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In this paper, using the dining table in Hokkaido as a case example, we calculated teh dining table self-sufficiency ratio as an indicator that recognizes the degree of local production for lacal comsumption. As a result, the Hokkaido's dining table self-sufficiency ratio was calculated to be 53.4%. As compared to the Hokkaido's food self-sufficiency ratio which indicates the self-sufficiency rate at the production stage, the Hokkaido's dining table self-sufficiency ratio indicating the self-sufficiency rate at the consumption stage is low. The reason is that the finally consumed food is not only food produced in Hokkaido, but also includes food produced in other prefectures and foreign countries.

In this paper, we analyzed the value-of-production variation factor of the food system of Japan as a whole and of Hokkaido from 1995 to 2005 and determined that the economic magnitude of the food system is decreasing. We used input-output analysis as the analytical method. Compared with the result for the national analysis, the main features for Hokkaido are as follows. 1) The value-of-production rates of change for the food system for Japan as a whole and for Hokkaido are -7.7% and -11.3%, respectively, showing that the reduction rate is 3.6% point larger in Hokkaido. The main factor for this is a reduction in regional consumption and shipment. 2) The value-of-production rates of change according to the main items in Hokkaido are agriculture and fishery products -10.3%, food -10.0%, and restaurants -16.1%. Compared with the national value-of-production rates of change, the reduction rates in Hokkaido for food are large. The main factor behind this is the increase in the imports of food from other prefectures.

In this paper, we analyzed the Regional Structure for the Food System by Flow of Food and Drink Expenditure in Hokkaido. To this end, we constructed a Flow of Food and Drink Expenditure in Hokkaido and Prefectures using the Input-output Table for 2005.Hokkaido is distant from the consumer place where the population is concentrated, and this locational factor makes it difficult to provide food and food service with increased commodity value. As a result of these difficulties, 47.1% of the agriculture and fishery products and processed goods produced in Hokkaido is supplied as raw material for the food manufacturing industry and the food service industry of other prefectures in the nation. The amount of gross value added to agriculture and fishery products is the largest in Hokkaido. The main pillars of this added-value creation of the Hokkaido food industry are Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

In this paper, we analyze the region-by-region contribution to the food supply based on the domestic final consumption expenditures for the food system, utilizing inter-regional input-output analysis. In addition, we estimate the economic effect from a 1 trillion yen export value of food, agricultural, forestry and fishery products.As a result, we were able to confirm based on the estimated induced domestic products that Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Tohoku made large contributions to the food supply. In addition, in regard to the economic effect on the Japanese economy from a 1 trillion yen export value, we were able to make a quantitative preliminary calculation of induced domestic products , induced gross value added, and induced employed person.

In Japan, as the population is decreasing and society is aging with a declining birthrate, many local governments have worked on what are termed the“Great Mergers of the Heisei Era,”aiming at efficient fiscal management. But this goal was not able to be achieved through municipality mergers in Hokkaido to the same extent as it was in other regions. One reason for this may be that the municipalities in Hokkaido cover such wide areas. In this paper, we used the Cobb-Douglas annual expenditure function considering population and area for a simulation analysis of: (1) the effects of population and area on the amount of annual expenditure per person of the population, and (2) the influence of municipality mergers on the amount of annual expenditure in the 22 regions in Hokkaido where such mergers were completed. The results showed that the influence of area on the amount of annual expenditure per person of the population in Hokkaido is stronger than in other regions, and that there are both municipalities in Hokkaido where expenditure cuts were expected due to a municipality merger and those where such cuts were not expected.