HIROSHI KUROKI was born on February 10, 1907 in the prefecture of Miyazaki in the southeastern part of Kyushu, Japan. His parents, Denzo and Tune Oshikawa, gave him for adoption to Manabu and Yoshie Kuroki, who were farmers. He completed his elementary education at Tonokori Primary School, attended Takanabe Agricultural High School and in 1927 graduated in Agricultural Economics from Utsunomiya College of Agriculture, now Utsunomiya University.

Upon graduation KURUKI became a civil servant in the Miyazaki Prefectural Office. In 1929, without relinquishing his government appointment, he enrolled in the College of Law at Kyushu Imperial University. The combination of law and agricultural management has provided a firm foundation for his subsequent career.

KUROKI rose by 1945 to the position of Chief of the Agricultural Administration Section of the prefectural government. In 1948 he became Chief of the Public Welfare Department, with a concurrent appointment as Chief of the Labor Department. After supporting a losing candidate for governor in the 1951 elections, he left the prefectural government to become secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry. Two years later he was appointed Executive Director of the Economic Federation of Farmers' Cooperative Associations in Miyazaki Prefecture.

Rejoining the prefectural administration as head of the General Affairs Division in 1955, he was promoted that same year to Vice-Governor. In 1959 he ran for governor as an independent and won election to that four year term of office. His constituents have since reelected him three times to govern Miyazaki.

Locked in by mountain ranges on three sides and by the Pacific Ocean on the fourth, Miyazaki Prefecture is blessed with a warm climate, abundant sunshine and rain, and a central place in Japanese mythology. Tradition has identified Miyazaki's Mt. Takachoho as the birthplace of Jimmu, descendant of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, and founder of Japan's imperial line. However, woefully inadequate transportation facilities had deprived the prefecture of access to the country's major political and economic centers and kept it from sharing in Japanese economic growth, particularly in the post World War II boom. When KURUKI took up his post as governor the per capita income in the prefecture was among the lowest in Japan.

Although it ranked 14th in size, Miyazaki was mountainous with little arable land; 75 percent of its 773,000 square kilometers consisted of forests or mountains. Over half of its population depended on farming for a livelihood, but only 11 percent of its total acreage was under cultivation. The quality of the soil was poor and frequent typhoons battered the rice fields and reduced their yield. Production of dry field crops—sweet potatoes, livestock feed and vegetables—was poor. Distance from potential markets discouraged investment and modernization. As a result Miyazaki's population was decreasing through emigration of young people to more prosperous areas of the country.

On assuming office KUROKI ordered the formulation of a Prefecture Economic Expansion Program designed to be implemented over a ten-year period. The objective was to raise the region's standard of living closer to the national average and to arrest population flight. Beyond this, however, KUROKI hoped to create in Miyazaki conditions which would allow the fullest realization of the promise he saw in the land and the people. His dream was eventually to build an ideal society where men and women, blessed with physical and mental health, might fulfill their latent abilities and experience the joy of living in harmony with nature.

Starting with agriculture, the government sought to overcome the two basic problems: low productivity and lack of access to markets. To raise agricultural productivity the government encouraged the opening of new land to cultivation and the planting of new crops. The prefecture was divided into eight farming zones according to the different regional characteristics, and scientific analysis and modern agricultural techniques were called into service to see how these areas could best be developed: in one area vinyl hothouse culture has been developed for raising tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet peppers and watermelons, and in another area the livestock industry has grown rapidly. But since good farm land was a scarce commodity, the government focused on improving the yield of land already under tillage. To this end the government promoted the adoption of a two-crop farming. It convinced farmers that by planting rice at an earlier date they could not only harvest before the normal typhoon season and thus reduce loss caused by these storms, but use the land after harvest to grow livestock feed and vegetables. Today the output of farm products has risen to 3.7 times its former level, and income per farm exceeds the national average.

The second problem addressed was market access. Although Miyazaki profited from the policy of the national government to stress rural highway construction, this was not the answer to Miyazaki's transportation needs. The distance between the prefecture and Tokyo was still approximately 1,600 kilometers. Therefore between 1965 and 1967 KUROKI experimented with the transport of farm products by sea. The sea route, little more than half the land route, proved feasible and has revolutionized farm product distribution. Since 1971 car ferries up to 10,000 tons leave Miyazaki daily to make the 18-hour run to Tokyo. Regular ferry service also connects the prefecture with Hiroshima, Kobe and Osaka. To facilitate handling of cargo the prefecture has been divided into six distribution zones, each equipped with facilities for shipping and receiving. Computers keep track of transactions both at Miyazaki and Tokyo, where the prefecture has established a central warehouse for control purposes.

