Some fundamental matters are to be reported here an the contracting reclaimed rice-field of the trading class. They are the following three points:
(1) The relatian between the productivity of the reclaimed rice-field and kokumori i.e. the estimated crop according to which the landtax was collected (2) Composition of population in villages of the reclaimed rice-field (3) Gains brought about by the reclamation and development of rice-field, in other words, the reason why the contracting reclaimed rice-field of the trading class increased about the middle of modern times.
(1) It is said that kokumori, the estimated harvest as the standard for collecting the land-tax, was generally 80 per cent of the producing capacity of land in the early years of modern times, and 100 per cent about the middle of modern times. As to the contracting reclaimed rice-field, kokumari is computed to have been 110-130 per cent of the productivity. This is because of the fact that the actual area of the rice-field corresponded to be 1.8 times as large as the square measure made public. Consequently, it follows that kokumori was 80 per cent of the productivity at the best reclaimed rice-field, and 61 per cent at the most inferior field. The landowners of these rice-fields paid the land-tax in proportion to their respective square measure made public, while they collected rent paid in rice accoding to the actual area. Consequently, the balance was a profit for the landowners. An increase of the productivity made the balance between an annual tribute and harvest wider, and rent paid in rice was collected as much as the balance. In general, this is regarded as the reason why the contracting reclaimed rice-field appeared in succession, though in reality this is not often the case.
(2) The population of newly reclaimed villages was composed of a mi nority of immigrated farmers and a majority of tenant-farmers coming for work from other areas. The ratio between the immigrated farmers and the tenant-farmers depended upon the degree how far the farming population in existing villages was divided into extremes from a viewpoint of the social scale, namely, the higher classes and the lower classes, leaving only a small number in the middle classes. Requiring a large number of the tenant-farmers coming for work from other areas, the reclamation and developmnent of rice-field temporarily delayed the above-mentioned process of farmers going to the extreme social standings.
(3) Feudal clans remitted the landlords of the reclaimed rice-field the land-tax for twelve years. The latter still requested twelve years' prolongation of the term, which was granted. It seems that this was the period for repaying the amount with interest added of the expenses costed by the reclamation and development of rice-field. The annual interest was 8 per cent. The incomings and outcomings of the reclaimed rice-field usually brought about a profit of 10 per cent yearly. The annual interest for a loan to feudal lords was 5 per cent in those days, the higher rate of interest being 10 per cent annually; which was, however, often in danger of remaining unpaid. Therefore, the reclamation and development of rice-field was a sound and profitable enterprise for the trading class about the middle of modern times.

View full abstract

A flood-disaster is not a mere natural phenomenon but a regional one which figures as synthesis of natural conditions and social conditions the latter of which have influence upon the former. Starting from this point of view, I chose as the object of investigation the flood-disaster on August 15th, 1953, in the southern part of Kyoto Prefecture (Minamiyamashiro).
The distinctive feature of the damage by the flood in Minamiyamashiro was destruction of houses and casualities done to men. Although it was partly due to the torrential rain limited to one particular locality, the immediate cause was that the dykes of the up-floored rivers, many of which are seen in this district, were broken. The flood-disaster at Ide-cho serves as an example of the damage done by the above-mentioned cause. And, the up-floored rivers in the district were made by human agency, not by nature at all. Namely, grit and sand were carried down the lower reaches of a river owing to reckless deforestation at the basin of the uppor stream; and people at the basin of the downstream made an embankment higher and higher lest the grit and sand should not flow into the ploughed land. Why, then, such land utilization as this is still conducted which is easy to cause a flood-disaster? The answer to this was worked out by analysis as to how infinitesimal peasantry who owed woodlands in the district ran their works. By the analysis were known the actual circumstances of the infinitesiman farmers who are unable to maintain themselves by any other means but reckless deforestation and cultivation of tea garden; and that woodlands denudation is made worse by the fact that there are ample funds for facilities of forest roads which promote deforestation, while there is deficiency in circulating capital for expenses of afforestation which such farmers as aforementioned can not afford. In short, what brings a flood-disaster is a contradiction between the public good (conserving water power) and the economic phase (profit made by deforestation) of woodlands.

View full abstract

As for the construction of the industrial zone here, factories and labourers in any industrial department are recently increasing.
Especially the increase of the production goods industries is more remarkable than that of the consumption goods industries.
At present, as far as the amount of production is concerned, the chemical industries occupy the top seat of all industries. When the factories are classified according to their productive scale, it is found that though the great majority of factories are middle or small industries, large scale factories occupy 70% of all industrial productions.
Niigata industrial zone having such an industrial construction is favoured with abundant amount of electric power of low cost, inexhaustive limestone, natural gas, the hidden amaunt of which guessed 380 cubicmetres, the oil field, the productive amount of which is said No.2 in Japan, and Niigata Harbour, the biggest one on the coast of the Japan Sea.
Since the zone here is favoured with these many advantageous locational conditions, the chemical industries above all will remarkably develop here, I believe.

View full abstract

1. Tonami field is characterized by a fan shaped field sloped slightly and scattered villages in it and towns situated at the same intervals which are the center of economy and have a character of marketing town.
2. Development of the marketing town is traced by the requirement of developing human necessities.
It is conceived that the marketing town is formed by the economical necessities of the surroundig rural villages and with industrial planning by mercantile capitalists.
It was not arised naturally from scattered rural villages.
3. As to formation of the town, towns at the foot of the mountain and the field were formed by the Middle Ages and 3 towns in the middle part of the field were formed by the Recent Ages.
Classifying them b those character, they are (1) marketing towns situated at so called capital where there was a Lord with his castle, (2) marketing towns where market was opened at some special places (such as the area of shrine, temple or other special places), (3) marketing towns where market was opened for the benefit of travellers, (4) marketing towns in which most of the people engaged in commerce.
In spite of the above classification, most of the marketing towns have the same function and character at the present time.
4. Summarizing the process of the historical change of the marketing town, the character of the town, beening agricultural mainly and commercial supplementarily at the beginning, developed agricultural and commercial at the same degree, and then commercial mainly and agricultural supplementarily.
In the recent time, industry has been rised in the town and the form of economical circulation has been transformed from one way track to complicated tracks. i.e. At the beginning of formation of the town, the surplus of products of the town was sold to other area and the people lived on self-supporting and according to increase in populationand development of commerce and industry, peoples could nod live on self-supporting and they bought some kinds of goods from other areas and they sold their surplus of products to other peoples.
In Fukuno town, market is opened on 2nd, 7th, 12th, 17th, 22nd, 27th, in every month, and market opened on 27th of Decenber is noted for its prosperity.
5. The Tonami field, though it was civilized early in Etchu, showed little progress in her economical development for a long time under restrictions of natural and social circumstances. i.e. Heavy snow and long winter resulted in simple utilization of land under infantile method of agriculture, and tyranny of Lord compelled the people inactive. Since collapse of the feudal system, the economical conditions of the area has been rapidly improved in the whole. But it is noted that some towns are growing to the modern city setting up industries in order to overcome her economical difficulties popularized under the present capitalism, and the other hand, some towns are giving way to the difficulties and falling into poor agricultural villages.

View full abstract