Next, we will look at the independent variables used in this study.

Field work i
n sparsely populated areas and interviews of administrative officers previously
carried out by the author led to the finding that the following variables may in
fluence value attitudes: 1) gender, 2) age, 3) educational history, 4) household
income, 5) distance between current residence and homes owned, 6) area of agric
ultural land, 7) extent of other use or management, 8) concern for the region, a
nd 9) interaction with the region. In this study, these were employed as binary
variables. The reasons why these variables were employed will be discussed belo
w.
1) It is possible that gender exerts an influence on value attitudes toward the
land. Generally, in traditional Japanese rural society, there is a tendency for
men to take responsibility for decision-making. It is possible that the fact tha
t a respondent is male may make it more likely that the respondent holds a tradi
tional attitude toward land.
2) It is possible that age exerts an influence on absentee landowners att
itudes toward the land. It is possible that older respondents tend to have a tra
ditional attitude toward their land. With regard to this question, the ages in T
able 1 were divided into one category consisting of 20s, 30s,
40s, and 50s, and all a
after 60s were grouped together, with reference to the retirement age of 60 gener
ally used in Japanese companies.
3) It is possible that educational history may influence absentee landow
ners attitudes toward the land. It is possible that educational history may lead
to an understanding of diversity and scientific concepts. It is possible that ed
ucational history may influence attitudes toward land. To clarify the influence
of higher education and other education, educational history was separated into
a binary variable consisting of junior college,
university, and graduate school on the
one hand and middle school, high school,
technical school, and other on the other ha
The analysis used this binary variable.
4) It is possible that household income may influence absentee landowner
s attitudes toward the land. If non-agricultural income is present, and if the la
ndowner does not hold agricultural land as an asset, it may not be necessary for
the landowner to continue to own the agricultural land.
With regard to household income as presented in Table 1, with reference
to the average household income throughout Japan as researched by the Ministry o
f Health, Labour and Welfare, this question uses a binary variable that divides
the responses into less than 5 million JPY and more than 5 million JPY (Ministry
of Health, Labour and Welfare, 2014).
5) It is possible that the current place of residence may influence abse
ntee landowners attitudes toward their land. When residents of medium and small-s
ized cities residing near the land they own are compared with metropolitan resid
ents, it is possible that we will find that residents of medium and small-sized
cities residing near the land they own tend to hold a traditional attitude. This
question uses a binary variable in accordance with the information in Table 1 b
ased on standards determined by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, indi
cating whether the landowner lives in a metropolitan area or another city.
6) With regard to agricultural land area, among the land areas in Table 2, small
area, which consists of Not sure as well as plots less than 1 ha, and large area, whi
ch consists of plots more than 1 ha, were used.
7) With regard to use/management of paddy fields, it is possible that ma
nagement or use may generate interest in the land and a sense of belonging, thus
affecting attitudes toward land. Here, the wording paddy fields is employed, but
in sparsely populated areas of Japan, agricultural workers own mostly paddy fiel
ds that produce rice, and it was determined that the analysis would not differ s
ignificantly whether or not this item were used. A binary variable consisting of
Management or use achieved and Management or use achieved to some extent on the one
hand and Management or use not fully achieved and Management or use not achieved a
t all on the other, were used.
8) It is possible that concern for the region may influence absentee lan
downers attitudes toward the land. This is because feelings for the region may in
cite a sense of belonging to the region, laying the groundwork for a sense of re

sponsibility toward the region. Also, even in the event that interaction with th
e region has already ceased, many absentee landowners likely continue to have fe
elings concerning the region. This item used a binary variable consisting of Feel
strongly and Feel on the one hand and Feel a little and Do not feel at all on the oth
r.
9) It is possible that interaction with the region may influence absente
e landowners attitudes toward the land. First, through interaction with the regio
n, it may become possible for owners to learn of the opinions of others in the r
egion. It is possible that these opinions may affect owners attitudes toward thei
r land. Also, in comparison with individuals who have already ceased interacting
with the region, owners who interact with the region acquire a sense of belongi
ng to it. Also, they are likely subject to psychological pressure to assume obli
gations. As a result, they may come to have a sense of responsibility toward the
region. This item used a binary variable consisting of Present and Present to some
extent on the one hand and Not present to a great extent and Present very little on
the other from among the choices displayed in Table 3.