The population on isolated islands of Japan is rapidly aging. As it is very difficult for isolated islands to respond to the increasing costs of welfare for the elderly, it is necessary to make welfare services more efficient. Offering welfare services for the elderly with the help of information technology such as tele-medicine are effective in the way of overcoming geographical disadvantages.
In this paper, we describe current state of welfare services and needs of computerization and networking on isolated islands by questionnaire survey. Also to see issues involved in computerizing welfare systems suited for isolated islands, an empirical testing was done.
We asked officers at local governments about states of supply of welfare services on isolated islands. After the installation of long-term care insurance and fulfillment of services on the mainland such as home help service, home-visit nursing care service and visiting bath service, people have turned their interest more in the quality of services than quantity. On the contrary, on isolated islands where the service standard is low, there are great differences in the situations. Many islands do not have several of the main services.
By empirical testing we confirm that welfare information systems are effective in improving quality of services by increasing efficiency of work. The reasons why simple welfare information systems are appreciated on isolated islands, can be found in the existence of daily communication between aged people and specialist personnel, and the existence of volunteers with PC skills. Thus simple welfare information systems do not need special personnel to operate, and are suitable for small scale local governments on isolated islands.

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Environmental Dispute Coordination in the Teshima Island Industrial Waste Case was concluded between the appellants and Kagawa prefecture on June 6, 2000.
This dispute originated from 1975, caused a long time involvement and endurance upon the life of Teshima-islanders. However their governance and involvement toward this man-made calamity should continue even after the waste problems were completely removed and resolved.
We made a historical database covering from 1975 to 2002 using original data sources of the islanders, concerning historical events and series, management and governance activities and manpower involvements.
In this thesis, we show the comprehensive historical calendar of the quality events and series, and also quantitative events, which affected the islander's management and governance.
For the events and series analysis we use Input-Throughput-Output Analysis by R. Deacon, where one process affects the next one by negative or positive feedback.
We also show the results of the aggregated manpower analysis and their contents, which can easily make us understand the islander's physical endurance level and socially heavy costs. This thesis shows us the process and the quantity and quality levels of the democratic governavility, and also endogenous empowerment development with external high professional supports.

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The number of tourists coming to the Yaku Islands had increased rapidly since 1993 when it was designated as World Natural Heritage site. Most tourists are interested only in its natural resources while it has rich cultural resources and attractive people.
In this paper, the potential of a new tourism style which enphasis on staying longer and the experiences in Yaku-Island have been observed. In Yaku Island, the field research is held in Haruo area which is the south east side of the island.
The Haruo area is proved to have plenty of regional resources that can provide various experiences such as farm staying and envrionmental studies.
To encourage Eco-tourism in Haruo area, the potential of using LETS system (Local Exchange and Transfer System) are examined. It has shown that some new trades between local people and tourists such as teaching local culture and local foods would stimulate local economies.

