Geography in history and history in geographyUrged onward by this sort of technological revolution, geographical research is expanding.
And this development in turn has given birth to the third way to conceptualize historical geo-
graphy. That is, historical geography can be broadly thought of as the application of geographic
research backward to historical periods. This definition accords closely with my own views.^4
In the remainder of this chapter, I would like to introduce the major themes of research and
points of contention among scholars in the field of historical geography. I will divide my discus-
sion into three parts, organized by period.
Historical geography on the prehistoric epoch
The field of geography includes physical, as well as human, geography. The study of natural
phenomena—topography and the geological processes that give rise to it—examines develop-
ments that predate written records, and indeed, trace back to the epoch before the birth of
humanity. Human geography, on the other hand, explores the relationships of human beings
with nature. As such, while it emphasizes geographic perspectives, it depends heavily upon
archaeological excavation. Such a focus is sometimes referred to as “archaeological geography.”
The five- volume Kōza kōko chirigaku (“Course in Archaeological Geography”) series edited
during the 1980s, under the general supervision of Fujioka Kenjirō, represents a monumental
achievement in this field. Although Fujioka passed away in 1985, without living to see the series
reach completion, this project marked the culmination of a distinguished career that began with
college studies in archaeology and, from graduate school onward, shifted to a specialization in
geography.^5
During this same decade, Yasuda Yasunori pioneered a new style of research. Recognizing
the correlation between human history and environmental change, he gathered layers of sedi-
ment from excavation sites throughout Japan, and analyzed the contents of that soil for pollen
and diatoms, enabling him to precisely reconstruct shifts in climate and forest vegetation, as well
as fluctuations in water levels. Until Yasuda, pollen analysis was generally regarded as falling
within the province of archaeology, because the soil samples examined were extracted from
remains unearthed in archaeological excavations. Pollen, however, did not simply fall straight to
the ground. Rather, pollination occurred when spores were carried by insects or blown by the
wind, resulting in the discovery of specimens from plants found in otherwise distant biomes and
indicating a pattern of widespread diffusion apropos to geographic study as well. Yasuda advoc-
ated that his approach, focusing on the massive impact on human history wrought by changes to
climate and vegetation, be labeled “geoarchaeology.”^6
Yasuda’s methodology had been influenced by the work of Kusaka Masayoshi, in the 1970s
and 1980s. Focusing on the restoration of past environments, Kusaka deftly incorporated
research into alluvial deposits and alluvial plains, and single- handedly paved the way for the
study of environmental geography. More recently, Takahashi Manabu, taking his cue from
geoarchaeology, has pursued the issue of microtopography into the archaic era, and raised the
level of discussion surrounding landform environment analysis. Through engagement with
environmental studies of this sort, arguments about related present- day issues—such as
sustainable development and UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
program—have also come to the fore.^7
The classical age: a focus on capital city planning and rural land division
Under the influence of a tributary system in which China was paramount, leaders in archaic and
early classical Japan strove to enact a model of national administration grounded in Chinese legal