Geographical Study on the Development of Sustainable Villages

这项研究的目的是描述日本可持续农村的特征及其存在的基础。我们考察了日本中部的几个种植水稻、乳制品、水果和园艺的村庄。我们收集了这些村庄的自然条件、土地利用和景观、农场管理、公共设施、经济条件、村庄历史、人口结构、社会组织、年度活动、社会沟通和未来村庄规划的数据。这项研究表明，可持续农村村庄(1)经济成功(包括农业和非农业)，(2)社会和文化稳定(高质量的生活)。这些村庄还(3)维持和改善环境质量，(4)生产充足和可获得的食物供应。为了保持农村的可持续发展，最重要的因素之一是拥有一个组织良好、运作良好的社区，建立在居民之间良好的人际关系的基础上。本研究中讨论的大多数可持续发展的农村都有活跃的社会组织，以创造一种社区意识。现在重要的是建立新的农村社区，以取代在20世纪60年代经济快速增长期间消失的传统社区。我们已经在日本地理学会和日本人文地理学会年会以及1995年筑波可持续农村系统国际会议上阅读了论文。我们还在学术期刊或大学公报上发表了一些论文。

The objective of this study is to describe the characteristics of sustainable rural villages in Japan and their bases for existence. We examined several rice-growing, dairy, fruit-growing and horticultural villages in central Japan. In those villages we collected data on physical conditions, land use and landscape, farm management, public facilities, economic conditions, village history, demographic structure, social organizations, annual events, social communication and future village plans.This study shows that sustainable rural villages are (1) economically successful (both farming and non-farming), and (2) socially and culturally stable (a high quality of life). These villages also (3) maintain and enhance environmental quality and (4) produce a sufficient and accessible food supply. In order to keep rural villages sustainable, one of the most important factors is to have a well-organized and functioning community based on good human relations among residents. Most sustainable rural villages discussed in this study have active social organizations to create a sense of community. Now it is important to establish new rural communities in place of the traditional ones which disappeared during the period of the rapid economic growth in the 1960s.We have already read papers at the annual meetings of the Japanese Geographical Society and Japanese Human Geographical Society and the Tsukuba International Conference on the Sustainable Rural Systems in 1995. We have also published some papers on academic journals or university bulletins.