When the structural changes of the paddy field agriculture in Tohoku region were analyzed by the ''2015 Census of Agriculture'', it became clear there were a difference in the movements of each prefecture. In Miyagi Prefecture and Iwate Prefecture, the organized management entities were main those who undertook it in the paddy field this time. Therefore, it is forecast that the community-based farm cooperatives are centered, and the paddy field agriculture develops in both prefectures. On the other hand, the role of a large-scale farm household has strengthened again in Aomori Prefecture, Akita Prefecture, and Yamagata Prefecture. The problem in these prefectures is to secure a large-scale farmer who aims at the scale expansion.

This article aims to reveal present features of structural change in Shonai region, Yamagata prefecture, as a leading paddy farming region. The Shonai's paddy agriculture has held a historical pattern of structural change, which is featured the scaleup of "middle scale farmers" corresponding to the stage of productive powers, the "collectivism" based on rural communities supporting middle scale farmers and the management diversion in the post WWII era. We examine whether this characteristic is changing in the present stage, based on field surveys in the old Tsuruoka city. We can conclude that the historical pattern of Shonai's paddy agriculture "has not basically changed" yet. The development observed in 2005-10 which farmlands were accumulated to large organized managements was a just irregular movement and the traditional pattern of change came back in 2010-15. However, extensive and radical scale expansion through introducing rice and soybean is also progressing. As a result, the development of management diversion characterized during the post WWII era is being lost. The contemporary middle scale farmers (10-20ha) with management diversion are losing their existence basis, while farmers who expand their size extensively may be another type of principal farmers in Shonai's paddy farming. These movements are results reflected not by internal forces of regional agriculture but by policy changes.

The agriculture of Mogami district in Yamagata prefecture had been characterized by the single cropping of rice and the migrant in winter under the severe weather conditions, such as heavy snowfall. However, recently, especially from the 2000s, the production amount of Chinese chive, asparagus and green onion has rapidly increased in this area and now become one of the famous horticultural area in Yamagata prefecture. Thus, this paper attempts to analyze the process of its development and the success factors. In this area, the producers, JA and the local government cooperate with one another to the development of horticulture. Especially, the role of JA was remarkable. JA established the common vegetable sorting facilities and the contract system. Thanks to these conditions, the farmers were able to enlarge the vegetables. And it is assumed that the securing and developing human resource is very important for the growth of horticulture.

The purpose of this study is clarify the current state and challenges of horticultural promotion in rice paddy agricultural zone through upbringing Project mega producing center of horticultural in Akita prefecture. We aimed at the building of the farming system for large-scale and technological acquisition which becomes main problems.

The Results of survey indicated that, building of the farming system for magnification (1) It is requested wrestle deliberately or large-scale for the concrete contents of farm management (2) Consciousness puts the importance of the match on the farming subject. For technological acquisition (1) General knowledge is acquired by support of a related engine. (2) It is important to acquire practicing knowledge and know-how. In this case, it’s effective to utilize approach between the farmers, independent study meeting by a farmer and farmer’s intercommunication and tracing.

A purpose this study is to clarify characteristics and challenges of cooperation among community-based farming groups through a case study in Akita prefecture. The study makes the following observations.

First, cooperation among community-based farming groups was performed in the order of ①information exchange about farming techniques and management, ②mutual support as needed (accommodation of agricultural machinery and materials; partial farm work trust), ③establishment of a new company to grow Edamame on a large scale through joint investment. This cooperation became more in-depth as trusting relationships among farming groups further deepened. On the other hand, an independent form of management with each group using its own farm equipment and human resources was continued.

Second, the establishment of a new company was not intended to respond to urgent management tasks within each group but, instead, was intended to facilitate prior investment with a view to the future of regional agriculture. A major factor in establishing the new company was that most of the funds necessary for acquiring agricultural machinery and facilities could be covered by subsidies.

Third, it will be important to stabilize profit of the new business and get it on track as soon as possible. In order to do that, it is necessary to improve the productivity of the business with the consent and cooperation of the group members. New cooperation methods based on the strengths and weaknesses of each group might be considered at the same time.

Forth, it is expected that the need for cooperation among community-based farming groups will increase in the future and that it will be necessary to foster trusting relationships among neighboring groups gradually. An instructional organization of agriculture should prepare a place where information can be exchanged willingly between groups.

Recently, the diversification is recommended to the community-based farming corporation, which has been based on the case study mostly unrelated to tourism due to a lack of a tourism-related case. The purpose of this study is to clarify the effect and the challenges of introducing tourism into a community-based farming corporation, focusing on the case of a community-based farming corporation which accepted a total of approximately 700 tourists in cooperation with a travel agency and an administrative organ. Through the analysis of the case, I got the knowledge about the economic effect on the corporation, the effect on the other divisions, and the effect on the attitude of the board members and the employees. As a result, the next merits became clear. The corporation raised profit and opened up a new route that would lead to the realization of its managerial philosophy that its activity might contribute to the community revitalization through an increase in nonresident population. Almost all the employees took pleasure in treating tourists. In addition, the corporation has received some inquiries about farm products from the tourists, which may lead to the development of its product market. On the other hand, it is revealed that the employees had difficulty handling work because the employee was usually busy with farm work during the term in which the company accepted tourists, that the employee had dissatisfaction with the tourism in some points and that the attitude to the tourism differed depending on the job classification. In order to overcome these problems and gain the development of the community-based farming corporation through tourism, it is needed to enhance the effectiveness of farm work more by revising work procedure or introducing a farm machine, to share the attitude of engaging in the tourism business by all the staff, and to bring up or employ an expert in tourism.

About rice production cost, fertilizer cost, and labor expense in California and in Italy (rice locality in developed countries in the West) are clearly lower than that of Japan. But their utility cost, agrochemical cost and depreciation for buildings are not quite different from Japanese ones. Seed cost is also expensive per unit weight. A case in Aomori has tractors like Italian make expensive in depreciation amount for machines, but it can reduce labor cost near to developed countries in the West. Ordinary combine harvester can be used in the U.S.A and in Italia about 5,000ha, but Japanese head-feeding combine harvester can be used lower than in that case in Aomori. So technological improvement and diffusion of ordinary combine harvester is important in Japan. Compared to water management which is notably labor-saving in Italy or in California, Italian wet direst seeding is needed more frequent labor than that of Japan. But Italian water outlet and migration is very less per area than that of Japan, so labor is saved in Italy. In California Irrigation operations are few. For labor-saving about water management, more extension of farm field will be expected in Japan.