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Introduction
Agrarian and industrial revolutions were two major turning points in the history of humankind. And the revolutionary change in information technology taking place today is indicated as the third turning point. Based on this understanding, the study presented in this paper reviews the formation of cities and rural districts in Japan. Population density and life expectancy are examined as the parameters for collective living (fig. 1).
Eve of agricultural revolution
Considering the late Stone Age of hunting societies, the population density of mammals could be deducted from their weight, hence it is possible to estimate the human population density at that time to have been 1.4 persons per square kilometer, and the life expectancy to have been 26.3 years. Results of recent studies in ancient history show that the population density in the Jomon period (Japanese hunting era) approximately corresponds to this estimate. Before 400 BC (Jomon era), the population density was 1.3 persons per square kilometer and the life expectancy was 31 years. This was an appropriate density for humans to live as a part of nature. The density is also considered as fundamental for population allocation for the future sustenance of land.
The agricultural revolution was the determining factor for humankind to settle down. The spread of rice cultivation that induced a population explosion demonstrates this effect.
Urbanization and development of rural communities - Twin phenomena
Communities formed by settlement were in principle self-sufficient. However, cities emerged as power centers governing agricultural production or the distribution of agricultural products, a fact that forced communities in the periphery of cities to expand agricultural production. These communities under the control of cities became internalized as rural districts, which were subject to the governing power of these cities, and were...