Abstract
This paper examines telephone communication in Akita prefecture as an indication of general advancement and changes in the form and function of social patterns.
The general theory of telephone communication postulates that the number of telephone calls is the inverse square of the distance between two places and directly proportional to the multiplier of the number of telephones in each place. This phenomenon is found to be true in Akita Prefecture.
A number of telephone spheres are identified and the relational patterns between spheres is shown. Distinct strata are found to distinguish cities, market towns, and mountain villages. A complicated relationship is found in Yokote Basin where proximity between populated areas intensifies telephone exchanges.
