Japanese Industrial History

Japanese Industrial History provides a detailed examination of the industrial development of the country since the Meiji Restoration (1868) and shows the extent to which Japan's own urbanization played a crucial role in its overall economic development. Indeed, the role of urbanization was shaped by powerful technological, political, and environmental imperatives, and cities were at the forefront in creating the physical, human, and institutional infrastructure that were the primary reasons for Japan's rapid industrialization. Drawing on a detailed analysis of Japan's main urbanized region - the industrial belt that runs along the Pacific coast of Japan's main island from Osaka Bay to Tokyo - this book shows how the early concentration of labor and capital in the region, and the political will of local and national governments, was the driving force behind Japan's early, swift, and lasting success as an economic superpower.