Many studies have been conducted on migration from Japanese mountain villages to cities. However, there are few case studies focused on resettlement due to submergence, that is, migration resulting from dam construction, despite the fact that this is one of the most important subjects of migration studies. As the Japanese economy recovered after the Second World War, major dams were built nationwide. In general, people living in regions submerged by the construction of dams were opposed to their building but were obliged to leave areas where their families had lived for generations.

When the plan to construct a dam in Tsubayama, the former Miyama village (currently Hidakagawa town), Wakayama prefecture, was announced by prefectural authorities, residents of the area initially opposed it. Soon, however, they began to negotiate with prefectural authorities. Some were in favor of an early conclusion to the negotiations, whereas others wanted them to continue in order to obtain better resettlement conditions. As a result, human relationships among the residents deteriorated, which ultimately influenced their relocation patterns. Negotiations between the residents and prefectural authorities concluded in a fairly short time. The Tsubayama Dam was built in the former Miyama village, and many people were forced to relocate.

The aim of this study was to explore how people determined the areas to which they relocated. According to a survey conducted by the author, a majority preferred to relocate to areas near where they had lived previously. Almost all those affected were too old to find new employment opportunities; hence, they wanted to continue working in the same jobs that they had held prior to resettlement. Residents who owned vast forest lands also relocated to nearby areas to continue the process of forest management. On the other hand, some people felt that human relationships were the most important criterion for deciding on their new destinations. Thus, they moved to nearby regions with small groups of trusted individuals.

Such factors as the attributes of migrants were the most important elements in the decision-making process regarding migration. In terms of the motivating factors for relocation, people acknowledged certain key factors that influenced their destination choices. However, in reality, the author determined that several other factors impacted the relocation process as well and that those factors including each person’s individual circumstances resulted in complicated relationships.

Shared bicycle schemes have been increasing in Japan for about 10 years, but most are on a smaller scale and have lower usage rates than those in other countries. The first goal of this study was to identify the reasons for use by comparing three examples of shared cycle schemes in Japan. The second goal was to identify management problems.

Through analysis of usage dates, it was found that bicycle rental depends on the purpose of the users, such as sightseeing, commuting, and business. With shared cycles used mainly for commuting, ports where people can rent/return bicycles near railway stations receive more customers than other ports and the concentration is very high. With shared cycles used mainly for sightseeing, ports near sightseeing spots are used as often as those near railway stations and users are relatively decentralized.

The main management problem is low profitability. Previous studies based on use analysis included many proposals for the rearrangement of bicycles and ports to improve the usage rate. Through interviews with three operators, however, it was found that even shared cycle schemes with high usage rates cannot be financially independent. To solve this problem, it is necessary to establish administrative support systems, provide subsidies, and make public land available for ports. The enactment of other traffic policies such as constructing bicycle lanes, vehicle regulations in the inner city, etc. should proceed at the same time.