著者

立見 淳哉

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.77, no.4, pp.159-182, 2004-04-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

24

被引用文献数

6 2

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近年の集積研究では,地域経済の発展におけるローカルな関係性の重要性が強調される.しかし,ローカルな関係性が地域経済の発展に寄与するための諸条件については,必ずしも明示的に扱われていない.本稿は,この問題に取り掛かる上で,関係性資産の概念とストーパー・サレの「生産の世界」論に注目する.「生産の世界」論は,経済活動の調整装置であるコンヴァンシオンの重要性を提起するだけではなく,「生産の可能世界」概念によって,構築されたコンヴァンシオンが一定期間にわたって安定し,経済発展の資産として機能するための条件を提示する.「生産の世界」論を用いて,実際に児島アパレル産地の分析を行った.児島産地では明示的な協力関係が存在せず企業間関係は競争的であるが,特定の製品部門において,ダイナミックな活動が展開されていた.それらの製品部門では,「可能世界」の経済論理と実際のコンヴァンシオンとの間に,論理的な整合性が認められた.集積地の発展にとって,「可能世界」の経済論理と構造的に両立するようなコンヴァンシオンが構築できるか否かが鍵となる.これらの分析道具を用いることで,関係性資産の条件にアプローチする道が拓ける.

著者

Kiyomi YAMASHITA

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.76, no.12, pp.910-923, 2003-10-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

21

被引用文献数

5 11

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In Japan, so-called Chinatowns have been formed only in three cities of Yokohama, Kobe and Nagasaki, and are named respectively Yokohama Chinatown, Kobe Chinatown, and Nagasaki Chinatown. Based on the author's previous studies and fieldwork, this paper aims to clarify the regional characteristics of Chinatowns in Japan. Every Chinatown in Japan exists as a very important tourist spot with highly concentrated Chinese restaurants of various sorts. From the global point of view, this appears to be the most remarkable regional characteristic of Chinatowns in Japan. Compared with those in Southeast Asia, Europe and North America, Japanese customers and tourists play a more important role than the ethnic Chinese in the functions of Chinatowns in Japan. This remarkable characteristic would be that the ethnic Chinese in Japan have been trying to adapt themselves to the Japanese community by promoting Chinatowns as tourist spots. They have been positively utilizing the tradition of Chinese culture, especially food culture, as a tourist resource. Chinatown in Japan is a town that embodies the image of China, cherished by so many Japanese. This is based upon the historical interest in Chinese culture among the Japanese people.

著者

Noritaka YAGASAKI

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.76, no.12, pp.894-909, 2003-10-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

32

被引用文献数

1 1

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Three research frontiers need to be explored by geographers in understanding Japanese immigrants and their overseas communities: analyses of immigrant communities in the context of local and national host societies, comparative studies of immigrant groups settled in the same local host society, and economic segregation and occupational sequent occupance. This paper explored the third theme by presenting a case study in southern California prior to World War II. Japanese immigrants successfully attained vertical dominance in production, wholesale, and retail of fruits and vegetables in Los Angeles and the surroundings of southern California from the 1900s through the early 1940s. The process in which Japanese came to occupy such economic niches was documented with special reference to the adaptive strategy they applied in establishing their economic bases. Ethnic organizations and occupational preference played an important role, while growing economy and population created a soaring demand for fresh produce, marketing system had not yet been established, and the role of the Chinese was fading after the turn of the century. Considering the fact that the economic niche that Japanese occupied in the supply of fresh produce was taken over by other immigrant groups following World War II, the idea of “occupational sequent occupance” was proposed. Documenting such sequence in the occupational structure will contribute to the comprehensive understanding of immigrant groups as well as culturalhistorical geography of American cities.