KUROKI is now studying an air-bus transportation and commuting system. He has already modernized and expanded Miyazaki's airports.

The results of market accessibility are reflected in the prefecture's current productivity profile. The total annual volume of farm products is US$333 million. Forty-one percent of this total comes from the livestock industry which has registered a stunning 980 percent increase in value since 1959. The prefecture today is the country's second largest source of beef cattle; the livestock industry has increased 9.8 fold. Miyazaki also ranks tenth in the production of eggs and third in the production of broiler chickens. Vegetable production has increased eightfold while fruit orchards yield close to six times their 1959 output.

The sea has provided not only a mode of transportation but is also an increasingly prosperous source of livelihood. Over 3,000 power-driven boats and some 350 non-motorized vessels sail from 23 fishing ports established to serve the industry. Today fresh water fishing makes up only three percent of the total, but the prefecture has promoted raising fish in ponds and developing fresh water eel farms. Modernization of the fishing industry has resulted in a 1973 production capacity over eight times the 1959 level.

Even as he emphasized productivity goals, KUROKI also concerned himself with the task of protecting the long-term prospects of the prefecture. An illustration of this concern is the investment in research and development which he has authorized. The prefecture established an agricultural research station in 1967 to expand its survey facilities. An experimental forestry station was set up in 1969 to help implement the policies of the prefectural forestry administration. The reforestation program which KUROKI started shortly after his election as governor in 1959 now restores the forest cover at the surprising rate of 10,000 hectares a year. Over 65 percent of private forest regions have been planted with trees, and this proportion, already the highest in Japan, is expected to reach 70 percent by 1980. In cooperation with the national government the prefecture is conducting a comprehensive survey of its forest resources. In the meantime, laws have been passed banning the cutting of fruit trees and imposing a method of selective forest cutting; to preserve the environment KUROKI has tried to keep a good balance between development and preservation. The prefecture also maintains research facilities for its marine products.

KUROKI’s efforts in the field of education must similarly be viewed as an investment in Miyazaki's future. He maintains that education continues through one's life and that a region's prosperity begins and ends with man. He regards the development of the human resources of his prefecture as one of the principal responsibilities of his administration. He believes that the "development of the individual is a lifelong process extending from infancy to old age," and that there should be a continuing and meaningful interrelationship between the family, school and society.

He has recognized the importance of early childhood education; in the 15 years of his stewardship the number of kindergartens in Miyazaki has nearly tripled. The prefecture has also encouraged its youth to remain in school. Over 85 percent of junior high school graduates now continue on to senior high schools—of which there are 53. To improve school education the government encourages teachers to sharpen their teaching skills at advanced training courses. In 1965 Miyazaki established its own Teachers' Study and Training Center.

The prefecture's concern for primary industries—fishing, farming and forestry—as well as its commitment to provide equal educational opportunities to all its citizens, has stimulated the establishment of rural high schools and a system of teacher rotation—with suitable financial compensation—to these outlying schools. The prefecture also has founded the Takanabe Agricultural High School. Fully equipped with dormitories, farm equipment and practice farms—and with sports facilities in the process of construction—it is noteworthy that this is the first agricultural school in Japan specifically designed for training farm youth in farming.

To give youth access to agricultural training is not enough; KUROKI proposed that agricultural industry should begin with the education of youth. In his estimation just as crucial as the training is to give them the motivation to return to the farm and apply what they have learned. With this in mind, KUROKI threw the weight of the prefectural government behind the movement called "Study for Agricultural Prosperity" (SAP) which the young people of Miyazaki themselves organized in 1961. The aim of the movement is to stimulate the discovery and application of more productive farming methods. Villages, towns and cities developed their own SAP councils; at the prefectural level is the Federation of SAP Councils. Through these councils any SAP member can present for discussion and proposed implementation any new agricultural technique he may have uncovered and take a leading part in creating a new community.

Only a year after its launching, the movement received national recognition when the Crown Prince and Princess of Japan spoke at a SAP council meeting; they again greeted SAP members on the occasion of its fifth anniversary. In 1972, in celebration of its tenth year, the cabinet bestowed on SAP the Prime Minister Tanaka Award.

