The decrease in the number of farm households makes it increasing difficult for the farm households alone to maintain canals adjacent to paddy fields. Hence, the problem is who maintains canals. In Takatsuki Town in Shiga Prefecture adjacent to Lake Biwa, ownership, utilization and maintenance of irrigation and drainage canals or water were investigated through interviews on digging or cleaning up of the canals. The main findings were as follows:(1) In rural area irrigation water flows into

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... unities. After residents in upstream communities used the water for domestic purposes, it is then used by downstream communities as irrigation water. With regards to utilization of communal water, there is hardly any distinction between domestic and irrigation water.(2) Ownership of canals and water including maintenance responsibilities were for communities whose residents had water rights and used the water for irrigation and not communities whose residents used the water for domestic purposes. (3) Doing Kawahori (digging of canals before land consolidation projects) meant publicity and acknowledgement of ownership of canals and water. Doing Kawasouji (cleaning up of canals after land consolidation projects) also means more or less the same.