අਬȶै໤̥͙̹ͣͺΐͺȆͺές΃ȷඅਬ̜̹̽̀ͅǵ‫ݖܩ‬ɭɻ⏋ᅊ઴⏋኏Ц⏋๴‫ر‬ɹϯेɐʳ‫ݭ‬ɫȡʳ⏏Ʉɹ‫ݭ‬ɴȲȦɩ⏋ᅊ઴⏃̨͐⏆ɭ኏Ц⏃Ϻ⏆ȵ႕೑ɹЇ౅ɫᐉʛ‫غ‬Ȧɲȵʰሂϣɴ޴‫׋‬ɌɩȦȼ⏏Ʉɹઝ٢ɫ⏋‫ݖܩ‬቉ድɹᇿฌɻ⏋ȡʳ‫ݖܩ‬ɴȲȿʳ̨͐ɭϺɹᐉʛ‫غ‬Ȧˁ៨ᦚɌ⏋ɗʶˁЈɹ‫ݖܩ‬ɹᐉʛ‫غ‬ȦɭປᥒɐʳɄɭɫ⏋ɗʶəʶɹ‫ݖܩ‬ɹ‫ܧ‬ʱʭȩˁ౩ʰȴɴɐʳɄɭɫȡʳ⏏
ǵЁ‫܌‬ɹ႕ᮃɻ⏋с႒ɴ့ဣˁয়ɩɩ⏋с႒ɭϺɭɹᐉʛ‫غ‬Ȧȴʰ⏋ɰɹʭȩɴ‫ݖܩ‬ˁჿៗɫȷʳɹȴˁᓒȭʭȩɭɐʳʢɹɫȡʳ⏏ɗɹɛʠ⏋ᦅ࡝ᇕɲែဣȴʰ‫ݖܩ‬቉ድˁ᝔ɤɩȷɛ቉ድᓔɴ⏋с႒ɭȦȩʢɹˁᦲɌɩϺɹಬʰɌʦ‫⏋ݖܩ‬γᅠȵɰɹʭȩɴឿȭɩȼʳɹȴˁᕶᅓɴೆȦɩȦɛɞȦɛ⏏ɗɹᐄഗ⏋ೣ႕ᮃɫɻ⏋̫̠̠ɭ˛Ͳ́ͻ̘⏋˪͊͠⏃‫̨˓˪˪⏋ؿٮ‬˥⏆⏋̩̜͌˧ɭȦɤɛс႒ɭϺʦ‫ݖܩ‬ɭɹᬠʼʱɴ့ဣˁয়ɩɛᠶయɭ⏋႕ࡴɹс႒ɭȦȩʭʱʢ⏋޽෵ɲс႒ˁʠȽʳᦅ෌ɴᩂਕˁᒞȦɛᠶయˁ஥ᥔɐʳɄɭȵɫȷɛ⏏
ǵᩂᅒᠶయɻ⏋‫ؾ‬ɍ̫˹͚˗ዀɭɌɩՕᰖɇʶʳ̫̠̠ɭ˛Ͳ́ͻ̘ˁປᥒɌɛ⏏̫̠̠ɻˏ˻ˏȴʰˏ̶͠ˡɴঃȼШ௢Ɍᩂឹɲᰩషɭɲɤɛȵ⏋˛Ͳ́ͻ̘ɻ˛̍ˠ̴ˏɹΥᨆɫɌȴൕ‫ݛ‬ɇʶɩȦɲȦс႒ɫȡʳ⏏Ʉɹʭȩɲʈɛɦɹ൓ᘛ݀с႒ɭϺɭɹᬠʼʱˁɇʚɊʚɲែဣȴʰද២ɐʳɄɭɫ⏋ˏ̶͠ˡɹ൓ᘛ݀ᦅ෌ɹ႕ਐˁᡴᠶɌɩȦʳ⏏ᅒμᠶయɫɻ⏋˪͊͠ɭȦȩໞషс႒ɭɗʶɴᬠʼʳගക፬ჿɲɰˁද២Ɍ⏋కፑʦᐁཕɹ޴‫׋‬ɹμɫ˪͊͠ȵɛɰɤɩȷɛ޴᧦ˁ៨ᦚɌɛ⏏ɗɌɩ⏋˪͊͠ɹ޴᧦ˁᦲɌɩആ˓Ͳ̝̦˹ˏɹ‫ܩܤ‬գᅎɹ޴‫׋‬ˁயȷ⏋ɗʶˁ‫ܩܤ‬ɹȋࣞ๴ȍɭɌɩෙਥ‫׋‬Ɍɛ⏏ᘺ‫غ‬ᠶయɻ⏋ᦏॷɹᕶᐌᇕᦅ෌ȴʰ‫ڧ‬෌ᇕᦅ෌ʍɭȦȩ෯ᦶ޴‫׋‬ɹμɫ⏋ȋ͇˓̠ͻ˪̺ͦ̒ȍɭɇʶʳʭȩɴɲɤɩȷɛ̩̜͌˧ˁ଩ɤɩȦʳ⏏͞ˠ˽ɴȲȿʳ̩̜͌˧ɭϺɭɹᬠʼʱˁኍɌɛȩȭɫ⏋ആ‫ˏ˻ˏ׫‬ʦആˏ˻ˏɫɹ̩̜͌˧ɹᅊᅋɭ༥ᢹɴɦȦɩද២Ɍ⏋ᐁཕᇕ៿ѝɴʢɭɧȼȋ͍˻͑ͻ˪̺ͦ̒ȍ⏃ɛɭȭɽ⏋Ꭶʦࢸᵺɲɰ⏆ɹ቉ድɹ᭖ɫឿᘺɭɇʶɩȷɛ̩̜͌˧ɭϺɭɹ޽෵ɲᬠѥˁ౩ʰȴɴɌɛ⏏കᠶయɻ⏋ីˏ̶͠ˡ͹˵̫Ͳ̠य़ᦅ೴ɴȲȿʳ‫ܧ‬ഀɹᣂ྇ɭɗɹ፬ჿɴᬠɐʳሾᡫˁද២Ɍɛ⏏ɗɌɩɄɹʭȩɲШᐏᇕᣂ྇፬ჿી᝔ɭϺɹಬʰɌɹភᮊɲᬠʼʱ‫غ‬Ȧˁ៨᪼Ɍɦɦ⏋ɗʶʰˁʈʚȭɛȩȭɫ⏋ჼ‫ܧ‬ɹᡉ‫ک‬ᰍˁៗໆɐʳɛʠɹᕶጓᇕɲᇍࣙ‫خ‬ᔨਸˁฐᏮɌɩȦʳ⏏Рᢆᠶయɫɻ⏋ˏ̶͠ˡɹ͊ˠͲ̓കय़ɴȲȿʳ‫ܧ‬ഀᦅ໬ɹɇʚɊʚɲࣙᬖˁ⏋‫ޚܤ‬᰸Օɹკ਄ɭȦȩែဣȴʰ⏋ᅊ઴ᇕ⏋኏Цᇕ⏋๴‫ر‬ᇕɴද២Ɍ⏋Ʉɹ‫ݖܩ‬ɹ‫ܧ‬ഀᦅ໬ɹਸൔɭɗɹჼБᇕɲ‫ک‬ᰍဣˁද២ɌɩȦʳ⏏
ǵʢɤɭʢ⏋‫ع‬ᠶయˁᠧ˃ɫȦɛɞȿʶɽ౩ʰȴɲʭȩɴ⏋ɗʶəʶɹςᰍʦ‫ݖܩ‬ᇕɲయᔭɻʚɠʚɠɫȡʳ⏏ɌȴɌ⏋ɗʶəʶɹς৓ʦᡴᠶɭɻաɴ⏋ɄʶʰɹᠶయˁᦲɌɩʛɛ᭬ɴ⏋1ᖂ٢ཉȦဣȵ౩ʰȴɴɲɤɩȼʳ⏏ɗʶɻ⏋ᅒμᠶయɫரᣱɇʶɩȦʳɄɭɫȡʳȵ⏋‫ݖܩ‬ɴȲȿʳс႒ɭϺɭɹ႕೑ɹᐉʛ‫غ‬Ȧˁ⏋‫ݖܩ‬ɴȲȿʳ‫ܩܤ‬գᅎʦᰩᅊ༎ɹȋࣞ๴ȍɭɌɩෙਥ‫׋‬ȵɫȷʳɹɫɻɲȦȴɭȦȩဣɫȡʳ⏏̫̠̠ɹ᧨Ш࡝ᇕɲȋࣞ๴ȍ⏋˛Ͳ́ͻ̘ˁᦲɌɛ˛̍ˠ̴ˏᲞ؅ɹȋࣞ๴ȍ⏋˪͊͠ˁᦲɌɛആ˓Ͳ̝̦˹ˏɹȋࣞ๴ȍ⏋̩̜͌˧ˁʠȽʳ͞ˠ˽ɹȋࣞ๴ȍ⏋͊ˠͲ̓കɹȋࣞ๴ȍɭȦȩʭȩɴᓒȭ⏋ɗʶʰɭᦏ᭰‫ݖܩ‬ɴȲȿʳȋࣞ๴ȍɭˁປᥒɐʳɄɭɫ⏋‫ݖܩ‬ᬚປᥒɹʁɭɦɹՖʱ‫ؤ‬ȵɫȷʳɹɫɻɲȦȴɭȦȩɄɭɫȡʳ⏏
