[in Japanese]

View full abstract

As the result of geographical researches on the distribution of terrace cultivation in Japan, the authors conclude that cultivation of this kind in Japan could be classified into three types.
I. The first type, which is purely ethnographical, is cultivation by particular races in special districts, e. g. the millet-fields of the natives in the high mountain districts of Taiwan (Formosa).
II. The second type is the terraces of rice-paddies, which is the most important in Japan where rice, being the food, is the chief crop. During the long period of feudalism in Japan, the labour of farmers practically counted for nothing, while the farmers were heavily taxed by their landlords, which fact inevitably forced them to cultivate such lands. Thus many slopes were changed into rice-paddies, which naturally took the form of terraces. But obviously, this saturation in the distribution of fields was unnatural. As the result of the result of the great economic revolution that swept over Japan, this unnatural tension had to be eliminated, the direct impetus of which came was the general estimation of the value of labour, and the increased cultivation of crops. This type of terraces is now decreasing in area of distribution.
III. The third type is rather new. This is the terraces of such crops as are convenient for planting on slopes, examples of which are the orchards of peaches, oranges, etc, along the coast of the Inland-Sea, or that of mandarin-oranges on the Pacific coast of Sizuoka Prefecture. This type of land-utilization certainly increasing, and is likely to continue to do so in the future.

View full abstract

Part I. Following opinions on industrial geography are expressed. Industry should be treated not merely as a product of region but as a producer of it. Then, besides explanations of distribution and development, studies of industry as a condition acting on geographical phenomena are required.
Although methodical studies of economic geography have attained to a high grade, however, they often seem to be isolated from facts, because of poverty in regional studies. Therefore, regional studies of industry might be urgently needed.
Part II. A regional study is reported. The chief industries of Gumma Prefecture are silk reeling and silk weaving; both already originated in ancient times as domestic industries of farm houses in mulberry zone, and lately are on the way of rapid development to factory industries.
The distribution of reeling labourers (Fig. 1) shows its extension in the southwest and its several dense points scattered in comperativel equal distances. These dense points respectively have filatures under co-operative societies or companies, and commonly have an inclination to become denser. Hand reels are still used largely in farm houses and mostly for the inferior qualities of cocoon, because the sup riors are taken to filatures.
The distribution of weaving labourers (Fig 3) shows its extension in the south and its four parts evidently divided. Weaving equipments are under strong influences of wholesale merchants of silk cloth in the chief towns in these four parts. The dense two are Kiryu and Isesaki districts, where power looms are mostly set to work and factories are prevailed. The former is so much industrialized that some areas of farm villages turned into factory area, while the latter still having many hand looms remains in an important farmn district of silk worm culture that provides a good deal of cocoon for filatures of com-panies in the reeling region. East one is sparce, as it is laid on the rice field district and more has cotton weaving in addition to silk. The rest takes almost the same space with the reeling region and refers to the products by hand reels.
The preceeding industries have female labourers ten times as many as male, and supports numerous proportions of women in the regions. (Fig 12). Even side jobs for families and often seasonal, they are very important as ways of cash income, and make somewhat brisk the rural commerce.

View full abstract