This study provides a broad political and economic examination of the impact of the silk trade on nineteenth-century Japan. It analyzes the economic role of Japan’s eastern interior region and that of the port of Yokohama. It argues that the economic development in this period laid the foundations for Japan’s prewar industrial development in the late nineteenth century and was largely responsible for the integration of Japan into the global economy.

The Silk Industry of Japan is a fascinating look at the history and practice of silk production in Japan. Written by Iwaji Honda, a noted scholar of Japanese textile arts, this book covers the entire process of silk production, from raising silkworms to weaving the finished product. With beautiful illustrations and detailed descriptions, this book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in Japanese culture and history. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

First published in 1889, this facsimile edition makes available an important historical work on Japanese industry. It is a comprehensive survey of the state of Japanese industry at the end of the nineteenth century, covering agriculture and forestry, mining, the arts, textiles, paper, trade and commerce, including the foreign trade of Japan since the opening of the country by Commodore Perry in 1854.

The makers of obi, the elegant and costly sash worn over kimono in Japan, belong to an endangered species. These families of manufacturers, weavers, and other craftspeople centered in the Nishijin weaving district of Kyoto have practiced their demanding craft for generations. In recent decades, however, as a result of declining markets for kimono, they find their livelihood and pride harder to sustain. This book is a poignant exploration of a vanishing world. Tamara Hareven integrates historical research with intensive life history interviews to reveal the relationships among family, work, and community in this highly specialized occupation. Hareven uses her knowledge of textile workers' lives in the United States and Western Europe to show how striking similarities in weavers' experiences transcend cultural differences. These very rich personal testimonies, taken over a decade and a half, provide insight into how these men and women have juggled family and work roles and coped with insecurities. Readers can learn firsthand how weavers perceive their craft and how they interpret their lives and view the world around them. With rare immediacy, The Silk Weavers of Kyoto captures a way of life that is rapidly disappearing.

Makes Japanese sources accessible in English Although much of the work on Japanese economic history is inaccessible to Westerners, many of Japan's leading economic historians have published widely in English. Combined with the work of Western economists who can utilize Japanese-language sources, this series assembles a wide range of English-language articles on the key issues in Japanese economic development. Individual volumes cover the interwar period, postwar reconstruction and growth, the textile industry, demographics, agriculture, trade, and the rise of commerce and "protoindustry" in the Tokugawa era. An information-packed classroom and research resource An introductory essay in each volume discusses the significance of the articles, compares various economic development in Japan with those in other countries, and puts studies in the context of similar studies in Europe. A versatile research resource, this 7-volume set is a veritable gold mine of hard-to-find information and data from diverse sources and a godsend to everyone interested in comparative economic and social history. Professors will appreciate the collection because it gives them instant access to less familiar English-language sources and is an easy way to introduce students to doing their own research. Students will appreciate the many articles as a mother lode of information for reports and papers. Researchers will be pleased by the coverage of more than three centuries of Japanese history and life. Available individually by volume. 1. Japanese Prewar Growth (0-8153-2705-6) 280 pages 2. The Interwar Economy of Japan (0-8153-2706-4) 320 pages 3. Historical Demography and Labor Markets in Prewar Japan (08153-2707-2) 248 pages 4. The Textile Industry and the Rise of the Japanese Economy (0-8153-2708-0) 392 pages 5. Japan's Economic Ascent (0-8153-2709-9) 376 pages 6. The Japanese Economy in the Tokugawa Era, 1600-1868 (0-8153-2710-2) 384 pages 7. Agricultural Growth and Japanese Economic Development (0-8153-2711-0) 368 pages