ǵʢȩʁɭɦɹᖂ٢ཉȦဣɻ⏋с႒ɭȦȩʢɹȵ⏋‫ݖܩ‬ɹμɫϺɭࢌஞɲᐉʛ‫غ‬Ȧˁɐʳɭ‫ؾ‬ಁɴ⏋ȷʼʠɩው֪ɌʦɐȦʢɹɫȡʱ⏋ɗʶˁᦠȩɄɭɫ⏋‫ݖܩ‬ˁᣴȭɛс႒ɭϺɭɹᐉʛ‫غ‬ȦȵឿȭɩȼʳɭȦȩဣɫȡʳ⏏Ʉʶɻ⏋̫̠̠ɹШ௢ɭȦɤɛయ౩ᠶᇕɲᡴᠶɹʛɲʰɑ⏋ᦏॷ⏋ᡴᠶɇʶɩȦʳక໠ᅊ઴࡝ʦ˫ͦͻ̫͡͹̶ͻ̝቉ድʚɫঃȵʳᠩᰍɴɦɲȵʳɭȦȩɄɭɫȡʳ⏏ɭȼɴ⏋Ё‫܌‬ɹ႕ᮃɫ଩ʼʶɛс႒ɻ⏋Ȧʼʪʳȋ͍˻͑ͻ˪̺ͦ̒ȍɭȦȩʭʱɻ⏋ɰɠʰȴɭȦȩɭȋ͇˓̠ͻ˪̺ͦ̒ȍɫȡʳɭȦȩဣɫ⏋Ʉʶʚɫɹȋ͍˻͑ͻ˪̺ͦ̒ȍ቉ድˁជ࡭ɐʳែᩃˁʢɤɩȦʳɭȦɤɩʭȦɞʸȩ⏏
ǵʢɠʸ˃⏋с႒ˁᦲɌɩɐʏɩȵឿȭʳʼȿɫɻɲȦ⏏ɌȴɌ⏋ɄɄɴ஥ᥔɇʶɩȦʳᠶయɹʭȩɴ⏋с႒ˁᦠȩɄɭɫ⏋‫ݖܩ‬቉ድʍɹʁɭɦɹԂʱ౅ȵኍɇʶɩȦʳɹɫɻɲȦɞʸȩȴ⏏ɗɌɩ⏋ɄɹɄɭɻ⏋‫׬‬ɴс႒ɹʛɲʰɑ⏋ɇʚɊʚɲ̨͐ˁʠȽʳ‫ݖܩ‬቉ድɭȦȩʢɹɹ‫خ‬ᔨਸˁኍ‫ڗ‬ɌɩȦʳɭȦɤɩʢ᧌ៜɫɻɲȦɞʸȩ⏏
ȏˏ˻ˏ͹ˏ̶͠ˡ‫ݖܩ‬቉ድȑᑂᮃࠇ‫ڊ‬Ц

2Crops and Asian and African Area StudiesForeword

An area is a place where ecology, society and history intersect. In this place, the ecology(things) and society (people) interact in specific ways, continually changing and being changed
by each other. In this sense, the purpose of area studies is to record the interaction of things andpeople in a given area, to compare it with the interactions in other areas, and to clarify situation ineach area.
