Abstract
It is recognized by many geographers that vegetable fields used to be especially abundant in the Owari plain. There was formerly a small relief of several meters, making it difficult to turn the entire area into rice fields by irrigation with river water, whereas on the other hand, it is very easy to utilize them as fields for vegetables, mulberries, etc.
More than 300 years ago, the political and civic center of Owari was situated in Iwakura, east of Itinomiya, when many vegetable fields should have been developed near Iwakura to satisfy the general demand. After that the political center of Owari shifted to the south of Iwakura, so that in the beginning of the Tokugawa era, which was more than 300 years ago, Nagoya became the political center of Owari, but the vegetable farms continued to remain in the old place.
There is the Biwazima market, more than 300 years old, which is situated between the vegetable farm lands and Nagoya, the place of demand for its farm products. Established in the midst of rice fields, it developed on account of its geographically suitable position, and through special protection of the successive Dairnyôs of Owari. Its annual turnover now amounts to yen 4, 000, 000. There is no doubt that one of the causes of the development of vegetable gardens in central Owari is the progress of the Biwazima market.
Since the populations of Nagoya city is increasing at the rate of from 3, 000 to 50, 000 a year, the demand for vegetables is consequently increa-sing. The demand for vegetables everywhere in Japan is gradually increa-sing. We can thus regard the vegetable fields of Owari as being still in process of development.
