An Examination of Changes in Main Street Businesses in the New Industrial Cities in Japan

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K03954
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Commerce
• Research Institution: Rissho University
• Principal Investigator: Bi-Matsui Taotao 立正大学, 経営学部, 教授 (70331585)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 新産業都市 / 企業城下町 / 企業社会 / 商店街 / 起業

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The Law for Promoting Establishment of the New Industrial Cities was passed in Japan in 1962. Under the law, public funds were used to build infrastructures in cities designated as New Industrial Cities (NICs) in order to attract large industrial companies. This study examined changes in the economic situations within commercial districts in fifteen NICs. The findings of the study are threefold. First, commercial districts in NICs have suffered from declining prosperity for more than three decades. Second, the phenomenon observed in some former company towns in America - young entrepreneurs moving into towns and opening businesses which brought economic recovery to commercial districts - was not observed in NICs. Third, a strong belief that working for large companies is financially the most stable thing to do, combined with the lack of a social safety net for entrepreneurs, is responsible for the low motivation of Japanese people to start their own businesses.

Free Research Field

商学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

日本の商店街の衰退要因について、商学における既存研究は、商人の住居と店舗の分離が進んだ結果、後継者の育成が困難になったことを指摘した上で、後継者がいないために生じた空き店舗が、商店街の衰退を招く最も重要な要因となったと主張した。本研究は、商店街にとって「よそ者」である起業家の群生が商店街の振興に重要であり、企業社会という日本の特徴はそれを阻害してきたと指摘した。これが本研究の学術的・社会的意義である。