A study the relationships between the South Manchuria Railway's transports and regional variation in the Manchukuo times

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K03208
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Human geography
• Research Institution: Nara University
• Principal Investigator: MIKI Masafumi 奈良大学, 文学部, 教授 (60239209)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 南満洲鉄道 / 満洲国期 / 農産物 / 鉱産物 / 漢人労働者 / 都市近郊輸送 / 運河計画 / 鉄道事業

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study has been clarified the railway sector in the South Manchuria
Railway from the founding of Manchukuo in 1932 to 1945. The reseacher has focus attention on agricultural products and mineral resources, and Chinese migrant laborers from the Northern China in passengers. As a result this study has been able to introduce new aspects for few cereal crops could have been substituted for decline of soy beans by decreasing of exports, freight transports had continued to get centered on the S.M.R. Company lines, especially sections between Darien and Fengtian. Although Japanese population had increased, their travelers had been about 20-30% of their population in peak times. Japanese passengers had been far inferior to Chinese because of the numerous differences of Japanese population and Chinese migrant workers.

Free Research Field

歴史地理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

満鉄は非常に重厚な研究成果をもつ国策会社と信じられてきた。しかし、実際には岡部牧夫の「満鉄は鉄道の運営を第一の事業としていたにもかかわらず，戦後はそれに関する本格的研究が極端に少ない」(岡部編『南満洲鉄道会社の研究』日本経済評論社,2008年, 400頁)のような指摘があり、特急「あじあ」神話が独歩してきた。本研究は、そうした偏った、あるいは誤った満鉄像の修正に寄与することが期待できる。