著者

高橋 昭子 小口 高 杉盛 啓明

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.76, no.11, pp.800-818, 2003-10-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

43

被引用文献数

8 6

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多摩丘陵と隣接する低山を対象に解像度10mのDEMを作成し,DEMの解像度とDEMから計算される地形量との関係を調べた.DEMの解像度が低下すると算出される傾斜が減少し,縦断曲率はゼロに収束する.傾斜の減少量は既存の事例よりも概して大きく,複雑な地形を持つ日本の丘陵地や低山の地形解析には高解像度のDEMが必要なことを示している.次に,50-m DEMの補間によって得られた10-m DEMの地形表現力を検討した.補間の誤差が最小であった手法は,薄板スプライン関数を用いた動径基底関数法,最小曲率法,平滑化を行わない修正シェパード法であり,クリギング法も実際のバリオグラムに対応した関数を用いた場合には有効であった.補間によって解像度を高めたDEMでは傾斜の表現力が向上しているが,縦断曲率の表現は不十分である.調査地域の一部では,過去数十年間に大規模な人工地形改変が行われたが,上記した補間の誤差に関する検討結果は,地形改変の程度には基本的に依存しない.

著者

近藤 昭彦

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.76, no.11, pp.788-799, 2003-10-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

22

被引用文献数

1 1

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本稿はリモートセンシングとGISを水文過程研究の重要な手法とし,さらに社会に貢献できる成果を生み出すためのリモートセンシングとGIS技術の応用のあり方について論じた.水循環研究の対象はグローバルからローカルスケールにわたる.グローバルは多数の地域から成り,個々の地域は固有の多様性,関連性,空間性,時間性,すなわち地域性を持つ.人間社会に還元できる科学の成果を出すためには地域の視点が必要である.同時に,地域をグローバルの中に位置付けることによって,国際社会に還元できる成果を生み出すことができる.このような応用はGISによって空間上に集積された知識ベースによって実現できると考えられる.

著者

張 長平 村山 祐司

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.76, no.11, pp.777-787, 2003-10-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

11

被引用文献数

2 3

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本研究は,不規則な形状の小区域が地域全体の中でどの程度の「顕著度prominence」を有し,それが当該区域の幾何属性といかに対応するかを明らかにすることを課題としている.この目的を達成するため,従来の研究で利用されてきた代表的な三つの空間重み行列(距離減衰,一般化,k階近隣)に基づき区域の顕著度を求め,幾何属性との関係を分析するとともに,これらの顕著度指標の有効性を検討する.松戸市の町丁界を事例とする分析の結果,空間重み行列をいかに定義するかによって,顕著度と区域の幾何属性との関係は異なることが判明した.すなわち, 1)「k階近隣顕著度」と区域の幾何属性との間には直接的な対応は認められないが, 2)「距離減衰顕著度」と区域の規模には負の相関関係があり, 3)「一般化顕著度」は区域の規模だけでなく位置と形状にも強く連関する.したがって,幾何属性に基づく小区域の顕著度の評価には,一般化空間重み行列の適用が,距離減衰あるいはk階近隣空間重み行列より有効であると考えられる.

著者

増山 篤 岡部 篤行

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.76, no.11, pp.759-776, 2003-10-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

31

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本稿は,都市における人口密度分布から,その構造的特徴を抽出し,この特徴に基づき,都市人口分布構造を分析する方法を提案する.また,この方法を,日本における中規模都市の人口データに対して適用し,その結果について論じる.都市内人口分布を分析する方法については,従来より,いくつもの方法が提案されてきた.その代表的な方法は,人口密度が都心からの距離に応じて,指数関数的に減少するものとしてモデル化する方法がある.また,人口密度分布が張るサーフェスを多項式近似するという方法もしばしば用いられる.しかしながら,これらの方法は,そこで仮定されている量的関係からの逸脱やデータの歪みに十分対応し得ないという問題点がある.これらの方法に対し,ある程度の歪みに不変な人口密度分布の位相的特徴を用いた分析方法も提案されている.本稿では,従来提案されてきた位相的分析方法を拡張することによって,都市人口分布構造の類型化を行う方法,および,2都市間の構造的類似性を測る方法の提案を行う.また,これを人口規模30万前後の20都市に適用し,その結果得られた知見について述ベる.

