Abstract
Since the 1960's rural areas in Japan have been rapidly transformed through the influence of urbanization and industrialization, which provided the increased opportunity of employment in cities. Migration of people from rural areas to urban areas as labor force has necessiated mechanization of agriculture, which in turn has accelerated depopulation of the rural areas. In extreme cases, it has become difficult to maintain community system of the settlement, particularly due to out-migration of the young.
The purpose of this symposium was to examine the relationship between such changes in settlements and the processes of reorganization of areas.
The reporters and their themes were as follows; (1) H. Okahashi: Changes in the mountain rural areas in northeastern Aichi Prefecture caused by the starting of factory-commuting. (2) A. Nagaoka: The effects of industrial complex development on the rural area in southern Yamagata Prefecture. (3) T. Gomi: The influence of changes in traditional irrigation systems on a rural community in central Nagano Prefecture. (4) Y. Tomatsuri: Beef cattle raising and its preventive effects on the depopulation in mountain villages in eastern Tottori Prefecture. (5) T. Miyaguchi: Changes in economic structure of mountain settlements in southern Kumamoto Prefecture caused by development of the large-scale forestry. (6) Y. Fujita: The effects of reorganization of the community-owned forests in southwestern Fukushima Prefecture. (7) T. Tanaka: The recent changes in fishing villages along the Japan Sea.
Many questions and opinions were presented on the floor mainly concerning: 1) what factors caused changes in rural areas; 2) processes of the reorganization; 3) what kind of role did community play on the changes in settlements; and 4) who promoted enlargement or curtailment of businesses in agriculture and forestry.
