Paper short abstract:

This paper shows how the hunters practice their hunting activity in voluntary organization 'Ryoyukai' of a local society in Japan and discusses the relationship between hunters in modern Japanese context.

Paper long abstract:

People practice hunting for defense against wildlife attack to protect their agricultural products in Japan. They are engaged in agriculture and their hunting is a volunteer work. Some hunters are interested in hunting itself or the ecology of wild animals and they are absorbed in developing a method or a way of hunting. However, it is not necessarily passed to others or next generation by themselves because the hunters are not related by blood or marriage and they just belongs to voluntary organization 'Ryoyukai' 'Ryoyukai' has also members who are not engaged in agriculture and they are not concerned with defense against wildlife attack. They might have different expectations and it sometimes gives conflicts or misunderstanding to the members. At the same time, 'Ryoyukai' has a role of connecting hunters to a government office, police and the general public.

This paper shows how the hunters practice their hunting activity or develop techniques or skill involved with other members of 'Ryoyukai' and then discusses the relationship between hunters or hunters and other peoples in modern Japanese context.