Regional Geography
| Course Purpose |
|---|
| Regional geography is the academic discipline concerned with holistically understanding regions. Regions are formed over long periods of history, but they have transformed dramatically in modern times. (This is highly evident just by looking at Kobe and Sanda, areas that are very familiar to us.) The history of human development in the modern age is engraved in topographic maps (and general maps). It can be seen in many forms , including cultivated land, residential areas, and industrial complexes. The aim of this course is to provide students with the ability to comprehensively understand regions by using topographic maps that contain a variety of information such as contour lines. More specifically, students will read the differences between two maps, one old and one new, and think about why things have changed. I think many students have trouble reading maps. By focusing on maps of Kwansei’s home prefecture of Hyogo, I hope this class will make students even just a little bit more interested in geography. Of course, we will also look at other fascinating examples from other parts of Japan. Regional geography provides ways of understanding a region as the product of a long history. In this class, I would like to try to grasp regions from topographical maps (e.g., cultivated lands, urban areas and industrial regions). |
| Learning Goals |
| ・Students will learn how to glean the basic characteristics of a region from topographic maps. ・Students will gain an understanding of how land use has changed over time. ・Students will gain an understanding of the diversity that exists in Japan. |
| Topic | |
|---|---|
| Session 1 | Introduction to the course requirements / Concepts and definitions of regional geography |
| Session 2 | Types of maps and detailed information of map symbols |
| Session 3 | The origins of Kobe(1) |
| Session 4 | The origins of Kobe(2) |
| Session 5 | Suburban residential areas near Kobe(1) |
| Session 6 | Suburban residential areas near Kobe(2) |
| Session 7 | Urban area of Osaka in Edo and Meiji period(1) |
| Session 8 | Urban area of Osaka in Edo and Meiji period(2) |
| Session 9 | Urbanization between Osaka and Kobe (1) |
| Session 10 | Urbanization between Osaka and Kobe (2) |
| Session 11 | Development of rice terraces in the mountain areas |
| Session 12 | Agricultural development in Inamino plateau near Kobe |
| Session 13 | Flood control in Echigo plain and Kanazawa plain |
| Session 14 | Construction of power stations |