Navigating change in everyday heritage ecosystems: personal mapping as a tool for urban heritage management

Purpose This study addresses the disconnect between how authorities present heritage and how people experience it by testing sensory mapping as a method to bridge theoretical considerations of the ecosystem approach with on-ground heritage practices. Focusing on Yanaka, Tokyo's historic district facing urban change, this research explores how sensory ethnography can reveal everyday heritage values that differ from authorized heritage discourse. Design/methodology/approach Fourteen participants conducted a 2.5-h sensory mapping workshop on July 7th 2024. Each participant received an empty paper map and was randomly assigned a specific sensory category (sight, hearing, smell, touch, taste) and urban morphological element (following Lynch's framework). Participants walked freely through and Yanaka, marking their sensory experiences and documenting them through photographs and recordings. Routes were compared with official heritage tour paths to identify convergences and divergences. Findings While participant routes showed some overlap with official tours, significant divergences emerged, particularly in residential areas. Hebi-michi (snake alley) and the Kayaba Coffee area emerged as unexpected sensory hotspots. Remarkably, sensory experiences triggered personal memories, with one participant recalling nostalgic moments from their hometown, suggesting heritage experiences transcend physical boundaries. Originality/value This represents the first sensory heritage mapping study in Yanesen, contributing a replicable methodology that connects ecosystem approaches with everyday heritage theory. The method offers heritage managers practical tools for understanding how people actually experience urban heritage, potentially informing more inclusive and accessible preservation strategies that acknowledge heritage as a living, sensory ecosystem.