Journal of Rural Studies
Online ISSN : 2187-2627
Print ISSN : 1882-4560
ISSN-L : 1882-4560
Volume 29, Issue 2
Displaying 1-8 of 8 articles from this issue
ARTICLE
  • Focusing on fishermen-cum-peddlers.
    Tamaki KASHIO
    Article type: research-article
    2023 Volume 29 Issue 2 Pages 1-12
    Published: April 25, 2023
    Released on J-STAGE: May 23, 2024
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

       The reasons given to explain why local food has been inherited in a certain community are sometimes cultural, without clarifying background details. However, in addition to the cultural factors, there must be other components that have led to these recipes being incorporated into society as well as a complex structure. Much remains to be examined about local food in relation to human activities, including procurement of the materials, techniques employed in the production process, and so on. Regarding the inheritance process, more than one mechanism, beyond the cultural factor alone, must exist between people and things.
        The aim of this paper is to consider the backgrounds against which production of funazushi spread after the inception of high economic growth in the 1960s. Funazushi is one type of local food popular in the area around Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture. In order to shed light on the producers, this study investigates the funazushi production techniques and distributing system. This analysis indicates that there are three factors behind the succession and spread of funazushi production within a family. First, a producer procured semiprocessed fish from a fisherman, simplifying the production. Second, the fishermen-cum-peddlers played an important role in delivering a standardized technique. Third, the fishermen-cum-peddlers, based on human relationships, controlled customers through the procurement of materials and production techniques in their business area.

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  • Focusing on the Use of the Indigenous Chemical Fertilizer
    Manqing ZHANG, Yuyu HU, Emako MIYOSHI
    Article type: research-article
    2023 Volume 29 Issue 2 Pages 13-24
    Published: April 25, 2023
    Released on J-STAGE: May 23, 2024
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

       Recently, the excessive use of chemical fertilizers in China has become a serious concern. Although the importance of the farmers’ autonomy over agricultural technology, including fertilizers, has been previously investigated, it has been ignored owing to certain structural reasons, such as the unique urban-rural dual structure. However, sufficient attention should be paid to the fact that the transition from traditional fertilizers to chemical ones occurred in the special historical period of agricultural collectivization prior to the Economic reforms and opening-up; hence, it is necessary to clarify the countermeasures under different social conditions and examine the agricultural policy. Therefore, in this study, the historical transformation of the fertilizer farming method in the People's Republic of China since 1949 from a viewpoint of the autonomy of the Chinese farmers was analyzed. Through this study, it was found that the transition in fertilizer farming techniques in China was gradual, and the Indigenous Chemical Fertilizer that took place during the transitional period was crucial. As a result of accidents or failures encountered during their participating in the production of Indigenous Chemical Fertilizer, farmers acquired the relevant empirical knowledge of chemical fertilizers in participating. Therefore, instead of a uniform dependence on chemical fertilizers, farmers became more aware of soil and the shortcomings of chemical fertilizers, etc., and were able to make autonomous decisions on the use of fertilizers. In addition, the production of Indigenous Chemical Fertilizer is itself a process of innovation that is somehow beyond the autonomy of decision-making. Thus, Farmers are now giving play to the autonomy to insist on traditional organic farming methods as a supplement to chemical fertilizers as much as possible.

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SPECIAL CONTRIBUTION
  • Naoto SUGIOKA
    Article type: research-article
    2023 Volume 29 Issue 2 Pages 25-38
    Published: April 25, 2023
    Released on J-STAGE: May 23, 2024
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

       The purpose of this paper is to trace and verify the role of Rural Sociology as the Academic Society on the democratic changes in postwar Japanese society for reborn state by literature research around early postwar period through key concepts of annual reports(Sonraku shakai Kenkyu) edited by the Society for Rural Studies(Sonraku Shakai Kenkyukai)as interdisciplinary research project as sociology and economics and historical folklore.
       Under the Land Reform after WW Ⅱ in Japan, rural policy on farmers' families to be expected as independent farmers groups, however, which was focused on agricultural mechanization with farmland expansion more than sustainable management such as building up networks with consumer cooperatives for food safety and making plans as local production for local consumption.
       Basically democratization cannot be developed sustainably and autonomously without the increase of the subjects responsible for democratization to try new lifestyles following three points;(1)the realization of a full-scale revision of the Agricultural Land Act to make it possible to engage in agriculture as a career choice for any people;(2)he generational change and the employment of women through family management agreements. As for the efforts to improve, we will make it possible to secure an appropriate position as an employee when we acquire corporate status;(3)As a role of a social welfare corporation that guarantees employment opportunities for those who want to work with disabilities and hikikomori who would like to jobs as decent work, and we will strengthen cooperation between agriculture and welfare as well as intermediates for cooperation between agriculture and welfare, looking forward to an opportunity on the need for support organizations.

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