SYMPOSIUM: THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE COAST OF THE SEA OF JAPAN

Abstract

In the 1960s the social and economic development in Japan was largely based upon the industrial activities in the three major megalopolises on the Pacific coast and their extensive coastal lines; Keihin (Tokyo Megalopolis), Chukyo (Nagoya) and Hanshin (Osaka). Further development is, however, disturbed by many difficulties like labour shortage, unobtainable industrial sites, crowded transportation systems, etc. The coastal development in the Sea of Japan has been partly developed, but relatively slow. It is on the coast of the Sea of Japan that the problems above mentioned might be solved. Furthermore the Japan-Siberia trade will make us pay attention to a considerable amount of economic activities in this area. The aim of this symposium is to discuss the questions below: (1) What kind of social requirements are met concerning the coastal development of the Sea of Japan? (2) How could the regional economy be improved by the development? (3) How should we, geographers solve the problems related to the blueprints for the industrial port sites? The members of the symposium consist of six reporters, seven commentators, three chairmen, two organizers and more than fifty participants. Through the session there had been much discussion with regard to the subject and there were much left to be discussed. This is due to the fact that the subject given was of great importance. The most remarkable result of the symposium is the interest excited among the members. There are two kinds of study; one is an approach to the very core of the coastal sites for industries, i. e. a physical-geographical study of building industrial ports, the other is a positive study of the industrial development of five regions. Prof. Aramaki points out that all industrial ports under construction are artificially excavated on a large scale, and that they will be eroded and buried by littaral drift and wind-blown sand. He evidences by many data that some coastal erosion and environmental destruction will be rapidly increased. Those facts surprised us very much. The physical survey of waves and sand drift has been done with a limited space and a short duration. Therefore there are many geographical questions left to be considered. Many disturbing factors will be observed in the course of the development. If the better results are to be obtained for reducing these factors, it seems to him to be imperative that the development should be scaled down. That is, those hazards lead to various disasters, which cost a huge sum of expenditure to be restored to the former state. But there is no use crying over spilt milk in the environmental destruction. With the five regional positive studies, each competant scholar alloted a portion of the work to each on the coast of the Sea of Japan: Mr Takatsu (Niigata Pref.), Mr Takeuchi (Toyama), Mr Nakato (Ishikawa), Mr Yoshida (Fukui), and Mr Nakano (Tottori and Shimane). They discuss wheher the coastal development attached to the port sites for industries will be a great benefit to the population. They doubt that such development has a beneficial effect. Mr Takeuchi reported on the subject in his paper. The improvement of the agricultural structure, i. e. the readjustment of arable land, according to him, had already been carried out in Toyama prefecture. The consquent result enables to direct into the industrial channel the labour of peasants. Through the symposium, many questions, even referred to a saner attitude based on the realities of materials they made use of, had provoked much discussion among the members. We, organizers, are very happy to have the fruitful result that we had the knowledge and recognition necessary to any intelligent understanding of a geographical study as it ought to be, concerning the development on the coastal area of the Sea of Japan. We tender our thanks to those who have co-operated with us in the laborious undertaking.