The Development Process of Agricultural Newcomers Network and its Characteristic

Focusing on the Activities of “New Farmers Network in Yamagata”

Abstract

This article addresses the agricultural newcomers activities （by “New Farmers Network in Yamagata,” NFN hereafter） which centers on mutual assistance, direct marketing and volunteer activities. This article also aims to grasp the characteristics and implications of NFN in line with the concrete development process of NFN.

Agricultural newcomers such as “I-turn （domestic immigrants）” people have a strong tendency to make “their own way of viewing life”, and they are said to have unique personality. These people were able to form this kind of network because of an economic factor, that is, being able to keep their sales channel. Another reason for this was they were feeling isolated coming to a new community, and needed to create bond with people who were in the similar circumstances. Their activities developed to something which has a strong publicness, in other words, “a social movement” character. However, the publicness that they talk about and aim at does not have a strong connection with rural communities, especially so-called Mura （hamlet）.