Social capital and governance in second cities in interwar Japan

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K01158
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 04020:Human geography-related
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Onjo Akio 九州大学, 人文科学研究院, 教授 (00243866)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 社会資本 / 地方都市 / 統治 / 社会地理学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this research is to clarify, from the perspective of social and political geography, the social and political processes among various social groups and classes regarding the development and governance of social capital in second cities in interwar Japan. Although the plan was initially to focus on field studies, due to the coronavirus pandemic, there was a time when surveys were not possible, so I also placed emphasis on considering previous research in the social and political geography related to social capital and local communities.
In particular, by analyzing the political process of building social capital such as water supply, urban planning, and public markets in Fukuoka City and other cities during the interwar period, I examined the characteristics of the urban formation process and the relationships between political groups, administration, and local residents. We were able to obtain new knowledge regarding these issues.

Free Research Field

社会地理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

福岡市における上水道建設過程の検討によって、政治集団間の対立と行政の関係及び、福岡市と水源地の諸地域との交渉過程などについて新たな知見を得ることができた。特に周辺地域の動向に関して、ダム建設による影響の地域間での差異と地域の一体的な交渉の必要性が対立・矛盾を生じさせていることが明らかとなった。また大正後期の市長選考を検討し、地方都市における行政による統治の変化及び中央と地方の関係などを明らかにした。
以上の知見は、戦間期における地方都市の都市化過程とそれをめぐる権力構造の理解にとどまらず、現代地方都市での公・共・私の協働と矛盾、中央と地方の関係性などを考える際にも有効なものであると思われる。