著者

Anthony J. FIELDING Yoshitaka ISHIKAWA

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.76, no.12, pp.882-893, 2003-10-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

36

被引用文献数

2

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This paper explores the relationship between migration and the life course in Japan. It does so by analysing a matrix of correlation coefficients where each coefficient measures the relationship between a set of age-specific net internal migration rates by prefecture (for example, for people aged 24-29), and a set of age structure location quotients by prefecture (for example, for people aged 60-64) (the location quotient measures the ratio of the local % in a particular age-group to the national % for the same age-group). An extremely distinctive pattern of correlation emerges. This is analysed both on its own terms, and through a comparison with the equivalent pattern for Britain (England, Wales and Scotland). Surprising differences are discovered and interpreted.

著者

Juha I. UITTO

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.76, no.12, pp.869-881, 2003-10-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

20

被引用文献数

1

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This article is concerned with sustainable development of coastal and marine areas in East Asia. It argues that coastal and marine environment is under serious onslaught from human activities in this most populous of world regions. While the basic processes affecting coastal and marine environment in the region are the same as elsewhere in the world, the rapid economic growth, urbanization and industrialization put specifically high stress on the environment in East Asia. Furthermore, many of the region's countries are major maritime nations that both depend on the ocean and have an impact on it. It is recognized that many development pressures are conflicting in the coastal and ocean space, and that the environment often loses out to economic considerations. Due to the transboundary nature of the oceanic environment, governance at global, regional and local levels is a must. The article highlights the main international mechanisms governing the use of oceans. It also introduces the main funding mechanism for supporting sustainable coastal and marine management in the developing countries, the Global Environment Facility. The main part of the paper highlights two major international projects aimed at protecting the marine and coastal environment in East Asia from ship-based and land-based sources of pollution, respectively. Lessons that can be learned from these projects include the need for regional cooperation while at the same time responding to the needs of the individual countries; the necessity of involving all sectors of the society, including national and local governments, the civil society and the private sector; and the importance of a sound scientific basis for decision-making and public education.

著者

Takaaki KAWASUMI

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.76, no.12, pp.854-868, 2003-10-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

29

被引用文献数

3 3

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This paper reconstructs the flow directions and extent of glaciers on the western slopes of Mt. Tateyama (3, 015m asl) in central Japan from distribution, materials, and facies of two glacial sediments and related deposits. The timing of the larger glacial expansion during the Last Glacial period is then discussed on the basis of their stratigraphic relationships with dated tephras such as K-Tz (95 to 90 ka), Tt-E (ca. 70 ka), and DKP (52 to 50 ka), The wider glacial extension occurred and deposited the Jodosawa Gravel during Murodo Stade I (95 to 70 ka) in MIS 5b to 4 (marine oxygen isotope stage 5b to 4). In this substade, the glaciers extended from the non-volcanic Tateyama Main Ridge onto the flat surface of the pyroclastic flow deposits erupted from the Tateyama Volcano, and overflowed to the north from the basin. The glaciers eroded the pyroclastic flow deposits during Murodo Stade I, and extended to at least 2, 300m asl. Between Murodo Stades I and II, the glaciers were forcefully melted by the pumice fall erupted from the Tateyama Volcano, and temporarily retreated upstream. During Murodo Stade II (70 to 50 ka) in MIS 4 to early MIS 3, the snout of glaciers readvanced to about 2, 350m asl, and deposited the Murodo Gravel. The glacial readvance was restored in size soon after the pumice fall had finished.

