About the middle of the 7th century the Tohoku district attracted attention of ancient states under the System of Ritsuryo for their northern frontiers. Shiro or Saku (ancient castle) of both Mutsu and Dewa Kunis (ancient prefectures) were administrative centres as well as frontier forts in the northern borderland. In addition to these were there stationed Gundan, a purely military position and Gunke (Kohri-no-Miyake), an administrative centre of Kohri (ancient county), substructure to Kuni. It is supposed that to these regional establishments are practised gridded urban planning similar to those of Teito (ancient megalopolis) and Kokufu (ancient local capitals).
The authors did researches on the urban planning of the ancient regional centres by following the methods of historical geography, comparing with their micro-topography and the present landscapes, examining Koaza (the smallest place name) on the land register maps. The objectives examined were Akita Jyo, Tamatsukuri Gundan, Mutsu-no-Kuni Shimeha-Gunke, Dewa-no-Kuni Murayama-Gunke, and so forth. The results show that there were the gridded plans as in Taga Jyo, Izawa Jyo, and Kinowa-no-Sake, reported already.
Secondly, the authors investigated in what location those regional centres were situated in the view point of ancient topography and communication. Especially in respect to the way connecting Taga Jyo with Akita Jyo, we considered its probable route, by making field survey near the Sarubane Toge (pass), and examining its topographical position and attempting to identify the Sarubane Eki (stage).
At the same time we investigated the Gridded Pattern, the land so-called Jori form practised under the System of Ritsuryo, near and around these regional centres mentioned above, its forms, areas and limit of distribution. Consequently, we can report such newly found areas with remains of the gridded land pattern as in the valleys of Naruse and Hazama rivers, and observe that allotted lands in each Tsubo, in general, adopt a peculiar form. As to the northern limit of its distribution the line is supposed to be drawn from Morioka to the Akita plain.
To the north of the area distributing ancient castle and the gridded land pattern, there was located Noshiro-no-Tamuro, the northernmost fort of the Ritsuryo states. It is considered to be located on the plateau to the south of the Yoneshiro river.

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According to 1960 U.S. Census, this Region, defined by Regional Plan Association, had about 16.1 millions. The population of 1850 was only one twelfth of 1960's, and New York Metropolitan Region of that time is considered to have been in the sphere of 7-8 miles from City Hall at most; smaller than the present Core part.
By 1900, it had the increase of 4.2 millions for the fifty years, and it filled up almost the 20 mile ring with the density of more than 200 persons per square mile. Especially, the growth of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Hudson counties in the Core was tremendous. The most noticiable characteristic of the distribution pattern of 1900 is the leap-frog and linear growth pattern beyond the 20 mile ring. It means that the suburban railroad's early influence on the distribution of population or suburbanization was coming out at the turn of century.
From 1900 to 1930, this region gained the increase of 6.1 millions, and, especially, in the last decade, it had the greatest increase on its history. In spite of it, CBDs of the Core, ranging from Manhattan to Newark, began to decrease in population density in that time. And the increasing population filled up mainly the 20 mile ring in New Jersey side and 30 mile ring in Westchester and Long Island. Beyond that, the radial and leap-frog pattern became more predominant than 1900's.
It shows the influence of the best age of the suburban railroad in this Region. But, generally speaking, the spacial expansion of 1930 was not so different from 1900's, except Long Island's extraordinary growth.
By 1960, this Region had the net gain of 4.5 millions; smaller than the first 30 years' increase. In spite of it, its spacial expansion is much larger than 1930's. The 40 mile ring has been almost filled up with the density of over than 200p.s.m. and the radial growing pattern of the pre-war time is going to be extinguished and to make a round pattern as a whole. The 20 mile ring has been pluged up with the density of over than 5000p.s.m., and the 30 mile ring with over than 1000p.s.m.
Long Island Sector and Bergen county are most outstanding in the development.
On the other hand, the decrease of the Core has reached the climax; 583 persons per square mile in average from 1950 to 1960. Especially, Manhattan had the decrease of 260, 000 persons and 11, 688 per square mile after 1950. Really, it may be called the population explosion of New York Metropolis.
The suburbanization of the pre-war time was the cohesion type around a passenger station and the post-war one is the scattering type around a station. It is different from the suburban sprawl of the western cities in the United States.
The distance of 20 miles from Manhattan CBD has always had a meaningful influence to the suburbanization through the pre and post war time. The concentration of population in the 20 mile ring has always been most vigorous, and it coincides with the multi-family dewelling and, beyond that, it shifts to the area scattering suburbanization.

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It is said that though the freight is a matter of the economical calculation and the economic policies, it has important influences upon various geographical phenomena. As it is well known, freight rates is one of the most important factor in the industrial location, and its local differences affecting upon the regional character and the movement of goods.
The author intends in the paper to analise the geographical structure of carload freight rates in Japan, and results obtained will be summed up as follows.
a) Though the method of drawing map remains still discussible, isophors (the contour lines of freight rates) are effective way to illustrate the geographical structure of the freight.
b) The freight structure is entangled in several places, and does not always exhibit typical concentric circles.
c) The complicated structure of railway freight rates is due to the detour of rails made by the presence of the metropolis and by topography, and, more strongly, to the institutional factors which are enforced by the railway authority in this country.
d) The structure of lorry freight rates is shown by considerable concentric circles, and is a comparatively regular one. But in the mountainous region, it is somewhat crooked irregularly and this is not by institutional factors as in railway but by the density of the road distribution.
e) By comparing these two structures, it is possible to gain the so-called competition lines of rail and lorry transportations. This line is varied by the sort of goods, the extra expences of railway transportation (i.e. collecting and delivery lorry charges to and from the railway station, loading and unloading charges, and commissions, etc.) and the degree of dumping rates of the lorry transportation.
f) The competition line gives a plenty of geographical significance, for it seems to delineate the nodal region of rail-lorry freight rates, and therefore, settles a standard of choice of transport facilities.

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