CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS OF GEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCHES IN JAPAN

Abstract

Most universities of the World are under drastic change. The author believes that academic researches and education should independent of any social impacts, but they could not always be free from them. Modernization of Japan has been accomplished by Western civilization grafted on traditional Japanese culture. Present geographical studies generally follows the Western schools, but they have shown somewhat unbalanced development. Well-established sections are Geomorphology, Climatology, Hydrography, Economic geography, Rural and Urban settlement geography, and Historical geography; on the contrary to Biogeography, Political geography, Foreign regional studies and so on, are wished to be developed. Cartographic works are one of the best among other nations, but there are limited chairs for professors majored in Cartography. Specialisation gets deeper, and there is a need to bridge between various sections of geo-graphy and related sciences concerning region. Several good cooperation is, for example, nine Associations (Kyiu Gakkai Rengo) joint surveys on Islands, and Urban Research Association. (Toshigakkai) surveys on cities. Geographers of Europe and America have less acgaintances on Asia and most of them evaluate it with their own standards. Japanese and Asian geographers will see it with other ways. Though basic concepts and methods are internationally the same, regional minds brought up during long historic time and influenced by their milieu, would be different by each coun-tries and regions. Indigenous-oriented researches are so wished as to complete a regional study. The concurence of various minds will finish a “Global Geography”, which is different to a “World Geography” based on an unique view point, such as French “Geographie Universelle”. Comparative study (Vergleichende landerkunde) having a long tradition since Carl Ritter, must be reviewed in this connection. Prof. Lautensach's “Iberisch Halbinsel” and “Korea” is an example in the meaning of finding the author's insight on regions. Japanese geographers should promote studies of foreign areas not only for themselves, but for developing global studies as well. In recent 10 years, we have had an increasing numbers of regional studies of foreign areas; i. e. Southeast Asia, India, West Asia, parts of East Africa, Andes countries, parts of Brasil, and Antarctics. To our regret, there are less studies of China and Korea, on the con-trary to the prewar excellent contributions to these areas. Quantitative analysis of regions are expanding by younger generations who have studied in the United States. The primary development of quantitative methods was in 1930-40 in Japan, which had a strong attack by traditional geography; especially it was true in Japan where historical background and cutural diversity are complex. Though Japanese statistics are generally excellent, improvement of enumeration units, item classifications, and regional divisions are to be improved for quantitative analysis. Grid system for stocking geographic data is under preparation by the Prime Minister Statistical Bureau and the Geographical Survey Institute. Applied fields of geography are expanding for industrial location, city and regional plan-ning, administration boundary, irrigation and river control, resources and population problems, transportation facility, disaster prevention and so on. The author sees that between academic geography and so-called application, there are substantial differences: The latter requires de-cision for action which means a kind of political “determinism”, on the contrary to academic “possibilism” and methodological review. Notwithstanding these problems, academic geography is fruitful with application, and the latter gets more profit with theoretical studies.