INFLUENCE OF CONSTRUCTION OF SUGAR REFINERY FACTORIES ON AREA DEVELOPMENT IN OKINAWA PREFECTURE BEFORE WORLD WAR II

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  • 戦前期の沖縄における製糖工場とその建設が地域に与えた影響
  • センゼンキ ノ オキナワ ニ オケル セイトウ コウジョウ ト ソノ ケンセツ ガ チイキ ニ アタエタ エイキョウ

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Abstract

 The sugar industry was the most important industry in Okinawa Prefecture before World War II. The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of sugar refinery factories' construction on area development in Okinawa Prefecture. This study focuses on the Nishihara (old/new), Takamine (old/new), Kadena, Tomigusuku and Ginowan sugar refinery factories located on the Okinawa Main Island, the Miyako sugar refinery factory located on the Miyako Island, and the Daito sugar refinery factory located on the South Daito Island, constructed before World War II.<br> 1) Many old newspaper articles published in Okinawa Prefecture before World War II and other materials allowed us to reorganize their factory's construction processes and to examine the reasons to select each factory's location. These 7 factories' construction periods were divided into two phases; old Nishihara, old Takamine and Kadena factories were constructed around 1910, and other 6 factories were constructed around 1917. It is inferred that the former factory's constructions were caused by "Sugar Industry Development 10-year Plan" released at 1901 and the latter by "Okinawa Prefecture's Industry Development 10-year Plan" released at 1915. In addition, the water sources to cool their machines, the transportation of their sugar refinery machines to each factory site and the transportation of their sugar products from each site affected the selection of each factory's location.<br> 2) Some aerial photos taken by the U.S. forces, in addition to some documents and other materials, were used to restore the former layouts for new Nishihara, new Takamine, Kadena, Miyako and Daito factories. However, Tomigusuku and Ginowan factories' former layouts were impossible to restore because of a lack of documents and materials since these two factories had operated for only a short time. New Takamine, Miyako and Daito factories were constructed later, divided their sites into their factory area and company-house area by using their geographical features. Three factories located on the Okinawa Main Island had a smaller company-house area than Daito factory located on the South Daito island, an isolated island, since their workers commuted from their surrounding villages at the former 3 factories.<br> 3) Various materials and documents allowed us to examine the influence of these sugar refinery factories' construction in Okinawa Prefecture before World War II. Three factories; new Nishihara, new Takamine and Kadena, located on the Okinawa Main Island caused their surrounding area development by cooperating with light railways for transporting their sugar products to Naha, capital of Okinawa Prefecture. The Miyako factory caused the whole Miyako Island's industrial development since Miyako Island had few industries at that time and sugar industry was one of the main industries. The Daito factory caused the cultivation of South Daito Island itself since the pioneers for this island had started to cultivate sugar cane.<br> In subsequent research, the comparison with the sugar industry in Okinawa Prefecture after World War II and the comparison with the sugar refinery factory and their company houses constructed in Taiwan, Hokkaido and other areas continue.

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