Analysis of common forests owned by authorized community organizations: Differentiation of Iriai-rights into two directions

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K18769
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Agricultural science in rural society and development
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Agriculture (2017-2018); Keisen University (2016)
• Principal Investigator: YAMASHITA Utako 東京農業大学, 地域環境科学部, 助教 (10733561)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 入会林野 / 入会権 / 認可地縁団体 / 記名共有林

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study is to examine the change of communal rights for the common forests in Japan. In particular, I focused on the movement of the change to the name of authorized community organizations set by the revised Local Government Act. In capturing the change in communal rights, I also focused on the legal form of rights-holders groups and registration of the forest area.
When transitioning from a forest producers' co-operative or other ownership to a authorized community organization, it was confirmed that the communal right was recognized not as a single individual right per household, but as a right held as a group. On the other hand, it was revealed the rights-holders who have their common forests registered under the co-ownership by many people can't easily change the registration of their forest into authorized community organizations.

Free Research Field

林政学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

入会林野はかつて日常的に自給的な利用がなされてきたが、現在は林業への期待も薄く、十分な管理が行われていないところが多い。入会林野の登記名義は、明治期以降の政策を受けてありとあらゆるものが存在するが、特に記名共有名義の森林は所有者不明土地問題との関連でも多くの問題を抱える。登記名義を整理するために、地方自治法による認可地縁団体制度が活用されてきているが、認可地縁団体と入会集団では団体の性格や目的も異なるため、そこにかかる入会権の実態に着目する必要がある。入会権の変容を登記名義との関連で分析することは、今後の入会林野政策を検討する際の基礎情報となりうると考える。