The purpose of this paper is to clarify how food processors participate in the internationalization of agricultural product flow using the case of Kagome Co., Ltd.. The points under discussion are: 1) the role of Japanese food processors in the spatial change of agricultural product import regions to Japan; 2) the mechanism of the change in procurement regions by Japanese food processors; and 3) the restructuring of domestic production areas by Japanese food processors with progress in international procurement.
The quantity of tomato raw materials (tomato paste) imported by Japan has expanded rapidly since 1972, in advance of other vegetable products. The spatial distribution of import regions of tomato products to Japan has changed markedly, from a concentrated distribution depending on mainly Taiwan in the 1980s to a dispersed distribution depending on many import regions in the 1990s. Until the mid-1980s, the distribution of import regions was influenced by CIF cost and the historical relation between Kagome and the Taiwan market. But after the 1990s, the dispersion of import regions was influenced by CIF cost and the procurement strategy of Kagome, which controls import of almost 50% of its tomato raw materials.
The mechanism of international procurement by Kagome was examined. Plural procurement alliances with foreign suppliers concluded after the 1980s have had an effect on the dispersion of import regions of tomato products. However, Kagome's evaluation of foreign suppliers is not limited to cost factors. Kagome also emphasizes diversification in tomato raw materials using, risk dispersion in procurement, and year-round procurement. The supplier evaluation system thus takes multiple factors into account. In the latest system, cost factors have only a 40% weight in the total evaluation.
With progress in international procurement, Kagome has restructured its domestic procurement process. The restructuring included two factors : a reduction of processing tomato production and a change in processing tomato varieties. The change in processing tomato varieties was the more important. Kagome needed domestic production areas to grow processing tomatoes for tomato juice, which cannot be replaced by imported tomato raw materials. Therefore Kagome switched to the use of the Kagome varieties for tomato juice. The results of this study indicate the relationship between the development of international procurement and restructuring of domestic procurement.

View full abstract

We attempted to evaluate numerically the damage in urban areas due to the 1995 Hyogoken-nambu earthquake in terms of damage ratios of houses, using the emergency revision of Zenrin Residential Maps of part of Hyogo-ku and Chuo-ku, Kobe City. The results are concordant with those deduced from other intensive field surveys and with those obtained by photo interpretation. Damage ratios of houses are controlled first by the carrier if the area had been bombed and burned in the Second World War. The greater the house damage in the war, the less the house damage ratio due to the earthquake. This tendency results from building regulations enforeced in 1950 after the war. However, alignment of a high value of damage ratios reflects not only the bombed zone but also active fault lines running obliquely across the research area. The concentration of high damage ratios along the Egeyama fault is especially remarkable in the area. Another peak suggests the contribution of an active fault running along the south-eastern side parallel to the Egeyama fault. In conclusion, the convenient but numerical damage data based on residential maps show the spatial aspects of the damage in urban areas due to the earthquake by means of proportional and directional analysis, and clarify the multiplier effects of the two damage factors of house property and the contribution of active faults.

View full abstract

Although numerous geographic studies have been conducted on changes in mountainous villages, previous studies have not fully discussed on innovations in transportation systems. Generally, people understand innovations in transportation systems (transportation passes and facilities) as the modernization of transportation. The author studied changes in transportation systems and means of transportation of villagers.
The aim of this paper was to clarify changes in mountainous villages resulting from the modernization of transportation. Attention is given to overcoming topograpic obstructions and holding linkages among mountainous villages and cities. This study area is Takayama area in Fujioka-shi, Gunma Prefecture. Takayama area consists of the three mountainous villages of Shimogumi, Nakagumi, and Kunugiyama, located on the lower, middle, and higher slopes, respectively. Takayama area is located at 8-13km from the center of Fujioka-shi. The results of the study are summarized as follows:
1. In terms of changes on transportation systems, many villagers played an important role in overcoming topographic obstructions, because they were voluntarily involved in road construction before 1942 and the establishment of local bus service operation. Moreover, some villagers obtained driving licenses for farm work at the same time in the early 1960 s, and other villagers became interested in driving. Subsequently, many families purchased cars. This led to improvements in transportation systems in Takayama area.
2. In terms of changes in means of transportation of villagers to link mountainous villages and cities, their activity spheres have gradually expanded to the center of Fujioka-shi since the early 1960s, As a result, the mountainous villages in Takayama area have the characteristics of suburbanized mountainous villages. For example, the number of commuters who are also engaged in agriculture and forestery as part-time workers has increased. Moreover, their activity spheres have expanded in and around Fujioka-shi since the late 1960s because many use cars for commutation and shopping, and many senior high school students use trains and motorcycles to commute to their schools around Fujioka-shi. The author points out that such trends are caused by the attraction of urban life.

View full abstract