著者

Takashige KAWAI

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.76, no.12, pp.843-853, 2003-10-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

11

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The variability in sea ice extent in the Sea of Okhotsk during the sea ice disappearance period and its response to the atmospheric circulation in early summer are investigated. Significant correlations were found between the disappearance in sea ice in May and the geopotential heights in and around the northern part of the Sea of Okhotsk in June. A disappearance in sea ice is defined as the difference in the sea ice area between the end of the current month and the end of the previous month. Thus, large sea ice disappearance years and small disappearance years are selected from a time series of sea ice disappearance for the month of May. Composite maps of the geopotential heights in the northern part of East Asia are investigated annually. In small sea ice disappearance years, anticyclones and ridges of the geopotential heights are prominent in and around the Sea of Okhotsk in June. Conversely in large sea ice disappearance years, surface cyclones and troughs are dominant in and around the Sea of Okhotsk. A strengthening of the Okhotsk anticyclone is presumed to be related to variability in the decrease in sea ice in the Sea of Okhotsk.

著者

Simon R. POTTER

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.76, no.12, pp.823-842, 2003-10-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

21

被引用文献数

1 1

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Japan has a plenitude of maps on display to the public. Some of them are utilitarian “land diagrams” that have been designed simply to help people find places, but others also serve as advertisements or explanations and have pictorial embellishments. Six examples of the former and twelve of the latter are reproduced and commented on in this study, which aims to explain the artistic side of such maps by categorizing the types of illustrations (abstract symbols, symbolic resemblances, idealized portraits, realistic portraits, and cartoon characters) and to establish links between the contemporary embellished maps and Japanese maps from the past, as well as to styles of pictorial art that have flourished in the history of Japanese art.

著者

加茂 浩靖

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.76, no.6, pp.484-496, 2003-05-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

23

被引用文献数

2

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本研究は,1990年代後半以降の公共投資政策の変化に伴い,国内周辺地域における地域労働市場がいかに変化したのかを検討した.実態調査によって得られたデータの分析の結果,公共土木事業の縮小,公共工事設計労務単価の低下,技術職に対する労働力需要の増大という1990年代後半以降における建設業雇用を取り巻く環境の変化に起因して,建設業者の雇用方針,地域労働市場に変化が生じていることが判明した.すなわち,定年退職後の再雇用者,女性および50歳代の建設業就業者の解雇,賞与減額などの労働条件の引下げ,若年技術者に対する採用意欲の強まりなどを指摘することができる.また公共土木事業の縮小により異業種部門を拡大する建設業者もみられるが,通年雇用の拡大に結び付く事例は少なかった.

著者

Tsutomu KATAYANAGI

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.76, no.5, pp.367-376, 2003-04-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

19

被引用文献数

1 1

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Amalgamations of cities in Japan have increased since the 1960s. Aiming at regional development in accordance with the progress of industrialization and urbanization, this process has created many new cities which have more than one “central” built-up area. These cities have had to face such problems as the areal distribution of public investment and the formation of new urban structures, yet before these problems can be considered, it is necessary to examine the changes in their urban structures. This paper does so for the city of Joetsu, which was amalgamated from the cities of Takada and Naoetsu, of similar size, in 1971. After amalgamation, the municipal government devised a plan to urbanize the built-up areas between Takada and Naoetsu. In the early 1970s, new administrative and cultural facilities were constructed in the Kida area close to Kasugayama Station, and since the 1980s many public facilities and large-scale retail stores have been built or located in the Sekikawa-Toubu area. Joetsu now has administrative and cultural centers in the Kida and Sekikawa-Toubu areas, as well as in the built-up areas of the former cities of Takada and Naoetsu. It can be said that the urban structure of Joetsu has become spatially dispersed because of the equal amalgamation of the two cities.

