The Development of "Agrarian Reorganization Movement" and the Ruling Structure of the Village

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to make clear the historical significance of "Agrarian Reorganization Movement" and the ruling structure of the village during the said period. Now, why and how peasants were mobilized to this movement is an important subject to be explicated. This paper is analysed from two points of view, studying the case of Ojima-mura in Nagano Prefecture. Firstly, it is to pursue the relation between the growth of the small-scale commercial production by peasants and "Agrarian Reorganization Movement"; and secondly, it is to focus on the role of the smallest administrative organization (Jichi-Kumiai) in the village. As regards the first point, through the development of "Agrarian Reorganization Movement", the small-scale commercial production by peasants was grown up systematically. In particular the fruit culture expanded rapidly, thus agricultural structure of the village was drastically changed. Consequentially peasants voluntarily perticipated in this movement. Concerning about the second point, in the process of "Agrarian Reorganization Movement", Jichi-Kumiai had a large influence on the village. Jichi-Kumiai functioned as the foundation of the ruling structure of the village. The success of masses mobilization to this movement depended on the function of Jichi-Kumiai.