一般咸認港口與其腹地之間有非常密切的關係。港口的營運會帶來腹地的發展；反之，腹地的條件，如面積大小及經濟發展水準，也會深深影響到港口的營運情形，兩者如同魚與水的關係，相輔相成。另方面，港口的營運常因機能不同而改變，進而影響到其與腹地間的互動。一個港口的機能會因港口所在地之自然環境、外在社會與經濟發展、及政府政策等之改變而改變。
針對上述的問題，本文以布袋港爲例，企圖分析，在日治時期布袋港機能之演變及其與腹地發展間的關係。主要目的是探討日本殖民統治時期，在社經環境與政策的丕變下，布袋港港口機能的改變，及其對鄰近腹地發展的影響。
The close relationship between a harbor and its hinterland has long been recognized. The operation of a harbor can stimulate development of its hinterland, while the state of a harbor's hinterland, such as its size and degree of economic development, most certainly influence the operations of the harbor. These relationships are interactive and interdependent. Moreover, harbor operations can change in response to evolving functions of the harbor, which in turn will influence the interactions between the harbor and its hinterland. However, the functions of a harbor are also strongly dependent on socioeconomic conditions within the society at large and on specific government policies.
This paper seeks to explore the nature of harbor-hinterland relationships with reference to the development of Pu-Dai Port, Taiwan, during the Japanese colonial regime (1895-1945) as a case study. We seek to analyze the functional changes of Pu-Dai Port and its interactions with its hinterlands under dramatic socioeconomic and government policy changes during the period of Japanese rule.
