E. H. Norman as an Economic Historian

Abstract

To WRITE A BOOK on the economic history of Japan, the 1930S was the worst possible time. In Japan, it was the decade in which the rising tide of militarism was stifling academic freedom and when that inconclusive and essentially sterile Methodenstreit between the obscurely named Kaza-ha (the lecture faction) and Rdni-ha (the labor agriculture faction) still lingered. In economics, it was the eve of the Keynesian revolution, which was soon to remold its foundation. The decade ended in the Second World War, the conclusion of which ushered in a period of unprecedented preoccupation with economic growth. As a result of these developments, the case of Japan, the only success story in Asia, attracted new and more intense scrutiny. In their impressive contributions, W. W. Lockwood and T. C. Smith showed how rapidly our knowledge of Japanese economic history increased, and Rosovsky, Ohkawa, and others then established clearly that the field of Japansese economic history had attained maturity.' Quality and quantity of literature in Japanese economic history, both in English and in Japanese, grew, I believe, at a rate as remarkable as that of the postwar Japanese economy. In the ig30s, when Japan as a subject of academic study was still 'dquaint2 (to borrow Professor Cameron's apt phrase), who could have anticipated such a happy turn of events? This long introduction is my way of emphasizing the value of Norman's contribution. Only a very few books survived these postwar developments, and Norman's is one. There is more than ample evidence that it has become a classic, since it remains on reading lists for courses related to Japan and is discussed here today. After all, it was Norman who, in a profound way, stimulated Lockwood and Smith. Should dust gather on your copy of Norman's book, let me remind you how thoroughly admirable a scholar he was. Recently having had occasion to wade through a good portion of the literature he examined, I must tell you how impressed I am by Norman's ability to read through and analyze