Transformation of Company Town : A Case Study on Change of Policies for Regional Industries in Nobeoka City

Abstract

In Japan, there are some company towns whose employment depends on the small number of huge company. The purpose of this paper is to analyze change of company town, concerning about the actions of actors and the relation among actors. This study is a case study of Nobeoka city which is the company town of Asahikasei Corporation (the big chemical company). The results of the study are summarized as follows: The economic and political influence power of Asahikasei in Nobeoka City has decreased. It brought about the changes in the industrial policy. In the 1950's and the 1960's, by dispersion of Asahikasei's production bases in the rapid-growth period, it decreased the investment in Nobeoka. Because the corporatism union had a great influence on local politics in Nobeoka, the local government developed a policy which gave preferential treatment to Asahikasei. In the 1970's and the 1980's, a structural recession by the oil crisis influenced subcontractors. They demanded the anti-recession policy, and the party supported by the union followed it. Since the 1990's, the weakening of the union's support base has led the political impact to lower. The local government revalues Asahikasei whose new business promote regional industrial re-establishment. The policies for regional industries return to the industrial development which centers on Asahikasei.