Michitoshi ODAUCHI (1875-1954) 's Study of the Geography from a Standpoint of the Non-Main Current School in Opposition

In those days when Takuji OGAWA (1870-1941), Naomasa YAMASAKI (1870-1929) and Goro ISHIBASHI (1876-1946) endeavored to attain the formation of academism geography in Japan, Michitoshi ODAUCHI (1875-1954) endeavored to attain the formation of human geography of his own from an opposite standpoint. In this paper, the writer traces back through ODAUCHI's endeavors before around 1930,when he came to establish his character of the non-main current school of the geographical study, and the writer tries to clear up the state in the times of the formation of academism geography in Japan. ODAUCHI set his heart on study of Japanese history, and took much interest in the sociology in his student days. For this reason, he attached importance to both the method of study of the history and the social sciences in his study of the geography since then. Moreover, he absorbed agronomy, agricultural economics, botany and others, through Inazo NITOBE (1862-1933) and the Kyodo-kai (Society for Homeland Studies with NITOBE as the central figure; active in the years 1910-1919,1929-1931). For this reason, he prepared the ground for the study of regional geography that took notes of the occupation and life of the inhabitants. The most excellent result was Teito to Kinko (The Capital City, Tokyo and Its Environs, 1918) that was a monograph of the social-economic geography. This fruit was well appreciated in many quarters. As a result, at the request of the administrative organs and an enterprise, he surveyed in a social-economic geographical way the settlements and the population in Korea, Manchuria, Sakhalin, and Japan (1918-1929). Those qualities were practical and applicative with due regard to the social conditions of those days. It is considered that the formation of such an academic character in him was caused by the activity in his position, i.e. a high-school teacher and a nonregular staff member of the administrative organs or an enterprise which was in need of the practical considerations. He was not a full professor at the university except in his later years (1950-1954). His practical considerations were caused by making a great point of the historical and the social scientic approach in his study of the geography. ODAUCHI often endeavored to organize the society of the geographical study in order to spread such his method of geographical study. His most important endeavor was the establishment of the Jinbun Chiri Gakkai (la Societe de Geographie Humaine au Japon) in 1926,in its bulletin, he laid emphasis on the introduction of French geography (-1929). It is considered that he endeavored in opposition to the Chikyu Gakudan (Academic Circle of the Globe; established by Takuji OGAWA et al. at Kyoto Imperial University in 1924) and the Association of Japanese Geographers (established by Naomasa YAMASAKI et al.at Tokyo Imperial University in 1925). However, any of his endeavors did not realize an anticipated result, it is considered that his influence was never great over the academic world until about 1930. At this point, he was in striking contrast to Takuji OGAWA, Naomasa YAMASAKI, and Goro ISHIBASHI who built up the main current of Japanese geography.