A Historical Geographical Study on the Production of Canadian Contract Immigrants and Regional Development after Their Departure

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K03025
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Human geography
• Research Institution: Ritsumeikan University
• Principal Investigator: KAWAHARA Norifumi 立命館大学, 文学部, 教授 (60278489)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: カナダ / 日本人移民 / 契約移民 / 東京移民合資会社 / 日加用達会社 / カナダ太平洋鉄道

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The Tokyo Emigrant Limited Partnership Company, founded in 1898, sent about 1,500 contract immigrants to Canada in 1907. They were from only nine prefectures, including Miyagi, Kanagawa, Fukui, Kagoshima and Okinawa Prefecture. In addition, depending on their occupation in their home prefecture, they were assigned to work as coal miners and railroad maintenance workers after their arrival. The Canadian Pacific Railway's employment rolls and checks revealed an organizational structure consisting of the Japanese leaders who came to Canada first and their subordinates.
When their contracts expired, railroad contract immigrants often transferred to other industries, including the salmon canning industry. The contract immigrants were produced through mass migration based on blood and geographical relationships, and the subsequent movement and transfer of jobs were also developed through various networks.

Free Research Field

歴史地理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で実践してきた歴史地理学的アプローチを駆使すれば、契約移民の輩出にあたって血縁・地縁関係を基礎とした集団移住が行われ、カナダでの契約終了にともなう移動と転業の諸相も、そのネットワークを維持しつつ展開していたことが明らかになろう。
さらに、後発であった東京移民合資会社の鉄道契約移民は、20 世紀初頭におけるカナダ太平洋鉄道沿線のアルバータ・マニトバ・サスカチュワン州に広がるカナダ平原の農業開拓に寄与したと思われる。このような契約移民の転業と拡散的移動の実証的研究は、単なる日本人移民史だけでなく、カナダ開拓史への新たな提言になるにちがいない。