Comparative Agricultural History

http://www.agri-history.kais.kyoto-u.ac.jp/

agricultural history, farm management history, agricultural policy, agricultural technology, land reform, agricultural resource development, German agriculture, collectivization of agriculture

Development of agricultural and rural society of Japan and other countries in modern age.
Ｃomparative social history of agricultural science, technology, and resouce development from 1945 to 1973
History of agricultural policy and its thought of modern Japan
Historical formation of Euroean agricuture in 20th century

The Laboratory of Comparative Agricultural History aims to investigate various issues involving food, the environment, and agriculture in Japan and other parts of the world in the modern period from the standpoint of historical science.
The characteristics of specific geographical areas define the ways of living of people in the modern world. To understand the issues concerning food and agriculture that directly affect people’s lives, the unique features of each region, which have been formed over a long period of time, needs to be identified. We analyze the agricultural methods, management practices, as well as land and agricultural policies of each region, including their interaction. In addition, we also look into issues related to food and agriculture in Japan, East Asia, and Europe (mainly Germany) from the standpoint of historical science. We seek to provide a global perspective within the framework of comparative history.

We have achieved outstanding results. Our work includes a comparative analysis of the body of literature on agriculture from the early modern period (history of agricultural technology) and studies on the history of agricultural management. We have also examined agrarian movements in Japan during World War II and then conducted a comparative historical analysis of postwar land reform. In recent years, we have carried out a joint research project taking a comprehensive look at the history of 20th century agriculture from the perspective of resource development. The results were published in two volumes (Kimio Noda, ed. Norin shigen kaihatsu ron, vols. I and II, Kyoto University Press, 2013). Currently, we are studying the development of agriculture in Japan and Europe in the postwar era from a global perspective, with an emphasis on environmental history.