Abstract
Japanese historical-geographical research has had a rather fruitful period in the recent decade. The trends of the six major themes are reviewed in this paper.
Crop cultivation seems to have commenced during the earliest Jomon period (12, 000-6, 000 BP) and paddy rice cultivation began during the latest Jomon period (3, 000-2, 300 BP). The latter reached to the most northern part of Honshu in the middle Yayoi Period, and most of the paddy field remains of the Yayoi (2, 300-1, 750 BP) and Kofun Periods (1, 750-1, 400 BP) are very small sectioned. These findings mainly from the archaeological excavation differ significantly from previous research conclusions.
2) The restoration of ancient cities has progressed and new knowledge of the similarity and differences between Japanese and Chinese capital cities based on detailed comparative studies is being undertaken. Arguments concerning the origins of city planning have also begun. Research on road networks is very active and it is now indisputable that there was a systematic road network which connected major target points by straight lines throughout ancient Japan. Perceptive new research approaches to ascertain the location and arrangement of ancient cities and major facilities are now being conducted.
3) The Joni plan consisting of the Joni grid pattern and the Joni indication system appears to have been completed in the middle of the 8 th century. This is quite different from previously held opinion. Discussions on the activities of the Joni plan in ancient and medieval times have begun, and research and analysis on its wide diffusion as an important element of the traditional rural landscape have also been compiled. The condition and change of land use in and out of the Joni grid pattern has become one of the principal topics of discussion. Territory and form of settlement in ancient and medieval times have become clearer. For example, there was a prominent trend of making nucleated settlements, called Ballung and making dispersed settlement.
4) Research on the distribution and the landscape of the medieval markets has continued. One writer pointed out that medieval markets did not yet form an organic hierarchical structure from the point of commodity flows. The arguments on castle towns, which are one of the principal themes of Japanese historical geography, progressed especially in terms of changes from preceding types and structure.
5) Studies of spatial relation between the hanseison and the muya, and the spatial structure of rural society in modern times have been compiled. Case studies on labor and marriage migrations also appeared. Analysis of the farming books of the Edo era were added to traditional research on newly reclaimed land in the same era.
6) Many maps were drawn in the medieval times and the Edo era in Japan. The behavioral approach to historical regional structure using these maps has begun in the last decade, in addition to traditional research on those maps. Analysis of medieval legends has been undertaken to understand the structure of medieval living space.
