Geographical Review of Japan
Online ISSN : 2185-1719
Print ISSN : 0016-7444
ISSN-L : 0016-7444
Volume 26, Issue 10
Displaying 1-5 of 5 articles from this issue
  • G ray-iron casting plants in the kawaguchi district
    Sadao YAMAGUCHI
    1953 Volume 26 Issue 10 Pages 428-439
    Published: October 01, 1953
    Released on J-STAGE: December 24, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    The writer has investigated the “distribution of gray-iron casting plants in the Kawaguchi distric of Tokyo and inquired into the resons for their localization.” The following facts were learned:
    (1) The gray-iron casting plants in the Tokyo area are dispersed within the machinery manufacturing belt, but about 67% of them are concentrated in the Kawaguchi district. (a) The area of distribution in this district is about 8. 8 km2, forming a fan-shaped. triangle extending from the Ara River to the Shiba River. (b) The core of the distribution is found within the highest density zone along the road between the Kawaguchi station and the Shibakawva riverport. (c) Although these plants are small in scale, avera-ging only 19.6 workers. each, they number about 500 and they are surro-unded by hundreds of related plants and industries. Scarcely any, part of Japan has such a density of casting plants as this district. (2) Until the 1st World War began, the major product of these plants was hardwares for daily use. Moreover, considering their old origins, their numbers were very few until that time. More important, in those days these plants were localized on the banks of the Ara River in front of the Zenkoji Temple, because this place . had casting-sand of good quality and good transportation facilities by water to Edo (Tokyo). Until recent times, the presence of casting-sand was indispensable for the foundries because it- could- not be transported for long distances and the water route was the only easy and safe method of transportation.
    (3) Modern transportation solved these problems and changed the, major object of modern casting 'to casting of machine parts including cast gray-iron pipe and fittings. (a) Later, the localization of modern casting plants 'Was changed to “cost type” from “qualitative type” in accordance with thi conversion. (b) This was not decided by Water's theory of “productive cost+market cost=mini., ” but by the minimum point of market cost. The system of “Tatene” in Japan is the reason for this fact because, as the basic materials can be purchased at the same price anywshare, the difference in location as it afects the productive cost is almost negligible. (c) According to this principle, the localization of modern gray-iron casting plants which depended on the site of casting sand until recent times, is now controlled by the presence of machinery plants. (d) We can explain through this principle the fact that gray-iron casting plants in the Tokyo area are dispe-rsed within a machinery zone, but we cannot explain why 67% of the plants in. the entire area are concentrated in the Kawaguchi district. From the modern point of view, this district is not the best suited only the second best or less.
    (4) Having analyzed this district, the writer has come, to the following conclusions a (a) The localization of manufacturing plants in modern great cities is not decided by the free choice of one manufacturing unit, but is subject to a combination of factors related to the “areal differentiation of the metropolis.” (b) In view of this phenomenon, the factors that have. led to the localization in Kawaguchi are to be sought in the areal differenti-ation in the Tokyo Area. (c) Low cost labor and the presence of a great casting group in this district are factors which constitute the inner drawing power to be coupled with the outer areal. differentiation of the Tokyo area. (d) It is because proper transport distance exists between market and prod-ti.ctive district that the plants are concentrated along the roads and it is because of the same transportational reason that the area of distribution takes the fan-shaped triangle seen at present.
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  • DISTOSOMIASIS JAPONICA
    Tomoiti HORIGUTI
    1953 Volume 26 Issue 10 Pages 440-451
    Published: October 01, 1953
    Released on J-STAGE: December 24, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    Distosomiasis japonica is one of the principal endemic diseases in Japan. The distribution of morbidity shows Yamanashi Prefecture with an annual average of 52 cases, Shizuoka 2, Hiroshima 2, Fukuoka 2 and Saga 3 based on Statistics for the years 19331937. Morbidity in Japan from October 1944 to September 1945 was 1723; Yamanashi had 979 cases (57% of the total), Saga 395 (23%), Fukuoka 324 (14%), Hiroshima 25. The morbidity district of the Kofu Basin in Yamanashi Prefecture is at the confluence of the Kamunashi, Fuefuki and Ara Rivers. The morbidity sections of greatest density in this district are Mimachi, Futakawa and Asai, (all showing more than 24.48%), Okamata, Showa, Yamashiro, Inazumi, Surni-yoshi (Showing 15.9%); Tamahata, Tatomi, and Imasuwa also exhibit high rates. Although the morbidity on the delta of these rivers is at a high rate, arround the Circuiiference of the basin low rates are found. The dis-ease also breaks out on the delta at the confluence of the Ashida and Takaya Rivers in eastern Hiroshima Prefecture. Morbidity districts of the greatest density in this area are Kannabe with an average annual case rate (1949-1951) of 36, Miyuki 23, Yuda 1.0, Senda 6, Michiue 4, Nobeyania 3, and Nakajo 3. The morbidity districts of the Chikugo River in Fukuoka Prefe-cture are Kurume with a 1950-1951. average of 14 cases, Miyanogin 27, Agi-saka 19, Kitano 5, Umata 10, and Miwa 5; those of Saga Prefecture are Tosu 60, Kisato 22, Fumnoto 6, Tashiro 2, and Asahi 6. The Lake Inba district on the delta of the Tone River shows very low morbidity.
