THE NEW GEOGRAPHY

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The purpose of this paper is to make clear the process of development of Tama region and the transportation cargo through the Tamagawa Waterway or Tamagawa-josui, which was originally used for the running water.
The author, in this paper, made clear the function of the Tamagawa Waterway as a new canal connecting Tokyo with the Hachioji market area.
Though the hinterland and forland of this canal was limited to narrow area along the canal, they used it actively to reduct the transportation cost, and finally competed with freight wagon.
In Tama area, they imported mainly manure, and exported firewood, charcoal and bulks of limestone, which was transported from Nishitama area.
Moreover, some cargo were came from Yamanashi prefecture via Ange-road.
From this view point, the author, should insist that the Tamagawa Waterway as a canal, was included into Edo-metropolitan economic area, and even more extended it.
At the beginning of opening of this canal, the enterprisers not only tried to make it inter-trasportation facilities between Tokyo and Western part of Kanto area, but also intended linkage Hachioji and Kawagoe market areas with Tokyo through this new canal.
On the other hand, Meiji government intended to make the canal for new transportation facilities for construction materials to use for construction of Tokyo as new capital of Japan.

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