著者

Jun TSUTSUMI

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.76, no.5, pp.349-366, 2003-04-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

30

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This paper concerns the land conversion process in the rural-urban fringe of Maebashi city, a medium sized city in Japan. The author investigated land-use change, land ownership change, and landowners' land-use decisions. Land ownership change was examined from 1980 to 1993 using land assessment data from the Maebashi municipal office. The information about landowners' land-use decisions was obtained by interviewing selected landowners. The landowners in the sample area made land-use decisions based on two types of factors, called initial and decision factors. The initial factors were land re-adjustment, land inheritance, need for a larger income, request to sell their land, and failure of a non-agricultural business. The decision factors were the existence of their successors in agriculture, payment of inheritance tax, intention to keep farming, possession of land with good access to roads and their desire to utilize the land. Based on their decisions, their behavior can be divided into three categories: land utilization, transaction (or sale), and abandonment. Traded land was converted to urban use, such as housing, parking or shops; and was scattered throughout the area. Utilized land was converted by the owners themselves; and was distributed along the main roads leading to central Maebashi, close to the owners‚ houses. Utilized and traded land were based on different decisions by the landowners. Much of the land in the inner fringe is in demand. Thus, both land being utilized and land being traded tended to be converted to urban use.

著者

Yoshimichi YUI

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.76, no.5, pp.333-348, 2003-04-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

31

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Housing supply systems have a close relationship to the characteristics of residents, especially in the sub-market of public housing. Because there are strict regulations for applicants for public housing, local governments mainly select tenants in regard to their income conditions. This study aims to examine the change in characteristics of residents in public housing and to clarify the cause of this transformation process. In the built-up area, rapid aging and: decrease in household sizes 1n public houses may cause serious social: problems. In the suburban area, aging and: decreasing household members in: public housing did not become prominent in any of the public housing types. Most young families in; public houses in suburban area moved out when they; aged, and elders without their own transportation tend to avoid inconvenient suburban public housing. Thus the Public Housing Act transformed the structures of dwellers' characteristics. For welfare purposes, the Public Housing Act gives priority to lower income households, for example elders. The Public Housing Act induced the aging of residents. Consequently, the welfare for economically weaker households will strengthen the housing trap.

著者

Koumei MATSUMURA

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.76, no.5, pp.312-332, 2003-04-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

22

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The objective of this study is to clarify the spatial development of urban functions in a medium-sized city by analyzing the distribution and process of agglomeration of urban functions in the center of Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. Defined urban functions include the retail, restaurant, office, and hotel function. In terms of horizontal distribution, the agglomeration of retail functionss becomes a centripetal pattern, although they were linearly distributed along traditional main road. Restaurant functions are distributed behind a conglomeration of retail functions. Office functions migrate from narrow internal blocks to broad external blocks along arterial roads. Distribution of hotel functions changes from blocks close to the station where there are Japanese style inns to blocks along main streets where there are modern hotels. As a result, spatial arrangement of urban functions performs horizontal differentiation of circular structure, as retail and hotel functions are in the core zone, restaurant functions are in the zone surrounding the core zone, and office functions are in the outermost zone. In terms of vertical distribution, retail functions dominate on lower floors, and the proportion of office functions is the highest on medium-high floors. On higher floors, however, retail, office and hotel functions are in the state of equilibrium. This shows that the vertical differentiation of functions does not reach higher floors.

著者

Atsushi TAIRA

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.76, no.5, pp.291-311, 2003-04-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

13

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This study aims to explain the transformation of the community with the decrease of the population in Kanda district in the ward of Chiyoda, located in central Tokyo. In this study, the spatial unit of community is designated as the territory of choukai, and its higher unit is designated as the district of public elementary school. The decrease of the population, which began in the 1950s, has resulted in the increase of unused classrooms called “akikyoushitsu” in the public elementary schools located in and near the central business district of Tokyo. As a solution for that problem, a policy of changing public elementary schools into community centers through opening those facilities to the public has been undertaken. Choukai, which is a basic voluntary social association of urban residents, is also forced to shrink its size mainly due to out-migration of the population. They have been mostly young generations who have moved out the district. This out-migration has led to aging of residents and board members of choukai. The festival for ujigami, or tutelary deity, has been the main event of choukai and it has played an important role to maintain friendship among the residents. However, it is becoming more difficult to keep up the number of people needed to hold the festival. With transformation of resident structure and associations, the landscape of the district is also changing mainly because of rebuilding and remodeling. Many cases of rebuilding from one-story shop-houses into multi-story commercial buildings on an individual basis have been observed in Kanda district. It is estimated that the local community, which has been based on choukai, would be changed into a part of a much broader association consisting of united-choukai and other voluntary associations, and that the public elementary school could become a base of activities of those organizations as a community center.

