大正期における産業鉄道の地域的特質

岡山県東備地域を事例として

抄録

After World War II, one of the subjects of research on railway history centering on the history of economics was the function of ‘Industrial Railways’. Research like this has usually drawn the conclusion that the immaturity of local commercial capital in the early stages of the development of Japanese capitalism has made merket structure weak, and has prevented the accomplishment of the function of ‘Industrial Railways’.
Research on ‘Industrial Railways’ in the past has discussed those built in the Meiji Era[the Meiji Era(1868-1912)], and has been limited. In Japan, trunk lines and sub-trunk lines were established during this period. In addition to this period, however, Japan had another railway building boom. It was the boom which was spurred by carrying out ‘the Keiben-tetsudo Law’ in the Taisho Era[theTaisho Era(1912-1926)]. Construction of local railways, which seem to be closely related to local industries, reached its peak during this period in the Taisho Era rather than during the period in the Meiji Era first mentioned. Hence, I want to focus my discussion on ‘keiben-tetsudo’ during the boom period in the Taisho Era.
The Katakami Railway running through the Tobi district is said to be a good example of an ‘Industrial Railway’ in Japan although it was built as a ‘keiben-tetsudo’ in the Taisho Era. I will discuss its historical and geographical background in the Tobi district.
Construction of a railway in the Tobi district was first planned to connect the two towns of Mituiishi and Katakami. In Mitsuishi there was a pagodite mine, and in Katakami, a harbour. The Katakami Keiben-tetsudo (which was not finished although it was promoted in the 1912) and the Katakami Railway which was promoted in 1920, were under consideration at first for the transport of material for fire-brick and its products between Mitsuishi and Katakami. However, consulting the aims of the ‘Keibentetsudo Law’, their fundamental purpose was modernization of transport in the Tobi district. These plans had this objective, and yet they had to be related to local industries for the transport of material and manufactured goods. Two reasons are considered for this. For one thing they could ask the associated businesses to back the project financially, and for another if business performance in the transport of passengers was not good after starting a business, it was possible to make up for the loss by the transport of goods.
But, hit by the depression, the fire-brick industry, which had seemed to be hopeful in this district, was in difficulty. In consequence, the plan suffered a setback. And, almost simultaneously with the project of the Katakami Railway, Fujita-Gumi started to exploit the Yanahara mine situated in the northern part of the district. Fugita-Gumi was formed by a capitalist group. It was not long before Fujita-Gumi had the idea that watert transport on the Yoshii River could be replaced by the extension of the Katakami Railway. After Fujita-Gumi took notice of the Katakami Railway, the management of the Katakami Railway came to depend on Fujita-Gumi to make their business steady. Gradually, the Katakami Railway began to reflect the intentions of Fujita-Gumi. Thus, retaining its first function as a modern means of transport in the Tobi district, the Katakami Railway was taking on another function as an ‘Industrial Railway’ of Fujita-Gumi.
The Katakami Railway was not originally an ‘Industrial railway’ for the transport of minerals of the Yanahara mine although traditional theories said so. It was started at first as a project aimed at modernization of transport in the district, and then was taken advantage of by Fujita-Gumi. It was an example of an ‘Industrial Railway’ built in the Taisho Era that evolved from the ‘keiben-tetsudo’