Research Topics

Based on field surveys in Asia, we examine relationships between rural development and environment in contemporary globalized societies. We also explore how we can redirect ourselves toward "sustainable development" from the perspective of local communities.

Roles of endogenous self-organization in natural resource management

The commons are the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a community, which are not often managed by the "invisible hand" under a market system. It is the local community that uses the commons sustainably, and endogenous self-organization plays a crucial role in forming norms for sustainable resource exploitation. In this context, our research interests focus on rural communities in exploiting natural resources, with study areas including Japan, Korea, China, and Vietnam.

Conditions of participatory management of regional resources in Japan

Farmland and irrigation and drainage facilities serve as agricultural infrastructure for paddy fields and also contribute to society in other ways, for example, in reducing damage caused by heavy rains or in developing visually favorable landscapes. In recent decades, depopulation and aging of farmers have made it difficult for rural communities to properly maintain this infrastructure. Therefore, there is growing awareness that addressing this problem requires new participation in the maintenance by non-farmers. This research clarifies how rural communities actually maintain them and the factors affecting resident participation in maintenance.

Publication List

• Thi Thu Ha Duong, Doo-Chul Kim (2022), "Contract Farming Through a Cooperative to Boost Agricultural Sector Restructuring: Evidence from a Rural Commune in Central Vietnam", Journal of the Economic Geographical Society of Korea, 25-1, 109-130.
• NGUYEN The Hung, 本田 恭子, 金 枓哲「グローバル経済下におけるキャットフィッシュ養殖業の経営戦略 : ベトナム南部カントー省を事例に」経済地理学年報，67(3),172-190,2021年
• Doo-Chul KIM, Tuyen Thi Duong, Quang Nguyen, Hung The Nguyen (2022), "Does an Agricultural Products' Certification System Reorganize Vegetable Farmers? A case of VietGAP in Lam Dong Province, Vietnam", in Holly R. Barcus, Roy Jones, and Serge Schmitz(eds.) Rural Transformations: Globalization and its Implications for Rural People, Land, and Economies, CRC Press, Taylor and Francis.
• Quang Nguyen, Doo-Chul Kim (2020), "Reconsidering rural land use and livelihood transition under the pressure of urbanization in Vietnam: A case study of Hanoi", Land Use Policy, 99. 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.LANDUSEPOL.2020.104896
• Quang Nguyen, Doo-Chul Kim (2019), "Farmers' landholding strategy in urban fringe areas: A case study of a transitional commune near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam", Land Use Policy, 83, 95-104.　https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2019.01.038
• KIM, Doo-Chul(2018)"Transnational Migration and Rural Transition along China's Borderland", in Valeria Paul Carril et. al. (eds.), Infinite Rural Systems in a Finite Planet: Bridging Gaps towards Sustainability, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 426-431.
• 本田恭子「再生可能エネルギーと農村」中塚雅也・山下良平・斎尾直子編著『農村計画研究レビュー2022』筑波書房、2022年
• Yasuko Honda(2021),"ENERGIZING COMMUNITIES THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH EXTERNAL ACTORS: SMALL-SCALE HYDROPOWER PROJECTS IN JAPAN", Journal of Asian Rural Studies, 5(1), 63-77. http://dx.doi.org/10.20956/jars.v5i1.2656
• 本田恭子「コミュニティ・エネルギーを体現する地域社会の形成」小林久編『再エネで地域社会をデザインする』京都大学学術出版会、2020年
• 本田恭子・渋谷直樹「就労継続支援にもとづく農福連携の現状―岡山県と大分県を事例に」環境情報科学論文集，32，257-262，2018年

Related Link

• International Rural Studies