On the Discontinuous Urbanization of Osaka in the Period of Japan's Industrial Revolution

Abstract

A city exerts influences on its surrounding areas, but its effects are discontinuously produced. They are chiefly due to the situation of the surrounding areas. The author attempted to analyze this discontinuous urbanization in a case of Osaka and its surrounding areas, during Japan's industrial revolution, from the late Meiji to the early Showa eras. Osaka is the city where the modern industry developed earliest in Japan. But, since the Edo era, rural cotton industry was prosperous in its surrounding areas, especially both in Kawachi, the district to the east and in Izumi, the district to the south of Osaka. At that time it was more prosperous in Kawachi than in Izumi. But in the Meiji era, the cotton industry developed more in Izumi.In this period Osaka was not yet big enough to exert a strong infuluence on the surrounding areas. Economically Osaka had a close connection with towns in the surrounding areas. As towns developed earlier in Izumi, the district had a closer connection with Osaka. By establishing connection with Osaka, Izumi could develop cotton industry earlier than other areas.Though Kawachi is situated nearer to Osaka, few towns sprang up there and it could not establish a close connection with Osaka. And so the industrial growth there was much hindered. Besides in Kawachi agricultural growth was also retarded. In the Meiji era Kawachi was behind Izumi in view of economic development.But in the Taisho era, on account of the urban growth of Osaka, industrialization and urbanization were greatly advanced in its surrounding areas. This urbanization through expansion of urbanized areas does not matter whether many towns developed or not in the surrounding areas. Urbanization of Kawachi was one of this sort. Being situated nearer to Osaka, the number of commuters to Osaka increased in Kawachi since the Taisho era, and the industry began to develop there. On the other hand urbanization of this type was only faintly progressed in Izumi. The nature of urbanization of these two districts was different. The industrialization and urbanization were more developed in Kawachi than in Izumi. Kawachi economically reversed Izumi at this time.The inversion, in other words the discontinuous urbanization, of Izumi and Kawachi depends on strength of influence of Osaka on the surrounding areas and on the different regional situation in the neighboring districts.