Landowners and Tenant Farmers in the Process of Urban Formation: A Case Study of Amagasaki City, Hyogo Prefecture, 1937–1952

This study aims to clarify the characteristics of the urbanization that occurred under the land readjustment projects implemented in the period from the Sino-Japanese War to the reforms following World War II, by focusing on the conflict between landowners and tenant farmers in Amagasaki city, Hyogo prefecture. The following are the three points examined: The first point explains how arable land within land readjustment sites was actually used during the war. Landowners paid the tenant farmers compensation money before land readjustment projects were implemented. In this case study, however, projects fell behind due to the lack of materials, thus allowing the peasants to continue farming. The second point involves the conflict between landowners and tenant farmers during the period of the post-war reforms. The conflict was over replotting and reduction of arable land, both of which the tenant farmers opposed. In the end, the claims made by the landowners who followed government policy were accepted. The third point presents the characteristics of urbanized areas. The implementation of land readjustment projects caused the reduction of arable land, creating instead land for public use. Nevertheless, the tenant farmers influenced the formation of urban areas by continuing to use land for farming with the approval of the Agricultural Committee, the local authority that oversees agricultural issues.