Abstract
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the differences of recognition of the actual conditions, performances, problems and issues of the Direct Payment Program for Rural Landscape Conservation(DPPRLC) between interest groups who are residents, officials and experts. In the results of this study, there were differences in awareness of DPPRLC depending on interest groups and whether the program participation. It is determined to be caused the limitations of the program that the target district farmers recognised the program as a source of income and seldom act to manage the rural landscape except cultivating "landscape crops". Therefore, the efforts will be demanded to clarify and share the goals, contents of the project. The following measures are proposed in this study for the direction of improvement of DPPRLC: First, the various efforts are needed to overcome the differences on the interest group's recognition for goals, contents, performance of the Direct Payment Program for rural landscape conservation. Second, it is needed to conduct the program based on the rural landscape plan and participant's capabilities. Third, the various programs to attract voluntary participation from residents should be implemented. Forth, it demands the entrusted implementation to professional organizations to support resident's voluntary activities of surveying rural landscape resources, planning rural landscape conservation, execution of village landscape conservation, etc. Fifth, the various programs to strengthen participant's capabilities should be implemented.