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This study has been conducted on the island of Hamahiga, Katsuren-cho, Okinawa Prefecture in Japan since the latter half of the 1950's to observe the dynamics of population and to determine various factors that have caused changes and differences among different settlements on the island in relation to the changes in the industrial structure. The construction of Hamahiga Bridge in 1997 connected the island and the main island of Okinawa, which resulted in an increased number of households and population of Hamahiga island. The residents of the island who have moved in after the completion of Hamahiga Bridge were interviewed to confirm their attributes, occupations, types or category of moving in, and types of houses. The results of our studies may be summarized as follows:
(1) The island of Hamahiga was designated as a source of supply of vegetables for the United States military installations in Okinawa in the 1950's. A horticulture cooperative society, which collectively shipped all vegetables including watermelon, green pepper, and onion for individual farmers to the military bases, was established in each settlement on the island. However, less expensive vegetables have been imported to Okinawa from Taiwan since the 1960's and replaced the most of Hamahiga-made vegetables for the U. S. military bases. The farmers on Hamahiga inevitably faced difficulties due to the reclined demand for their vegetables and being small sized farmers. Many farmers also did not have sugarcane fields to compensate decreased demand for other vegetables. Therefore, many farmers had to turn to other sources of income such as construction labor in the central district of the main island of Okinawa.
(2) As a result, the population of Hamahiga Island decreased approximately 20% every five (5) years in the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's. The downsizing of the population was especially obvious in the settlement of Higa-district where most of the residents depended on farming to make their livings. Besides, the residents of Higa-district were known for emigration to other countries and did not traditionally have strong attachment to the island or desire to keep their houses on the island. Thus, these economical and mental factors resulted in a relatively greater number of households to move out of the island of Hamahiga in those days. On the contrary, the populations of both Hama settlement and Kaneku settle ments were relatively well maintained since a number of residents were engaged in fishery.
(3) The outflow of population from the island of Hamahiga has slowed down since the 1980's, however it varied from one settlement to another. Young residents of Hama-district have been engaging with seaweed (called Mozuku) farming since the latter half of the 1970's. The business of seaweed farming has been successful and profitable especially since 1980. The fishery industry has grown to support the fishermen on the island financially, which promoted participation of young generations into this industry since economic stability was promised and sustained development was expected.
(4) Upon the completion of Hamahiga Bridge in 1997 connecting the island and the main island of Okinawa, former residents of the island began to return to Hamahiga. At least one resident was added to approximately 1/4 of all households on Hamahiga during the five years period following the construction of Hamahiga Bridge. The bridge evidently made it possible for the residents of Hamahiga to go to work on the main island of Okinawa on daily basis enhancing its population increase.
(5) The interview of the households in the settlements of Hama-district and Higa-district whose family members moved in showed opposite results. Many of the residents in Hama who returned to the settlement were relatively young and they came back with their wives and children, whereas residents who came back to Higa-district were mainly older people with or without their wives.
(6) The comparis

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This article describes administrative change of one of French overseas territories. Major concern is laid on Noumea Accord, which introduced separate status for indigenous people. The transition in the institutional framework of French Overseas Territories in recent years has shown that pluralism has been recognized as a valid principle, which has been regarded as a discredit to republican principle, one and indivisible. There has been a shift from an institutional norm in which preference for uniformity and unity took precedence over regional diversity, to a new priority for the designing of institutional frameworks to be suitable for the particularity of 3outre-mer2 societies, and to include the realities of each community situated far from Paris, which nonetheless remains the decision making centre.
France has controlled the Melanesians of New Caledonia with a special status called 3statut local particulier2. This separated French citizenship from indigenous Melanesians. The constitution of Fourth Republic reserved customs as social norm for Melanesians that had differentiated civil rights among people living in New Caledonia, but without recognizing their autonomy.
The Noumea Accord signed between representatives of major communities of New Caledonia and the French government in 1998 recognizes the Kanak people, Melanesians of New Caledonia, as the native population and Kanak identity within the political organization of New Caledonia and offers institutionally the process of eventual accession of full sovereignty for the first time. This meant the official recognition of Kanak identity with its customary status and customary law. Based on this accord, affirmative actions for particular ethnic groups were introduced. This series of administrative reforms created a new concept, 2shared sovereignty (souverainte partagee) 2. The article concludes that French unitary system faces the challenge from periphery, and suggests this accord is a major step toward multicultural France.

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近年, マス・ツーリズムが批判の的とされ, エコツーリズムが推奨された結果, 各地で名前ばかりの「エコ」ツーリズムが氾濫しつつある。また「過疎」に悩む農山漁村地域の振興策の一つとして「観光」が取り上げられるようになっている。
本稿は, 鹿児島県三島村の硫黄島を対象として, 行政による地域イベントの取り組みと発表者自身によるNPOの活動実践を踏まえたものである。
隔絶性の高い小離島である硫黄島においては, その類稀なる自然環境を活かしつつ, 地域住民の生活に経済的に貢献する「持続可能な観光」の必要性が高まっている。かつてリゾート開発に「失敗」した人口減少の激しい過疎地域において, 伝説の多く残る集落に住む人々と旅行者との交流は, 双方にとって大きな恩恵をもたらすはずである。しかし, 観光地域としての課題は, (1) 継続的に観光に関わる住民の少なさ (2) インタープリターの不在等が挙げられる。そこで, 硫黄島においてこれらの課題を克服し, ツーリズムのよる振興の可能性を示す。

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