REGIONAL VARIATIONS IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND RESTRUCTURING OF FARMING IN HOKKAIDO, JAPAN

Hokkaido's agricultural districts are currently being restructured by contrasting processes of marginalisation, industrialisation, and off-f arm diversification. The south and west were settled early for subsist ence farming, and their undersized farms are undergoing diversificatio n through off-farm employment, particularly near major cities. Areas s ettled later in the north and east have much larger farms, which are e ngaged in a process of agricultural industrialisation. Marginalisation has occurred in only a few areas to date, but may become much more wi despread.