Journal of Rural Problems
Online ISSN : 2185-9973
Print ISSN : 0388-8525
ISSN-L : 0388-8525
Volume 57, Issue 4
Displaying 1-4 of 4 articles from this issue
Research Article
  • Takeshi Ueda
    2021 Volume 57 Issue 4 Pages 125-135
    Published: December 25, 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: December 25, 2021
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS FULL-TEXT HTML

    Many of those in the Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) category in Japan and hikikomori are concerned about falling into poverty as the labor market does not accept them. Providing employment opportunities not only to persons with disabilities, who are the main target of “agriculture and welfare collaboration,” but also to those who are in NEET and facing social issues such as hikikomori would contribute to solving the problems. Considering these problems, the purpose of this study is to clarify the requisite for establishing the farming support organization, that is working to provide the employment for people such as in the NEET category and those who are hikikomori. Following verification, this study showed that the combination of the employment form (permanent/temporary) and working area (wide/narrow) reduces the barrier for NEET and hikikomori to work. Further, the study revealed that the combination will be more effective if the farming support organization which will help them, has the function to procure resources as well as to provide support to NEET and hikikomori and contribute to the realization of Decent Work.

Short Paper
  • Tomoko Harada
    Article type: Short Paper
    2021 Volume 57 Issue 4 Pages 136-143
    Published: December 25, 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: December 25, 2021
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS FULL-TEXT HTML

    This study identifies the mechanism of livelihood recovery of rural households in post-conflict northern Sri Lankan villages. The results show that households’ livelihood assets and degree of social capital accumulation in their village of residence have an effect on access to activities and resources. This, in turn, impacts livelihood recovery. Social capital belonging to households and communities facilitates access to external support and credit, which then facilitates economic activities and the acquisition of physical capital. Households’ social capital also improves access to farmland and employment opportunities, which enables them to diversify and scale up their economic activities.

  • Case Studies of Histories of Corporations’ Entry into Farming in Yabu City, Hyogo, Japan
    Akifumi Eto, Tomoko Kinugasa, Koji Yasuda
    2021 Volume 57 Issue 4 Pages 144-151
    Published: December 25, 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: December 25, 2021
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS FULL-TEXT HTML

    This study aims to grasp the characteristics of 11 companies that embarked on agricultural business in Yabu, Hyogo, Japan, and to illuminate the requirements that enabled them to accumulate agricultural land. We analyze the relationship between type of business or scale of business and the size of cultivated area or intention to expand cultivated area in 11 companies interviewed in 2019. The results show that their selection of farm location was related to their potential to expand the scale of their farmlands after embarking on agricultural business. This study concludes that the requirement for a corporation’s entry and expansion of their area of operation after entering is that their type of farming be paddy rice, and the requirement for further scaling up of large-scale farm operations is the cooperation of the residents in maintenance work such as levee weeding.

  • Shinji Takada, Kohei Shibazaki, Masaya Nakatsuka
    2021 Volume 57 Issue 4 Pages 152-158
    Published: December 25, 2021
    Released on J-STAGE: December 25, 2021
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS FULL-TEXT HTML

    In this study, the process of generational change and the support system for successors in a small-scale community-based farming corporation in a hilly and mountainous area are considered. For this purpose, several interviews were conducted with the successors and other people concerned. As a result of the analysis, the following points about generational change were revealed. First, in order to secure successors from within the community, it is necessary to provide them with opportunities to be involved in agriculture from an early age. Second, after securing successors, management resources should be concentrated to provide a friendly working environment for them. Third, generational change is usually accompanied by a long period of time for successors. However, more time is needed for tasks where experience is required. Therefore, support from former manager and executives is necessary to continue after a generational change.

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