1998 Volume 53 Issue 2 Pages 73-96
Takuji OGAWA (1870-1941) laid the foundations for the academic human geography in Japan. Jiro YONEKURA (1909-), together with Motoharu FUJITA (1879-1958) and others played the most important role in the succession and the development of OGAWA's achievements. In this paper, the writer analyzes YONEKURA's geographical studies during the wartime of Japan between 1931 and 1945, and then clarifies the development of the academic geography in Japan. In this bio-bibliographical study, the writer appraises YONEKURA's achievements in the history of Japanese geography with regard to the personal history of YONEKURA, the trend of the Japanese academic communities, the national policy, and the spirit of the age. YONEKURA initiated his geographical studies with the historico-geographical research on Japanese settlements. Especially, his studies of the Hizen plain and the Omi basin in 1932 and 1933 determined the course of the his studies thereafter. Furthermore, these studies had great influence on the later historico-geographical studies in Japan. YONEKURA's geographical studies in those days show the influence of the subjects and the viewpoints of OGAWA's studies. OGAWA commenced the geographical study of the jori system and settlement of the jori with reference to the Chinese land division and settlements. Furthermore, OGAWA took up the study of the military geography of China. YONEKURA followed and progressed OGAWA's studies. Both OGAWA and YONEKURA had much interest and profound insight into the history of the Chinese geography. It is due to their attainments to comprehend Chinese classics and the compose Chinese poems. Furthermore, YONEKURA studied the geopolitics under an impetus from OGAWA's Geographical Study of War (1939) and other works. YONEKURA concentrated on geopolitics after the China Affair (1937) supposedly being affected by a group studying geopolitics under Saneshige KOMAKI (1898-1990). YONEKURA eventually jointed the group as a regular member. However, the writer presumes more influence on YONEKURA's works from OGAWA's highly practical writings than from KOMAKI's writings that tend to amount to no more than manifestation of his idea. A characteristic of the YONEKURA's studies is a thorough grasp on East Asia as a whole. He always considered historical relationship of Japan and China, therefore, various geographical phenomena were studied from this angle. It is supposed that his commitment to the policy of Japan's New Order in East Asia was due to the character of his studies of its own accord. He had no skepticism on the political circumstances at that time. He positively agreed to and devoted himself to the realization of Japan's New Order in East Asia as a duty of geographer. As he thus tackled the contemporary affairs, he made vivid descriptions of the regional characteristics in the Greater East Asia, and drew up many concrete plans. YONEKURA's concern for the administrative plans exsisted consistently in his research activities. The study on Jori system mattered to rural planning as well as the study of Kokufu to urban planning. The administrative districts and the national land (regional) planning with emphasis on the industrial location, and the settlement planning accompanying peasantry emigration had been investigated in various regions by him. It is concluded that this perspective of his research directed him to the study of the Japan's grand illusion of the New Order in East Asia.
