Abstract
Divertion of arable land has reucetly been serious as a result of rapid economic grouth. Two types of divertion are aparevt: transformation to housing land and revesion to bush land. The fonTler is outstanding in adiacent area to developing cities and this is a result o f the rapid development of urbanization. The latter is aparent in agriculcurally marginal land and a result of depopulation. Selectecl studies for the theme were made in the following: l) The coastal area around the Hiroshhna Bay (by S. Takashige) 2) The adjaecnt area to Hakata City, Northerm Kyushu (by H. Kawamura) 3) Five cities east of Osaka City (by K. Tanaka) Divertirn of rural areas of three Selectecl Areas is summerizecl as foliows: l. both types of divertions are outstanding tranformation to housing area took place in the land of population density of about 700 pcrsons per square kilometer and reverlion to forest did in the land of population density below100 persons per squre kilometer. 2. divertion was outstanding in the periods of 1958 and 1960 or 1961. This is particularly so in the case of divertion to housing area. 3. An annual ratio of there diverted area to housing area per tolal arable lands was as high as 7〜8 percent. 4. The above divertion of high degree was larger outside of achTlinistrative city area than within it: in the Hirostivea Bay area. its figure of Fuchu-cho (6.7%).Koyo-cho (4. 6%), Gion-cho (4. 2%), Funakoshi-cho (4. 0%), all of them exceed har mother city. HiroshhTla City (3.0%); in the northern Kyushu and in the five cities of Osaka-fu. it also show the similar pattern.
