The Agriculture of Seasonal Labor Migration Farms in Obanazawa

Abstract

In Japan, the character of the seasonal labor migration under the high economic growth since 1960 differs from that before it. The former was caused by the factors belonging to demands rather than supplies. Its analysis from the standpoint of the supplies must be begun with the discussion of relations between the seasonal labor migration and agriculture types of farms at first. As an object of the above discussion Obanazawa city, Yamagata Prefecture, was chosen.About 95% of seasonal labor migration households are farm households. Their laboring period is generally six months in winter, from mid-November to mid -April. In Obanazawa city, the percentage of the seasonal labor migration farms increased from 3.6% in 1960 through 54.3% in 1970 to its maximum of 59.4% in 1973. Very much of them engaged in industries such as construction and manufacturing. The number has decreased, however, as to whole seasonal labor migrants and as to those who engaged in manufacturing since 1974. It must have been one of the results of the economic depression in Japan after the “Oil Shock” at the end of 1973.Some interviews have been given in order to clarify the relation between the seasonal labor migration and the farming in three communtites, Shôgon, Takahashi, and Iwayazawa in Obanazawa.The results obtained are as follows:1) The seasonal labor migration farms are found much among the farms of larger size. In contrast, the smaller are almost those “engaged in constant work” and “operating side business”.2) Among seasonal labor migration farms, some introduce and intensify summer crops as leaf tobacco and water melon, attempting an expansion of their farming. Much of them are seen in Shôgon. In leaf tobacco culture, two works, rearing seedlings and shipment, are in conflict with seasonal labor migration in season. Farmers cultivating leaf tobacco conquer this problem in terms of co-operating and of alternating varieties, and aim at the expansion of their farming.3) There are others who gradually reduce and cut off lower revenue parts of their farming such as seri-culture, intending for the rice monoculture. Much of them work as manual laborer in the slack season for farmers in summer to get cash income. They are seen mainly in Takahashi and Iwayazawa.4) There are antipodal trends of the farming among them. The point of sameness, however, is that they adapt their farming to the seasonal labor migration, being premised on the latter.