At present SAP has 320 branches and an active membership of nearly 3,000; in addition it has 15,000 former members who are now over the age of 28. KUROKI credits SAP with being responsible in large measure for advancing the production of vegetables, fruit, mushrooms and livestock. He adds that its social activities have made it easier for young farmers to find marriage partners, an important factor in keeping them on the farm.

A similar movement grew up to encourage young businessmen. Called the Study for Synectics, it seeks new and innovative ways to solve the problems of small and medium sized businesses. The prefecture is very cooperative here as well. It has assisted such enterprises by conducting studies of their management and has urged the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Commercial and Industrial Association of towns and villages to help upgrade businesses in their areas. Recognizing the problem of raising working capital, the prefecture established a special loan system which gives small businessmen access to federal funds. It also opened offices in Sapporo, Tokyo, Osaka and Kitakyushu to promote the products of the prefecture.

For urban working youth two part-time and correspondence schools have been established. The prefecture has also reduced the proportion of educational costs born by students and/or parents. As a result education was the biggest item in the state budget in 1973.

In the field of industrial planning, a basic decision was made by the prefectural government to concentrate factories in the northern part of the state, frequently on "made" land along the coast. In 1964 the government designated Nobeoka and Hyuga as "New Industrial Cities." Forming the hub of Miyazaki's industrial base, these cities have provided sites for a sugar refinery, chemical fiber plants, smelting works and other factories. Basic industry today provides 25.1 percent of the prefectural per capita income, exceeding that of agriculture, forestry and marine products combined. Service industries produce 58.5 percent.

As a late starter in industrialization Miyazaki was in a position to profit from the ecological lessons painfully learned by other prefectures. Equally important, it has had at the helm during this period of industrialization an administrator sensitive to the problems of environmental pollution.

KUROKI has always been concerned that the utilization of natural resources and the development of agriculture and industry be carried out in a way that did not disrupt the balance of nature. Any large-scale development program that might upset Miyazaki's natural environment has always come under the scrutiny of prefectural officials. KUROKI has also insisted that industrial concerns not only take appropriate anti-pollution measures, but that they create a greenbelt around their factories, planting flowers and trees. His idea has been both to protect nature and, where it has been damaged or destroyed, recreate it.

In 1969 KUROKI introduced a Highway Beautification Bill to preserve natural scenic areas along the roadsides—enlisting the cooperation of the private landowners—and to enhance all roads by planting trees and flowers beside them. Three hundred thousand trees and flowering shrubs have been or are in the process of being planted. As early as 1963 KUROKI invited a noted stage designer to survey the prefecture and "determine which colors were most representative of the area." Billboards and new buildings must now keep to these approved colors. A bill concerning the protection of the natural environment in Miyazaki Prefecture, passed in 1973, carries his roadside and city beautification project another step, obliging prefectural and municipal offices to plant trees beside all public works and public buildings, and requiring private businesses to do the same. April 8 has been set aside as "Green Day."

Since Miyazaki is already dotted with numerous forest preserves, historical sites, national, prefectural and city parks—16 percent of the land total—KUROKI hopes to link these greenbelts and finally transform the entire prefecture into a park. Popular since 1970 as a honeymoon and tourist center, Japan's "province of sunshine and green" could then, he feels, achieve its potential; the governor desires to make Miyazaki, as the cradle of Japan, the center of tourism.

Since KURUKI believes in measuring progress in terms of the development of the people, he considers the gross national product (GNP) an inadequate indicator of governmental success. A more accurate gauge of performance, he suggests, is the "Total Level of Province" (TLP). TLP, KUROKI’s own term, recognizes that as basic needs are satisfied, new wants arise demanding attention. He writes:

"As the economy of the society grows stronger, human beings begin to develop desires for other types of satisfaction, for example, appreciation of nature, healthy social surroundings, and safe and convenient urban environments. At that stage it becomes necessary for the prefectural government to adopt welfare policies on behalf of the citizenry that can no longer be indicated solely by money. Convenience, comfort, safety, health and the like become important objectives."

It is the government's responsiveness to these new demands that TLP aspires to monitor.

KUROKI proposed using TLP as a government indicator at a 1970 governors' conference. When it was not adopted he decided to apply, the concept himself, and in 1971 "formed a project team within the prefectural government to begin drawing up new indicators, data methods, and computer systems."

