The idea of the nodal region which functionally unites homogeneous regions is needed in order to explain the regional features after the Industrial Revolution. The concept of function, however, is too inclusive, and the historical aspect of a nodal region and its function is apt to be disregarded.
The development of the functional regions may be considered as follows. It is the first stage when territories of village communities are isolated from each other by woods, rivers and wastes as the smallest regional entities (G). Oblique lines in G show the native characteristics of G (fig. 1). Next comes the stage in which discontinuities of G are weakened by the gradual formations of secondary life circles (M), such as hundred, sedes, “go” and so on (fig. 2). As M circles develop into the local reproduction circles, and the functions of the county level regions (L) are strengthened in the form of feudal territories, the third stage becomes ripe and the national regions (S) may be formed (fig. 3). Then the national regions are reorganized into the territories of the modern states, in which lower orders, of the regions, such as G, M and L are transformed and incorporated (fig. 4). Thus the whole surface of the earth emerges on the background of national life.
At the same time, in the process of such a regional development, various orders of regional centres are established in the hierarchical systems. And scales of regions in each orders and stages have definite tendencies in area and population.
Micro-analysis of the inner structure of G shows that the changes of relations between strips, furlongs and village territories in G have corelations with the macro-development of the functional regions mentioned above, which also corresponds to the ecological chain between pastures, arable lands, woods and settlements as structural elements of G. Besides, generally speaking, strips directly united with the forms of block fields into the territory of G in the first and second stages, are tied together it furlongs which are the unit areas of comunal practice on the third stage. But after modern enclosures of fields, strips bocome larger and independent units of farm practice in falling G. In such a case, results of Schluter's morphological geography are to be applied to the functional consideration of regions. Therein consists the theory of Formenwandel from the view point of the historical development.
Acceptance of the region as objective reality has been increasingly criticised by Hartshorne, Whittlesey, Schmitthenner, T autensach, Carol and other geographers. But absolute rejection of a total region in a sense of discontinuity is to be incompatiable with acceptance of the compage or ganzen Kultur-landschaft which is, according to Carol, the geographical object. The writer can say that, in cases of G (fig. 1) and S (fig. 4), they are not mere concepts intellectually created but real entities while C (fig. 3 and 4) are mere complex or mixture.
While a region of some order evolves from entity through complex to mere mixture, another region in connection with it is gradually formed into objective reality and evolves in the same direction. It is on this dynamic field that functional consideration is to be undertaken concerning the underlying, disorderly complex of the present regions.

View full abstract

(1) All over the Yamato Basin which has been known as a droughty area are built bulworks, so-called “Ukezutsumi” or Protection Bank. The studies concerning these banks are important to learn about the growth of towns and villages as well as the regional characteristics of Yamato Province. This manuscript shows the result of my field survey about them.
(2) The floods in the Yamato Basin have given damages to all the communities in the basin below the height of 100 meters above the sea-level. Flood protection warehouses and Ukezutsumi Banks are to be seen here and there all over the region, but banks are more frequently found in the low lands where rivers and streams meet together.
(3) The origin of the Banks is presumed to be ancient, but the exact date has not yet been ascertaind. They are disributed along the rivers to protect jointly in case of broken banks of stagnant water.
(4) These banks of accumulated earth are different in their size, shape, and construction acording to their surroundings, and are sharply in contrast with each other between the upper part of a river and the lower part.
(5) The banks are maintained by the strict rules set up by the communities separately or jointly. These rules are indicative of either egoistic or cooperative attitude of the villagers.
(6) After the field survey the following results were discovered:
(a) Both droughts and floods are the characteristics of the Yamato Basin where the control for river waters is insufficient.
(b) in relation to the natural surroundings, a strong community is formed, which, however, results in the stagnation of community.
(c) In order to solve many problems concerning the banks, it is necessary to have a unified and systematic plan of improving the environment all over the basin.

View full abstract

The purpose of this research is to explain the structure and boundary of villages in the early part of modern age. The materials are taken from “Chosokabe Kenchicho” (_??_). In the structure the villages in the Monobe valley zone are in striking contrast to those of Kochi plain. The writer thinks the villages in the valley zone are “Myoteki mura” (_??_) (villages like “Myo”) and those of the plain, villages of “Kyujin” (_??_).
Villages like, “Myo” have many characteristics of medieval “Myo” system. Villages of “Kyujin” which are governed by “Kyujin” came after villages like “Myo” which are governed by “Myoshu” (_??_) “Kyujin” is a “Bushi” (warrior) and farmar. In reality “Myoteki mura” is a village of “Myoshu”, while a village of “Kyujin” is a community made up of a number of independent farmers.
Accordingly, the boundary of “Myotekimura” is settled by the strength of the governor, while that of a villages of “Kyujin” is settled by land.
The writer notices the two factors that caused this social phenomenon. One is productive power of land, and the other is method of farming.
It was due to these two factors that the above-mentioned two kinds of villages came into being.

View full abstract

Along River Hohki, down the north-west or northwest on the western margin of the Nasu Fan, Tochigi Prefecture, blows a strong local wind very frequently. Especially, it is strengthened at -the area near the railway bridge of Tohoku-line crossing the river. To make clear the special conditions of this local wind, an observation was made from a microclimatological viewpoint in December, 1957, and February, 1958, after the analysis of synoptic situation. In this study, the following conclusions were obtained.
(1) The strong winds, exceeding often 30 m/s (meter per second), appeared at the time when the winter monsoon was developing or the cyclone was passing along the Japan Sea coast.
(2) The frequency table of the strong winds, having 10 m/s or more at its maximum speed, shows that they blew approximately at the rate of once for two days in the winter season. The average of their maximum speed reaches 13-19 m/s and their duration is frequently 1-2 hours. The extreme value was 16-20 hours.
(3) As a result of the microclimatic field observation of the winds, it is clarified that when the prevailing wind direction coincided with the direction of the river, they had strong wind speeds in the area around the bridge.
(4) It is because of the micro-topographic situation of the area; that is, at the southernn side of the river, there is a low hill having a cliff about 20 meters in height, and at the northern side, there exist river terraces of several meters height.
(5) A great fluctuation of the wind direction and also the upward component was found at the stations near the cliff, 20-30 meters apart, as the wind velocity was relatively weak.
(6) In the farther part, 50-60 meters away from the cliff, the strong winds were observed under the prevailing northwest or north-northwest wind condition, and the ratio of wind speed at the station on the bridge, 7 meters in relative height, to that at the river floor was 1.4-2.0.
(7) When the prevailing wind blew at the right angle to the direction of the river course, the influence of the hill upon the wind speed distribution appeared as far as 250 meters' distance on the windward side. This effect is the same to that of a windbreak in its order, that is, about eight times of the relative height, about 30 meters, of the hill.
(8) The ratio of wind speed between the two stations generally varied with the prevailing wind speed. There was found a negative relation between the ratio and the prevailing wind speeed.

View full abstract