Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to explain the characteristics of abandoned cultivated lands and the background of expansion of abandoned cultivated lands in Kami-okudaira, Yoshii town, Gunma Prefecture, by focusing on paddy fields. Kamiokudaira consists of four valleys from valley A to valley D. Most upper-grade paddy fields are located in valley A and valley B, and most of paddy fields in these valleys have not been abandoned. Valley A and valley B roughly coincide with the region of supported farmlands of the direct payment measure for hilly and mountainous areas The lands owned by absentee landlords before Land Reform are located in valley C and valley D, and absentee owner ship did not occur in valley A and valley B. Extensive lands liberated by Land Reform are in valley C and D. Most abandoned cultivated lands are located in valley C and valley D and many paddy fields of lower grade are on liberated lands.
The following four factors have influenced the expansion of abandoned cultivated lands: 1) weakening of the structure of local farm labor; 2) increased difficulty in finding new lease farmers; 3) temporary registration of cultivated lands for the development of a golf course and freezing of the development program; 4) agricultural policies such as rice production adjustment and defectiveness of the direct payment measure for hilly and mountainous area in Japan.
