Where Does Agency Reside

The development of Ukishima-numa was a drainage project carried out under the constraint of natural conditions as a low-lying wetland. For terrain where water does not flow, canals are dug and pathways are designed to discharge water outward. This act appears to be technical, but in reality, the structure is determined by “who mobilized it.”

In this case, the local community, centered around Heishiro Masuda, functioned as the primary agent. Capital investment, labor mobilization, and execution of the plan were all completed within the region. There was no premise of a public project plan or technical provision from the central authority.

The location of agency coincides with the location of risk. Capital that becomes unrecoverable upon failure, opportunity cost of labor, and consumption of time. These were borne by the local community, not the state.

What Is the Role of the State

The state, namely the feudal lord at the time, is not the direct executing agent. Its form of involvement is limited to permission and governance.

Organized as follows.

Local side
・Capital investment
・Labor mobilization
・Design and construction
・Risk bearing

Lord side
・Permission for development
・Approval of land use
・Retention of taxation rights

The state does not build, but it can stop. This asymmetry is critical. If the state were the primary agent, the uncertainty of profitability and high technical risk would likely lead to non-initiation. In contrast, the local community has direct benefits in improving living conditions, and therefore holds the motivation to undertake long-term and uncertain investments.

Division of Roles as a Condition for Realization

This case cannot be explained by a simple dichotomy of “local vs state.” Rather, it should be understood as a division of roles.

Technology and Terrain

・Low gradient
・High groundwater level
・Closed water system

→ Natural conditions act in a direction that inhibits drainage

Investment and Recovery

・Upfront investment
・Recovery after conversion to farmland
・Long time horizon

→ Not viable under short-term profitability

Institutional Conditions

・Permission from the lord
・Local consensus
・Ability to mobilize labor

→ Feasibility depends on institutional conditions

Ultimately, the development has a structure in which “the local drives it, and the state enables its realization.” It does not function with either alone, but the driving force resides on the local side.

Sources and References / URLs

Journal of the Japanese Society of Irrigation, Drainage and Rural Engineering “The Achievement of Heishiro Masuda and Others Who Challenged the Development of Ukishima-numa”
https://www.jsidre.or.jp/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/keisai_56-11hito.pdf