My article titled “Visualization and Analysis of Small Place Names in Japan Using Data from Official Surveys and Cadastral Maps from the Meiji Era: A Case Study of Koaza Names in Ritto City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan” was peer-reviewed and published in the bulletin “Art Research” Vol. 24-1.

It is available at the following URL: https://www.arc.ritsumei.ac.jp/download/ar/ar24-1/01/ar24-1-01yk.pdf

This paper examines whether small place names can be the subject of “political” analyses. For this purpose, a small land title database and geographic information system data were created and analyzed using the results of official surveys and cadastral maps from the Meiji era. Consequently, regional characteristics related to naming were clarified through a comparison with preceding studies. In addition, the principle of “one hamlet per village” and the differences between hamlet and non-hamlet areas in the naming conventions were clarified. The findings of this paper suggest that small place names can also be the subject of “political” analyses if appropriate data are prepared.

I am interested in what units of the community overlap. I have studied neighborhood organizations and have wondered if there might be smaller, historical units. Therefore, I have focused on maps and place names in the early Meiji era, and have focused on a smaller unit than a hamlet, called a Koaza.