Industrialization
1. Introduction
- Richard Perren
Article "On the Turn - Japan,1900
how the Meiji Gov. of Japan transformed their country from a
feudal to an industrialized nation
achieved "Great Power Status" all within 40 years
accomplished through reforms made to political, educational and
legal systems and adopting western customs and investments into
heavy industry and traditional sectors of the economy
- Modernization -> extensive and expansive campaign covering every
possible aspect of Japanese lifestyle
- Steps towards westernization -> 1873 -> adoption of Gregorian
calendar, giving away traditional one
- Meiji regime -> revolution in Japan bringing extraordinary measures -
> legal equality of all classes, abolition of feudal dress, establishment
of state schools, formal emancipation of forebears of the Burakumin
Bought western technology -> 1870s more than 2,000 experts
(mathematicians, scientists, engineers) recruited
- Gail Honda -> C of 1889 emphasized on industry by importing
technology and scientific knowledge from the West
nationalized banking system and national standard currency ->
rapid course towards industrialization and economic expansion in
a quest to build a "rich country and strong army" (Fukkoku Kyohei)
and maintain national independence
In exchange -> craft industries
- W G Beasley -> various measures undertaken by Gov.
Education -> fundamental for economic development
Home industries given priority
Commercialization of agriculture on a large scale -> colleges of
agriculture opened
Gov. supported prospering of businesses and industries (Zaibatsu -
> Big Four -> Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Sumitomo and Yasuda -> Mitsui as
probably the most successful business of both past and present)
2. Agrarian Society
- played critical role in making possible the emergence of an industrial
society
- Traditional practices removed -> tenants more vulnerable to landlord
pressure
early years -> tenancy disputes
land tax reduction from 3 to 2.5 percent was unsuccessful in
reducing their financial burden
1870-1880 -> tenancy disputes arose
landlords -> took to rural industries such as silk reeling, also were
money-lenders
Ann Waswo -> landlords were dominant elite in rural society and
till 1900 played a considerable role
- Gov. asked landlords to consolidate their holdings -> provide facilities
like irrigation and drainage
Tenants -> lured by profitable wages in cities -> shortage in
agriculture labor
Rural Improvement movement by Gov. -> societies formed under
the leadership of landlords (based on teaching of Ninomiya
Sontoku -> agricultural reformer active in late Tokugawa period) -
> Industrial Co-operative Law 1899 passed
- Land Tax Reform -> by government, fixed percentage tax system to a
fixed amount based on land assessment
Pyle -> singularly most important step of the government policies
3. Industrial Revolution
- E H Norman -> feudal lord ceased to be a territorial magnate drawing
his income from the peasant, and became instead, by virtue of the
commutation of his pension, a financial magnate investing his freshly
capitalized wealth in banks, stocks, industries or landed estates, and
so joined the small financial oligarchy
- Three industries major role
Fishery -> not a heavy industry, processing several million tons of
fished every single year
a. David L Howell -> talks about fishing industry of Japan,
especially about origin and nature of herring fishes
b. Conducted -> either by family or by labor on contractual basis -
> Meiji restoration -> contract fishery lost its privileges and
entire fishery opened to exploitation
c. State implemented policies -> predominance of capitalist
fishery in Hokkaido (area couldn't support agriculture)
d. By 1900 -> huge demand in market of Honshu (herring fish and
their byproducts)
e. 1876 -> herring fishes opened to market -> Capitalism emerged
slowly, though not welcomed by fisherman, imposed by Meiji
state
Shipping
a. Meiji Gov. -> shipping industry technically way backward
requiring much support to compete foreign rivals
b. entrusted Mitsubishi's entry -> supported it by waiving off its
taxes and other fees
c. Shimbashi to
d. Yokohoma
e. Shimbashi to
f. Yokohoma
Railways building
a. government's role much greater
b. decided to build a railway line using British financing and 300
British European technical advisors
c. 1872 -> 1st line opened between Shimbashi to Yokohoma
d. 1877 onwards -> given to private stakes
e. Due to Satsuma Rebellion -> expansion process got really slow
due to financial strain
Peter Duus -> manufacturing industry followed a pattern with
state initiative playing major role in first and then giving way to
private investment
a. division on entire period into 2 phases
Heavy iron and steel industry -> non-existent in mid-19th century -
> producing 243,000 tons and 255,000 tons respectively, by 1913
Textile Industry
a. foundation of MTI laid in 1882 with the founding of Osaka
Spinning Company by Shibusawa Eiichi
b. Gov. mindful of the need for strong domestic capitalism ->
organization of manufacturers association in the Paper (1880)
and cotton spinning (1882) industries -> their no. multiplied
especially during Russo-Japanese war
c. made dominated by one or two companies with more
powerful assets than the others
Growth of modern sector -> closely linked with military demands
a. military expenditure increased during Sino-Japanese and
Russo-Japanese wars
b. W W Lockwood -> military expenditure as a drain
c. Kozo Yamamura -> helped to disseminate Western technology
and skills
- Trade Unions
First Japanese workers union -> San Francisco around 1800 by
Takano Fusataro and he formed one after his return to Japan in
1897 -> rejected demands for radical actions and was opposed to
socialism (inequality of wealth was inevitable)
Katayama Sen -> started as a Christian socialist and worked among
poor -> in 1897 he established Society for the Promotion of Trade
Unions
Oi Kentaro -> radical thinker in Osaka region -> set up vocational
training centres, night schools and even special banks (not only
organization but providing facilities like education and material
well-being ->aim)
