The dispersed type of rural habitat is rather exceptional in Japanh, where most of the settlements are of the clustered habtat type. A rare example of the dispersed type is found on the alluvial fan of the Ooi-gawa, Sizuoka prefecture. The origin of the present scat-tered habitat is not very old, dating from the great inundations of 1604 and 1627, although the habitat-type of its predecessors on this, fan are unknown. Why did the immigrants who come from surround-ing regions, where the clustered type of habitat prevail, to this, devastated region, without exception prefer the scattered type of habitat? The authors presume that the difficulties of life in such desolate plains forced Them to adopt this type of habitat. Since then, even to this day, it has become the tradition in this region that every dispersed farmer shall cultivate the field around his house.
The authors analyse the minute adaptations of the inhabitants to their environment. The developments of economic and social life in the village commuity, after which they describe the methods of population control and discuss the future continuity of this dispersed type of habitat.