The purpose of this paper is to estimate an Inter-Regional Input-Output Table for the San-En-Nanshin （SENA） region in the center of Japan by using a non-survey method.　The region is located at the cross-borders between Aichi, Shizuoka and Nagano Prefectures.　New transportation systems such as the San-En-Nanshin highway and the Liner Chuo Shinkansen are planned for this region.　We estimated the spill over and feedback effects of the new transportation systems and a clustering policy for the three regions.

JEL Classification: R11, R12, R15

The aim of this paper is to consider depopulation from the viewpoint of managing the environment.　The rapid increase in the aged population, decrease in the national population, and concentration of the population in Tokyo are now major problems in Japan.　In particular, depopulation in the countryside has become more and more serious.　Traditionally, discussions and policies about depopulation in Japan were one-dimensional ideas only discussed by cities or government.　That is, depopulation problems were discussed by only focusing on the size of the population, and insisting that depopulation must be overcome.　However, when considering management of a region, multi-faceted discussions that consider the many purposes for the region are desirable.　Therefore, the idea of the ‘coexistence of various objectives’ based on regional theory is required.
　　This paper focuses on Kumogahata in Kyoto, and regards depopulation as an environmental problem.　By approaching the issue from the viewpoint of environmental management, depopulation is regarded as one aspect of the diversity of the region.
　　In the management of the environment, it is necessary to focus on the social background of environmental issues.　Therefore, the social background was understood by considering the activities and purposes of various organisations in Kumogahata.　As a result, organisations were found to have a variety of purposes in the depopulated areas, and external volunteer organisations also play an important role.
　　Consequently, this paper proposes to add a new step of ‘forming a staying exchange population’ to the existing plan.　Above all, it is important to respect the original purpose of the volunteer organisation and recognise the value of the exchange population itself.

JEL Classification: L38, R11, R23

Vacant housing is a significant social problem and individual issue in residential areas, particularly with housing owned by elderly people.　This study clarified the perceptions and wishes of elderly house owners by conducting a survey on satisfaction with the current state of housing and relocation needs of people aged over 50 who have been living in the same housing for more than 20 years.　We compared and analyzed the data in terms of two groups, classified by their location in the urban areas and the suburbs of Tokyo.
　　This study confirmed the hypothesis that the motive for relocation comes from dissatisfaction with the current housing of the participants.　The results indicated people living in the urban area had higher satisfaction rates than those living in the suburbs, low satisfaction was linked to location and lack of convenience.　In cases where the participants were dissatisfied with the current state of their housing, the demand for change seemed strong.　In particular, participants living in suburban residential areas who were dissatisfied wished to move to a more convenient area.　Future plans for relocation should consider the low demand for suburban housing.　In addition, housing demands decrease with advanced age because elderly people are highly satisfied with their current housing.　Conversely, 50 years olds who were still working showed low satisfaction with their current housing.　Therefore, promoting relocation before an advanced age may be a useful policy.
　　Most elderly participants surveyed planned to cover any moving expenses through selling their current housing.　Therefore, if elderly people are unable to acquire adequate funding from the sale of their houses, plans for their future lives may be confounded and they may be deterred from relocating.　An appropriate advisory system must be established to encourage the circulation of houses in the market.　Increases in the demand for vacant housing may be halted with the development of existing home markets.
　　The weak demand for single housing in suburban residential areas and the resulting low liquidity for elderly people living in such areas present a problem with a potential increase in vacant housing.　The development of existing housing markets, a well-informed residential strategic plan, and training for area managers are immediately necessary to continue the maintenance of good residential areas.

JEL Classification: R21, R58

This study measures productivity differences in the manufacturing sector among prefectures in Japan by using a two-digit industry and the prefectural level data of the Census of Manufacturers. The author approaches this theme by shift-share analysis as proposed by Esteban. The outcome of the analysis showed that a higher weight in the “productivity differential component” than the “industry structure component” of regions is a major factor for interregional differences in labor productivity of total manufacturing. Furthermore, the author observed the two-digit industry and prefecture level data, and analyzed the effects of regional specialization in a specific two-digit industry on productivity in the shift-share analysis framework. Industry specialization was shown to have different effects on labor productivity, depending on the type of industry. This outcome provides several implications and viewpoints for policies of regional economic development.

JEL Classification: C81, L60, R00, R32

Cooperation among firms and suppliers through contract governance is not a new phenomenon in the world, but has developed in Vietnam within the last decade. This study sought to determine the factors affecting contract governance and relationship satisfaction for agricultural firms and raw material suppliers in Northern Vietnam. The Structure Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to uncover significant influences among contract governance, transaction-specific investments, and trust as well as the influence of these variables on relationship satisfaction. Data was collected from 50 agribusiness firms in four provinces in Northern Vietnam. The results of the study showed that contract governance is significantly and strongly influenced by vegetable product types, which strongly influences transaction-specific investments. Firm satisfaction is affected by trust, if stronger than contract choice, and trust itself is influenced by transaction-specific investments and contract governance. Our results also indicate interpersonal trust is the most important factor influencing relationship satisfaction in relationships between agribusiness firms and raw material suppliers.

JEL Classification: C21, C83, L14, L22, Q13