本研究は、地方に本拠をおく地場産業企業群の生存戦略とその海外展開の特徴を地理学的な視点から明らかにすることを目的とする。事例として、香川県東部の東かがわ地域に展開する手袋製造企業群を取り上げる。当該産業は、1世紀を超える歴史を有し、現在なお手袋において高い国内占有率を維持している。労働力不足から、早く1970年代から近隣諸国から海外展開が開始され、その後中国が主要な生産基地となった。現在は、中国における生産コスト高から東南アジアへの進出が進行中である。産地は企画・開発と高付加価値製品の製造にシフトしつつあるが、産地全体の維持が課題となっており、グローカルな生存戦略が模索されている。

This study aims to explain the survival strategy of local industries located outside the major metropolitan regions of Japan and characteristics of overseas operations of those industries from a geographical perspective. As a case study, a glove‐related industry in the eastern region of Kagawa in Shikoku, Japan, is considered. Since the 1980s, studies on multinational corporations have been growing in number along with the rapid expansion of international operations of such corporations. At the same time, discussion on spatial agglomeration of industries has been also active. However, it seems that these studies have been conducted separately, and there are few studies which try to explain the relations between the internationalization of corporation activities and industrial agglomeration from a geographical point of view.

The glove‐related industry in eastern Kagawa has a long history of over a century, with a current domestic market share of 90 percent; and it is also a representative local industry of Kagawa. The majority of related companies are located in the city of Higashi Kagawa; they are small or middle‐sized companies. The main factors for maintaining the leading position in Japan are the existence of a highly‐skilled workforce creating an innovative environment, and the maintaining mechanisms of these attributes. In early days, gloves were produced here mainly for export, but more recently they have been increasingly made for the domestic market due to severe competition with overseas makers. At the same time, this local industry has been trying to make new gloves (such as gloves for sports, for motorbikes, and for ultraviolet protection), and to produce small new items (such as tote bags and bookcases) using their glove‐making‐related special techniques. Currently, this industry aims to become a general production complex for everyday life items. At the same time, it has actively expanded its overseas operations for production in East and Southeast Asia since the 1970s before the period of the high yen appreciation; recently it has set up offices in Italy and the United States for gathering information on new technology and for selling products respectively. As a result, this industry has created a global‐local network linking the domestic base in Kagawa with foreign operating places.

本研究の内容については、経済地理学会関西支部例会（2008年、大阪）、IGU（国際地理学連合）大会（2008年、チュニジア・チュニス）、日中韓地理学会議（2008年、韓国・清州）で発表した。