Abstract
This paper examines why many companies have drawn a great deal of groundwater in Hakushu Town (the present Hokuto City), Yamanashi Prefecture, from the viewpoint of political ecology, which advocates the consideration of larger scale political economic contexts, dynamism, and the micropolitics of local resource use. In Hakushu Town, some of the councilors were worried about the exhaustion of the groundwater by the companies. The government of the town, however, maintained a negative attitude toward restricting the companies from drawing groundwater. The context surrounding this attitude can be summarized in some points. First, conservatives had a majority in the council of the town. Second, the promotion of factories by the town government did not go well. Third, Hakushu Town came to be known for its mineral water, which results in attracting tourists. As a result, the local government hesitated to restrictions on the companies.
