Hironobu Oda

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the decline process of the textile industry in Tsuru City, Yamanashi Prefecture, based on documents about the surplus loom disposal project. It also aims to clarify the process by which such a regional economic transformation was achieved. As a result, the overall distribution map of weaving factories shows that the small concentration of weaving factories in the surrounding mountainous areas was eliminated and converged in the urban area centering on the Yamura district. Furthermore, that concentration was eventually eliminated in the central area as well. A more detailed analysis of the production structure reveals that the selection process began with the elimination of the wool fabric mills at the edges of the city's periphery, and that although they showed relative strength in the city center, where a narrow production system for traditional textiles was formed, they were eventually forced to shrink. In the case of traditional textiles, the process of downsizing was not a simple one of elimination from the end of the production line, but rather a process in which the parent, current owner, or higher-level weavers reduced their own looms or discontinued production, thereby increasing their dependence on contracted weavers. In other words, the surplus loom disposal project did not lead to the strengthening of competitiveness through the concentration of production in the hands of the leading firms, as the government had initially directed, but in the case of Tsuru City, it was a process of “flexible” overall production reduction.

Sinc the 2010s, there has been a growing movement in Japan to revitalize local economies and communities by attracting satellite offices of IT companies. Kamiyama Town and Minami Town in Tokushima Prefecture have played a pioneering role in this movement. In this paper, we use the town of Minami as a case study. Through interviews with companies in these towns, we attempt to clarify what factors led to the concentration of satellite offices and what impact the economic formation of these concentrations has had on the local economy and society. The satellite office business in Minami Town has been strongly promoted by the public-private collaboration between the public venture “Awae Co., Ltd.” and the town office. The owners or employees of the companies that set up satellite offices felt a sense of stagnation in business and life in the big cities, and sought new possibilities in Minami Town. The new locations have demonstrated the classic economy of agglomeration in terms of shared facilities and shared values. Many of the people who work there are motivated by the enjoyment of outdoor activities and sports, but they also find satisfaction in fulfilling some kind of “duty” in the local community. In addition, the companies that have established themselves in the region are actively trying to develop new products and services by considering the local issues as “seeds” for new products and services, as well as by appealing to new corporate values to attract human resources and orders.

In this paper, with Nagai City, Yamagata Prefecture, as a case study, we clarify the form of the manufacturing industry after the withdrawal of branch factories. We also discuss how independent and stable development can be achieved in a small city in a rural area. From the perspective of industrial diversification, the paper analyzes not only the transition of businesses and production items of electrical companies, but also the trends of craft industries such as sake brewing, toy woodworking and textiles, as well as the regional basis for entrepreneurship training. <BR>    The case firms have achieved technological sophistication and expanded into various fields. For example, one of the companies has changed its main business from electronic cover assembly to electronic component assembly, and then to processing of automobile parts. In the craft industry, it is clear that they are actively implementing new strategies, such as building overseas sales channels, and participating in recyclingoriented regional development and tourism projects. Nagai i-bay, an incubation facility, has realized new businesses in a variety of fields, such as mechanical design and modeling.

type:Article 本稿は，概ね2005年以降の日本の地域政策の歩みとそこでの具体的な諸施策について，包括的にレビューすることを目的としたものである．三位一体の改革および立地関係諸法の撤廃以降の地方政策として新たな施策体系が模索されてきたが，この間の日本の地域政策の特徴は，第１に，各地域が自らの地域の特性を踏まえて，それに見合った計画を作り上げることに迫られたということ，第２に，地域内で諸資源の活用，主体と主体の連鎖，人材や資金を含めた地域内循環といったものが強調されるようになったこと，第３には人口の縮小，財政規模の圧縮，環境負荷軽減に対応して市街地の集約化に舵を切ったということ，第４に，「新たな公」「新しい公共」という考え方が定着し，民間企業やNPO，市民に地域づくりの担い手として参画することを求めるようになったということが指摘できる．そして，地方創生という語が使われるようになってからは，人口の長期ビジョンと結びついて，雇用機会や人口の地方分散が重要な目標として掲げられるようになった．東京圏一極集中の是正が見えてきたとは到底言えない状況だが，持続可能な地域づくりのために，地域に内在する資源を見つめた上で，地域内外のさまざまなアクターが連携して自発的かつ創意に満ちた取り組みを進めるということがますます重要になっている．そのための人材育成ということは地理教育や持続可能な開発のための教育（ESD）に求めらている一つの使命である． identifier:http://repository.seikei.ac.jp/dspace/handle/10928/1480