抄録
“Community Hunting Grounds” (Kyoudousyuryouchi), for which legislation was passed in 1885 during an amendment of the Hunting Law but subsequently suspended in 1918, represented the legal institutionalization of customary hunting right; however, the detailed legislative process is unknown. To better understand the rationale for suspending Community
Hunting Grounds when the Hunting Law underwent a full revision in 1918, this study analyzed the legislative process for regarding their legislation and suspension, focusing on their relationship with “Hunting Grounds” (Ryouku). The results revealed that legislators perceived Community Hunting Grounds to be beneficial in terms of protecting the livelihood
of hunters; meanwhile, Hunting Grounds had the advantage of conserving wildlife but the disadvantage of impeding hunting as a livelihood. The Hunting Law was revised in 1918 in response to decreases in wildlife populations due to overhunting; thus, the establishment of Community Hunting Grounds was likely suspended in 1918 to create Hunting Grounds, which offered greater protections to wildlife.
