- 著者
-
塚本 僚平
- 出版者
- 一般社団法人 人文地理学会
- 雑誌
- 人文地理 (ISSN:00187216)
- 巻号頁・発行日
- vol.62, no.4, pp.338-357, 2010 (Released:2018-01-19)
- 参考文献数
- 43
- 被引用文献数
-
1
1
Since the mid-1980s, Japan’s industrial structure has been considerably altered by economic fluctuations. These structural changes have had repercussions for local industry, and in particular for modern local industries in provincial areas. However, in recent years, research on local industries has been declining and has been insufficient. This paper examines the glove-making industry in the Higashi-Kagawa region, Kagawa Prefecture, which prospered due to the mass production and export of gloves during Japan’s rapid economic growth period. The author examined the factors behind the industry’s success through the analysis of the following two points: (1) the structural changes in the production and distribution system after the rapid economic growth period; and (2) business activities of each company after the same period.In the Higashi-Kagawa region, dynamic changes such as transfers of manufacturing functions overseas, growth of high value-added production, and expansion of glove-related products, have been ongoing since the 1950s. There were also some social and economic reasons (e. g. the Nixon shock, oil crises, and the increase in consumer demand for high-fashion gloves) behind these changes. Today, the scale of domestic production, characterized by the division of labor, in the region has declined, and overseas production now plays a large part. At the same time, the relationships between companies in the region and with companies in other regions has become stronger in the planning and development phases of new products. Therefore, interregional divisions of labor within a company, and with companies located in other regions, have been developed, along with an individualization of business behavior by each company as it takes steps to suite its economic circumstances. It seems that the Higashi-Kagawa region lacks unity and function as an industrial region.However, the results of the survey show that companies benefit from agglomeration economies, through for example, (1) accumulated technology and know-how, (2) a pool of skilled labor, (3) ease of raw material procurement, and (4) ease of information exchange within the industrial region. Moreover, the survey revealed the presence of “trust” and a strong reputation created through a long history of glove-making in the region, and this gives an intangible value to the companies in the region. This has been rarely noted in existing research. Therefore, the author believes that this may be one driving force in the survival of the industry in the Higashi-Kagawa region.