CHANGES IN THE SOCIAL ROLE OF THE ARAKAWA RIVERSIDE LAND AS SEEN FROM THE CHANGES IN FARMLAND AND ITS SOCIO-POLITICAL BACKGROUND AFTER THE MEIJI ERA

Abstract

 This study aims to consider the social role of riverside land by defining the relationship between land-use changes in farmland in the riverside land of the Arakawa River, as well as its domestic and international socio-political influence. This became the first study that shows the changes in the social role of riverside land and land-use as a farmland in the riverside land are influenced by domestically and internationally social and political backgrounds. To begin with, the transition of land-use in farmland in the three municipalities in the Arakawa basin, from the 1880s to the 2000s, was researched using GIS. Next, the factors of land-use change in farmland in the target areas were clarified through a literature survey. Based on this knowledge, the relationships among the domestically and internationally social and political backgrounds, as well as the land-use changes were examined. It revealed that the cultivation of mulberry developed in the riverside land of Arakawa River, it subsequently spread to neighboring areas as the national status of the sericulture industry grew. Furthermore, the study suggested that this development was influenced by the agricultural administration during the industrial development era and under the wartime regime. Additionally, even following the decline of the domestic sericulture industry after the 1990s, the cultivation of mulberry in this area was maintained, until silk factories closed. Ultimately, this study shows that the changes of the social role of riverside land and land-use of the riverside land, as an agricultural space, changes depending on the domestic and international social and political situation.