New History Textbook (Chapter 4 & 5) 2005 version - Bakumatsu Films

How did Japan’s industrial revolution evolve?
In the early years of the Meiji era, the Japanese government made a concerted effort to increase
production and promote industry. Government-operated businesses served as useful examples of
how the Western industrial model works. In the 1880s, the government established the Bank of
Japan and developed a financial system. Government-run factories were sold to private citizens, in
whose hands economic growth now rested. Cotton thread, raw silk and cotton fabric
mass-produced in factories equipped with machinery became Japan’s key exports. The revenue
from the sale of those exports was used to pay for imports (raw cotton and other raw materials, as
well as battleships, iron, and machinery).
Reparations paid to Japan in accordance with the Treaty of Shimonoseki were invested in heavy
industry. The year 1901 marked the opening of the government-run Yahata Ironworks, the site of
Japan’s first iron production. Another growing industry was shipbuilding; after the Russo-Japanese
War, Japan was capable of manufacturing vessels weighing more than 10,000 tons.
Such developments are viewed as Japan’s industrial revolution. One of the reasons why industry
grew during the Meiji era was the high level of education offered to the public since the Edo era;
another was the Japanese work ethic. Once Japan became a classless society, people believed they
could shape their own destinies by working hard and using their ingenuity. Self-made men like
Shibusawa Eiichi came onto the scene in great numbers.
Changes in Japan’s Cities and Farming Villages
Industrial growth was aided by the extension of a modern transportation network. The Tokaido
Line was completed in 1889, and Japan’s national network of railroads continued to expand. Roads
were improved to accommodate horse-drawn carriages and other vehicles. As more railway lines
were added, other urban centers and farming villages became accessible. The areas around train
stations became centers of activity, replacing the shops and inns on the old main public roads.
The spectrum of occupational and entrepreneurial choices widened as modern industry evolved
and a transportation network was established. Farmers experimented with part-time or seasonal
work other than agriculture to supplement their incomes. The standard of living rose, enabling
more people to eat a rice diet, and Japan’s population increased steadily. Young women were sent
to the cities to work temporarily in silk-reeling factories; many workers moved to cities to become
factory workers, forming an urban labor force.
In Tokyo and other large cities, the use of glass for shop windows became common, as did glass
sliding doors in residences. Once clock towers were installed on street corners, people became
accustomed to knowing the correct time and planning their schedules accordingly. In factories, the
hour became the standard unit into which the workday was divided.
33