The role of actors in the change of post-World War II reclaimed land: A case study of the Oyashima Reclamation Agricultural Cooperative Association area, Southern Ibaraki prefecture

Abstract

This research investigated the cause of maintenance and development of reclaimed land as agricultural settlements after World War II, taking the example of the Oyashima Reclamation Agricultural Cooperative Association area constructed in the Tone River basin in the southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture. The "Actor Network theory" was used to analyze the area and the change process related to reclaimed land was investigated from the view point of the actors. Reclaimed land in the post-World War II era came under a national policy. The Oyashima Reclamation Agricultural Cooperative Association area, was constructed by persons from "Manmou Kaitaku-dan" (the Manchuria and Mongolia Reclamation Group). Koji Sato, a member of the Kanji Kato reclamation group, assumed the position of the main actor on a local scale and promoted the maintenance and development of the reclaimed land by implementing a joint operation system. After the high economic growth period, a second generation of settlers became the principal farming operators. Many settlers graduated from Nihon-Kokumin-Koto-Gakko (the Japan Folk High School). They learned new agricultural techniques in that school and applied them in agricultural management. They formed functional groups in the form of external networks for rice growing and dairy farming. Those networks were promoting the improvement of farming infrastructure and cooperative projects with national and regional subsidies for the area. Internal networks for land trade and mutual aid for community members in this area were also formed. Those networks played a role in preventing community members from leaving the area. Consequently, this area successfully maintained and developed the reclaimed land as an agricultural settlement in the post-World War II era. Because the area formed internal and external networks in multiple layers, and because various actors were involved, linkage of vertical networks on the national and regional scale is possible.