ECONOMIC STRUCTURE OF GOKANO-SHO VILLAGE IN KYUSHU MOUNTAINS

Abstract

1. In spite of its importance, the analysis of economic structure of the mountain villages usually been neglected in the Japanese geographical circle. The present paper intends to explain the reason why the shifting cultivation at Gokano-sh Village, one of the most characteristic type of mountain village in Japan, has been carried out far a long time and is now on the gradual decline.
2. Gokano-sho Village is located in the center of the Kyushu mountains, dissected in the full mature stage and characterized by high peaks, steep slopes and deep gorges than any of the other mountains of Kyushu. Owing to rugged characters of the mountains, Gokano-sho village had been isolated for a long time.
3. Until quite recently, the shifting cultivation on the steep slopes had been the only means of living for the people in this village. There are various kinds of the shifting cultivation as follows,
(1) Summer-Koba; tree-cutting in June_??_July, and burning in July.
(2) Autumn-Koba; tree-cutting in September_??_October of the previous year, burning in April_??_
May of that year.
(3) Barley-Koba; tree-cutting in September_??_October, burning in October_??_November.
(4) Tea-Koba; tree-cutting in May_??_June, burning in June_??_July of the previous year.
“Koba” means the place of shifting cultivation.
The main crops are barnyard millet, millet, corn, barley, buckwheat, sweet potato, soya-bean, tea and red bean. The last two crops are mostly planted for sale.
4. As a result of the extention of drag roads into this area since 1938, the lumbers which had been almost valueless by that time are commercialized. Consequently the farmers mostly gave up the shifting cultivation and engaged in more profitable works, such as tree-cutting, transportation, sawing, afforestation, and so on.
That is the reason why the shifting cultivation tends to decline gradually, except in the region where no drag roads extend.