Abstract
The present study attempts the explanation of the extended family system which plays a significant role in the structure analysis of the rural community in Japan from the following two viewpoints.
Firstly, the dynamic change of the extended family system is determined by the way of adaptation which 'Honke'-the center of the extended family system-shows to the development of the entire social and economic system. The analysis is to be focused on the adaptation with the basis of study on the form and fuunction of landownership of 'Honke, .
Secondly, the extended family system of hierarchical make-up with the control power of 'Honke' at the center will be discussed in trms of the position in the structure of rural cmmunity and the interrelationship of several extended famileis in a community.
This analytical study of two communities will be concluded in the next number.
Case I. A mountain village in the district of forest of government ownership in Akita Prefecture has the strong extended family system of 'Honke' centered structure. The 'Honke' of the extended family system succeeded in the enterprise concerned with this government-owned forest and expauded its properties as well as its land which was tenanted by its 'Bunke' famileis or the 'Bunke' famileis newly estabished for the purpose of tenancy. The extended family system was enlarged and strengthened consequently. We find here the situation reverse to the general tendency of dissolution with the development of capitalism.
Case II. In a village in Nagano Prufecture, which has the high productive power from paddyfield and is counted as one of the sericulture villages in Japan, there is the situation that there has no difference of Landownership seen bet. Honke and Bunke since the middlles of 19th century. As a conseqaence, weaker cohesion of families is seen. The attention of people is paid on the kinship of blood rather than an the order of families. There still exists, however, a view of Honke as higher than the other. Some 'Honke' which owns larger portion of land coans the land to Bunke. Their relationship of tenancy, however, , does neither aim nor result in strengthening the extended family system. The emphasis is rather on the safely of minor land owners for the management of land.