    Distosomiasis japonica spreads according to the pathogenic complex of Distosoma japonicum, Katayama nosophora and the human body. The attack rate varies with age and sex; 12% in age group 11-15, 11% in age group 16-25, and 9-10% for those above age 26. In Saga Prefecture morbidity by sex is 78 for men and 17 for women. The body length of the male of Distosoma laponicum is 16mm while that of the female is 22mm. The body width of the male is 0. 6mm; that of the female is 0.3mm. The eggs, excreted from the human body, grow into Miracidum and enter Kata-yama nosophora of the intermediate host. The length of Katayama noso-phora is 4_??_9mm and the diameter is 1_??_3mm. The snail lives in slow, stagnant streams of the delta; it cannot live in places affected by tides. The parasitic rate of Distosoma japonicum in the.snail varies from place to place in Saga Prefecture; Takada exhibits a rate of 32 0, Maki 38%, and Kisato 43.4, %. Temperature, surface configuration, agricultural practices and the cultural level are important factors amounting for the geographical distribution of the disease. Morbidity in Japan in 1950 was 918 with August 240 (26%), September 156 (17%), July 1.15 (13%), and October 105 (11%). These four months accounted for 67% of the annual morbidity. In winter months the rate is low, the grouch of Distosoma japonicum requiring tempe-ratures of 20_??_35°C. The monthly coefficient of correlation of morbidity and temperature is +0.723. Swampy districts are important geogens, Kata-yama nosophora living in those districts with numerous rivers and lakes such as Lake Inba of the Tone delta, the Kofu basin, the Ashida and Taka-ya deltas and the Chikugo delta. Pathogenic complexes result froir, culti-vation of paddy rice fields in which men work with bare limbs. A high cultural level leads to the destruction of pathogenic complexes while low cultural levels aid their formation.
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  • Siro WATANABE
    1953 Volume 26 Issue 10 Pages 452-462
    Published: October 01, 1953
    Released on J-STAGE: December 24, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    The area of the Abukuma mountains is, in its northern part, divided intc two regions according to differences in landforms. The first is the region of Abukuma-Sanchu or the region of mountainous country, and is more than 400m above sea level. The second is the region of Piedmont-Surface of Obama or hilly-land region and extends from 200m to 300m in altitude. Recently, in the hilly-land region, cattle have shown a remarkable increase in numbers while in the region of mountainous country, they raise about as many horses as before. Many of the cattle are reared for work and not for milk or meat. Since they are thought of as part of the equipment of agricultural cultivation, their increasing numbers indicates an increase in the degree of intensification of farming in this region., Horses are kept chiefly for breeding not for work. In each, of these two regions, the percentage of cultivated land to the whole is small and the productivity of paddy rice fields is low. The income from cultivated land is quite small compared with that from other sources. Accordingly, farmers require other occupations or special types of farming; many of them have the subsidiary occupations, especially in the mountainous region. Different systems of farm management result in different products; conversely, in order to explain farm organization clearly, the products should be investigated.
    In the mountainous region, the chief products are charcoal and horses :These are produced through a system which depends entirely upon rich forests, meadows and pastures and bring in about 90% of the farmer's gross income. Because of this fact, interest in expansion or intensive use of cultivated land has been slight. The hilly-lands produce tobacco, cocoons, dried persimmons frozen bean curd, and locally, “wasi” or Japanese paper. These products are by the processing of home cultivated plants. Thus, the farmers in this region make their farm products increase in value.
    From the above facts, it may be stated that the mountainous region's economy depends directly upon the mountain's resources while that of the hilly-lands emphasizes special crops to be processed by the farmer's themselves.
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  • Kanji KAGAMI
    1953 Volume 26 Issue 10 Pages 463-468
    Published: October 01, 1953
    Released on J-STAGE: December 24, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
    The dot-method mapping is one of the most eminent ways for realizing the geographical facts on a sheet of paper But there is one question in this method that dots concentrate into one part of a map and these doffs adhere to each other, thus forming form one dark spot in this part of the map. Hereupon the author deviced a method to solve this problem, “the method of aeroview.”
    Fig. 1 is the sectional base map, A seen from 2, 000m. height, the B from 4, 000m., and each section denotes 1. km2. These diagrams were made by computing each visual angle from the visual points of 2, 000m. and 4, 000m. heights respectively. The sectional distortion of A or B may be utilized according to the degrees of verandering the distances among dots.
    The authhr tried to make a population map of Nagoya for an example of this method (Fig. 5). In the m_??_rgin of this map the dots are expressed smaller than the onet in jts centre. By this way, lie thinks he could avoid. the adherence of the dots, and at the same time could induce an obserber to command a bird's-eye view.
    In sum, the two merits are seen on thin method; the one is an ability of larger and more clear presentation, the other is that of more vivid expre-ssion of geographical facts.
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  • 1953 Volume 26 Issue 10 Pages 469-474_1
    Published: October 01, 1953
    Released on J-STAGE: December 24, 2008
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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