Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/77107

Furano, a city at the center of Hokkaido Prefecture, boasts the second highest production of onions for any municipality in the prefecture. The city depends on agriculture, and most of the workforce is in agriculture. Physical distribution has been greatly contributing to the transportation of materials required for agricultural production and to the shipment of farm products. Emerging issues of physical distribution are likely to adversely affect the agricultural industry. These include the high posibility of shortfalls in truck freight transport capacity from shortages of drivers due to depopulation and to the introduction of an upper limit on work hours for drivers since the Work-style Reform Act, which aims to make driving jobs more rewarding. Rail freight transportation is expected to make up for this shortfall. However, there is the high likelihod of some freight train services being terminated due to JR Hokkaido's review of operating lines. These issues are relevant for the Furano area and the entire prefecture. The relevant parties must recognize these issues in order to resolve them.