Military base economy and organization of city-spaces in post-war Okinawa: A socio-economic geographical approach using the spatial concepts

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K03264
• 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: KATO Masahiro 立命館大学, 文学部, 教授 (30330484)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 基地建設 / 基地経済 / 嘉手納基地 / 基地都市 / コザ / サーヴィス業 / 空間編成

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Koza（present-day Okinawa City）is what one would call a typical military base-centered city; this study reconstructs Koza’s townscape that reflected its so-called “military base-economy” and sheds light on the characteristic consumer space of the city. Specifically, this study reconstructs all businesses located in the entertainment districts, based on a survey carried out in August 1970.
The basic sources used in my papers are the Basic Survey of Businesses and the Report of the Basic Survey of Businesses. These sources show the locations, owners, and customers of businesses included in the survey. The “customers” section is divided into three categories, which enables us to determine the percentage of foreign customers (military personnel), so data concerning their purchase of products and services sheds light on the reality of the military base-economy. It is shown the main businesses that supported the military base-economy.

Free Research Field

人文地理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

基地ならびに基地建設のための土地接収（それに対する反対運動）に関しては、さまざまに論じられてきたものの、〈基地経済〉の実態を踏まえた空間編成の諸過程は、いまだ具体例をもって明らかにされていない。本研究は、地理学の専門性を活かして、基地周辺における市街地化の様態を（米軍作製）地図・空中写真、そしてフィールドワークにもとづいて精査しつつ、〈基地経済〉の空間性を明らかにし地図化したところに学術的意義があるものと思われる。普天間基地の移設が争点となっている現在、本研究は、基地開発のみならず、周辺地域への影響（空間再編）を視野に入れているという点において、社会的な意義も有していると考えている。