environmental improvement initiatives with the goal of developing a district plan and advancing other community-based planning efforts.

During this field trip, faculty members and researchers from Kyoto University and Ryukoku University, who have supported community development initiatives in the Oiwa Kaidō Area for more than a decade, will guide participants through the site and introduce the area's history, current challenges, and ongoing community-led planning efforts.