著者

Yumio TOMATSURI

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.76, no.5, pp.281-290, 2003-04-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

25

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The development of new terminologies to reflect the recent trends in geography is essential in order to further the advancement of geographical studies. In 1998 the author was requested to draft a list of English-Japanese terms for the Project on the Multilingual Glossary of Cultural Approaches in Geography by the IGU Study Group on the Cultural Approach in Geography. Considering the importance of Japanese terms in cultural geography, he participated in the project as a member of the specialist team from Japan. The list was compiled over several stages. First, over 5, 000 terms were selected from about 1, 100 research papers on cultural geography published during the period 1987-1996. These terms were then compared with those that appeared in the summaries, chapter titles, and map/figure titles of 55 articles appearing in the four major geographical journals and also with those that appeared in the indexes and chapter titles of two books on cultural geography during the same period. In this manner, the first list of English-translated Japanese terms relating to cultural geography was compiled. Working under the guidance of project leader Dr. Vladimir Annenkov, the author reduced the exhaustive list to more manageable size. The revised list of English-translated terms for the IGU project was finally compiled. The terms tabulated in this paper (see Table 1) are classified into two groups according to meaning. Group A consists of terms that show or bear many fields of geography and their various fundamental concepts and related disciplines. Group B consists of fundamental terms representing more concrete concepts than those of Group A.

著者

Takeei KOIZUMI

出版者

The Association of Japanese Geographers

雑誌

地理学評論 (ISSN:13479555)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.76, no.5, pp.270-280, 2003-04-01 (Released:2008-12-25)

参考文献数

19

被引用文献数

1

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In the Canadian High Arctic Region, there stretches a desert-like barren landscape. However, dense lush meadows called polar oases are found around Alexandra Fiord and Sverdrup Pass in the central part of Ellesemere Island. Freedman et al. (1994) asserted that polar oases are formed because the steep cliffs surrounding the lowland reflect the sunlight and radiate infrared rays which warm the area. They called this the “oven-effect.” However, under the midnight sun a favorable result has not come out. The author studied the factors affecting the distribution of polar oases from the viewpoint of geoecology, and found that geology is the most important factor which controls the distribution of polar oases. Around Sverdrup Pass the meadows are distributed in the lowland and on the north-faced slopes of the southern mountains, while on the northern mountains vegetation is scanty. Such a difference of plant cover developing between the northern and southern mountains cannot be explained by the oven-effect, but by difference of geology. The author considers that the difference of stability of slope deposits has brought about the extreme difference in plant coverage. The meadows appear mainly on the glacial deposits in the granite area. The reason is that the glacial till is composed of boulder, gravel and sand, thus stable enough for the development of plant communities. On the other hand, in the dolomite areas of the northern mountains active frost-shattering produces debris and also freeze-thaw action causes active debris movement. Therefore, the slope deposits are unstable and thus vegetation is scanty. In the polar region with the midnight sun, it seems that there is the possibility for meadows to be formed at any location. However, the granite areas that are suitable for plant growth are extremely limited, and thus the distribution of polar oases is also limited. In the dolomite areas that occupy most of the High Arctic, the regosol is unstable and the development of plant communities is hindered, and thus the meadows are hardly formed. The author considers this is the reason why the originally natural lush meadows are conspicuous in the lowland and on the northfaced slopes of the southern mountains around Sverdrup Pass.