Measures to Promote Extension Services for Improving Home Living in Post-war Tohoku: Focusing on Miyagi Prefecture

Abstract

This study examined the extension services for improving home living in post-war Tohoku district, focusing on the response of Miyagi Prefecture (MP) to policies set by Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF). The objective of the services was to improve the lives of people in farm households and to facilitate the democratization of farm villages. MAF requested local governments to es­tablish agricultural improvement sections to admin­ister these extension services. Additionally, it requested that voluntary female-led home living improvement groups lead the program. MP accepted the policies of MAF and established an agricultural improvement section. However, the prefecture adopted the measures of using model areas and model hamlets for the services. The reasons for the responses were the connection between MAF and the agricultural improvement section, existence of the Tohoku Civil Affairs Region, and social realities of rural areas.