The quality that TLP attempts to estimate is "the welfare of the prefectural inhabitants." This is separated into three categories: Living Base, Living Activities and Living Environment. Living Base refers to the parameters which determine the community's life-style. These include population, industry, natural environment and climate. Forty-six types of data have been chosen to measure Living Base. Living Activities "are influenced by individual environmental factors, such as the vivacity of individual consumer activities and the abundance of individual activities." Forty-five factors are considered in evaluating this facet of TLP. Living Environment, which involves 124 types of data, focuses on the people's surroundings, e.g., schools, parks, sewer systems, living space, safety factors, transportation, leisure-time facilities and health. TLP thus introduces a comprehensive and systematic approach to the assessment of prefectural needs and accomplishments.

KURUKI’s commitment to TLP keeps the efforts of government focused on the well-being of the population. Increased productivity is not sought as a value in itself; wealth is to serve welfare. KUROKI has therefore used increased prefectural income to upgrade public services, especially in the field of health care. In the past the goal of health administration in the prefecture was confined to the prevention of disease. In 1972 the government launched a two-year program, under the auspices of the Miyazaki Prefecture Health Improvement Center, to broaden its concerns. The first of its kind in Japan, the program uses a computer system to analyze health data and to monitor statistics, not only on disease and treatment, but also on living conditions, nutrition problems and health habits of every citizen who visits the center.

Aside from three general hospitals and a mental hospital managed by the prefecture, the government includes within its health care distribution system 10 health care centers, a health research institute and schools for training midwives, hospital and public health nurses.

Making sure that the entire community benefits from economic growth, even those no longer able to contribute to it, the Council for the Promotion of Welfare Programs for the Aged of Miyazaki Prefecture assists the elderly to maintain decent living conditions, seeks ways to help them "enjoy life," finds jobs for them where possible and obtains efficient medical treatment for them when necessary. Miyazaki offered free medical care to the aged before the national government implemented its own program. Not surprisingly, therefore, Miyazaki counts an elderly population one-fourth higher than the national average.

The handicapped have also found an advocate in KUROKI. In 1968 the administration established a Prefectural Center for the Physically Handicapped, the first of its kind in Japan. This is in addition to the Children's Mental Ward, the only one of its kind in Kyushu, and the Children's Ward for those in need of plastic surgery or with vision problems, hearing disabilities or suffering from various kinds of neuroses. Just as important as the actual help extended to the handicapped has been the encouragement given them by these evidences of governmental concern.

In spite of all these projects which demand his constant attention, and the pressures of public life, KUROKI lives modestly with Saeko, his wife, and shuns publicity. "He does not rest on his laurels," writes a colleague, "nor is he aware that he deserves any." Nevertheless his merits have been recognized by Sao Paulo University which gave him the Medal of Honor of the Academica San Francisco for his contributions to the promotion of cultural exchange, social welfare and immigration projects between Japan and Brazil, and by the Certificate of Merit and Flag Symbol from Prime Minister Tanaka in recognition of his activity in the "Study for Agricultural Prosperity" movement. His forestry work resulted in his appointment by the prime minister to the Special Committee for the Development of Mountainous Regions. An outcome of this assignment was the "widely acclaimed" Development of Mountainous Regions and My Proposal Plan which he published last year. Asked in 1972 to serve on the Advisory Council on the Problems of Remodeling the Japanese Archipelago, he wrote My Personal View on the Reformation Project of Japanese Islands Proposed by Prime Minister Kaknei Tanaka, calling for more emphasis on locally controlled development, support for agriculture and protection for the natural environment.

What KUROKI has been trying to do for Miyazaki—and by example for all of Japan—can best be summed up in his own words. He seeks to create "a prefecture where man can make friends with wild birds, where flowers bloom along the roads, where mountains are verdant with foliage, where clean rivers and streams flow, where the sky is blue and free from smoke and where the economy is fast expanding."

September 1974
Manila

REFERENCES:

Kuroki, Hiroshi. Miyazaki, A Lesson in Development. Printed for the discussions on development to be held at Ramon Magsaysay Center, September 2, 1974. 60 p.

______. Ordinance Concerning the Beautification of Roadside Scenery in Miyazaki Prefecture. Printed translation of speech delivered in Miyazaki City on April 21, 1969, sponsored by the Domestic and Foreign Situation Research Society. 33 p.

______. Presentation made to Group Discussion. Transcript. Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation, Manila. September 2,1974.

Yanaga, Chitoshi. Japanese People and Politics. New York: Wiley and Sons. 1956.