Analysis of subsistence activities in a modern mountain community environment

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24530634
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sociology
• Research Institution: Kumamoto University
• Principal Investigator: MAKINO Atsushi 熊本大学, 文学部, 教授 (10359268)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TOKUNO Sadao 熊本大学, 文学部, 教授 (40197877) ; FUJIMURA Miho 佐賀大学, 農学部, 准教授 (60301355)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): SATO Nobuko 九州大学, (連合)農学研究科(研究院), 教授 (80253516)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: コミュニティ環境 / 農的自然 / 山村 / 農的自然

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Sustainable utilization of natural resources by rural communities is central to ensuring the continued well-being of these communities in Japanese rural areas. We examined how the residents of several mountain communities utilized natural resources to continue living in these areas and how they overcome the difficulties associated with rapidly aging and declining populations. To achieve this, we examined aerial photos and conducted interview surveys and T-type community analyses in several communities in the mountainous areas of Kyushu, Japan. Based on the data obtained from these case studies, we clarified the living environments of the communities in these areas and assessed the role of small-scale family farming in sustaining these populations. Our findings showed that subsistence farming played a central role in the well-being of these rapidly aging mountain communities.

Free Research Field

農村社会学、環境社会学