This special issue focuses on crops and considers how an area can be understood in termsof the interaction between crops and people. To this end, researchers who have conducted areastudies from the viewpoint of agricultural science were invited to write freely on how people’s
lives, their area and their world appear through the lens of their crops. As a result, this special
issue includes articles focusing on the relationships of specific crops, namely, banana and ensete(Abyssinian Banana), kemiri (candlenut), and edible Job’s tears, with people and areas; and articles
concerned with agriculture involving multiple crops.
Shigeta Masayoshi compares banana and ensete, both members of the family Musaceae.
Banana was disseminated widely from Asia to Africa and became an important food crop, while
ensete is a crop cultivated only in a part of Ethiopia. His paper examines various aspects of people’srelationships with these two root and tuber crops and discusses the characteristics of root andtuber cultivation in Africa. Tanaka Koji examines the cropping of kemiri as a source of oil from thestandpoint of the associated forest management, and describes the changes that have taken place asa result of changes in government policy and the economy. These changes are then conceptualized
as a “curriculum vitae” of land use in Eastern Indonesia. Ochiai Yukino deals with edible Job’s tears,
which have come to be regarded as a “minor crop” as a result of the recent structural transformationfrom self-sufficiency to commercial agriculture. Having described people’s relationship with thiscrop in Laos, she investigates the production and consumption of Job’s tears in Southeast Asia andEast Asia and reveals the diversity of people’s relationships with Job’s tears, interest in which has
been overshadowed by research on “major crops” (such as rice and wheat) with greater economicvalue. Hayashi Yukihiro investigates knowledge of traditional resources and their management inrural areas of the savanna belt of West Africa. He records the complex involvement of indigenous
resource management in people’s lives and searches therein for possibilities of independentdevelopment by which to solve the problems presently faced in the area. Itani Juichi examines
3ecologically, socially and historically the traditional farming methods in Africa’s Miombo Woodlands
and the various developments that have occurred in the quest to secure soil fertility, clarifying thenature of traditional agriculture in the area and the problems currently faced.
Individually, these articles deal with a variety of subjects set in the context of differing areas;
but a view of them as a whole reveals a point of great interest beyond their particular assertions anddiscussions. This is the proposal made in Tanaka’s article that the specific interactions between
crops and people in an area can be conceptualized as the “curriculum vitae” of land use and dietary
habits in the area. By then comparing the genetic “curriculum vitae” of banana, the “curriculumvitae” of Ethiopian plateau as seen through ensete, the “curriculum vitae” of East Indonesia as seen
through kemiri, and the “curriculum vitae” of Laos as seen through Job’s tears with the “curriculavitae” of neighboring areas, it is suggested that an opening can be obtained into the comparative
studies of regions and areas.
A second point of interest is that while crops are intimately related to people’s lives in aparticular area, they are very easily disseminated, and by following their transmission it is possible
to observe the interaction between crops and people beyond their original area. This is linked
in turn not only to civilization-related discussions on the dissemination of banana but also to therecent discussions of topics extending to political ecology and global food studies. In particular, theperspective of the articles is complementary to existing research on “major crops,” in that thesearticles deal with crops that are regarded rather as “minor crops.”
The lens of people’s crops will not, of course, bring everything in an area into focus.
Nevertheless, as in the articles contained herein, it is expected to provide an entry into area studies.
It is probably no exaggeration to say that it further suggests the possibility of area studies about not
only crops but a variety of “things” in the ecology of an area.

The Editorial Committee4