本稿では、社会的企業やソーシャル・ビジネスという概念が生まれる前、いわば黎明期に、障害者に「働く場」を提供するという社会的課題を掲げ、1956年に障害者の自立のためにクリーニング業を興した北海道光生舎を事例として取り上げる。当事者団体として発足した北海道光生舎は、日本のWISEの草分け的な存在である。現在は、光生舎グループという非営利の社会福祉法人と営利法人である株式会社で構成されるハイブリッドな組織となり、北海道でもトップクラスのクリーニング業者に成長している。北海道光生舎が、どのように生まれ、どのように成長したのか。その取り組みを創業から創業後10年までのプロセスに焦点を当て、時代背景を視野に入れ時系列に分析した。北海道光生舎は、事業を模索、展開する組織構築のプロセスの中で最適解を選んだ結果、ハイブリッドな組織へと変遷していったことが明らかになった。また、北海道光生舎には様々なステークホルダーの関与があったが、官との関係性が強いことが窺われた。こうした北海道光生舎の取り組みから、日本のソーシャル・ビジネスの原点を見出すことができる。

 With rapid globalisation and urbanisation, urban agriculture is experiencing many changes, for instance, in the preferences of consumers, who require more food security. In many cities across the world, urban agriculture is also positioned for food production and community building. In Japan, interest in urban agriculture has grown steadily, supported by the enactment of an urban agriculture law in 2015. Urban agriculture studies have been a controversial topic of research since around the 2000s in many academic fields, including geography. However, there have been few studies on the relationship between agricultural management, or farmers, and urban residents, although capturing interactions among urban residents as consumers and intentions for consuming urban agricultural space are critical when considering the sustainability of urban agriculture. Interactions are explored between farms and urban residents in the context of diversified agricultural management based on a case study using Kodaira city in the Tokyo Metropolis. Because the area is one of the urban agricultural areas of the Tokyo Metropolis, where many independent farmers survive, Kodaira city is a suitable study area to explore the diversification of farming and communication with urban residents. Literature, such as previous studies, is analysed. Then, public survey data is analysed to illustrate the spatial distribution of agricultural management patterns and classify them. In addition to qualitative analysis from field research, interviews with case farmers reveal the decision making of farmers in adopting specific methods of agricultural management and interactions with urban residents. Hence, interactions between farmers and urban residents exist based on agricultural management in Kodaira city. The classification of interaction styles is based on features of the area in a definite pattern. Such interaction styles prevent excessive competition among farms, attract stable customers, and realise sustainable management. Finally, urban agriculture in Kodaira city is founded on interactions with urban residents through the diversification of agricultural management.