The Progress and the Background of Regional Industry in Yuzawa City, Akita Prefecture, 1870's-1920's

Abstract

This report mainly concerns the progress and the background of sake breming, lumbering and wood working of Yuzawa city during the industrial revolution of Japan.The results are summarized as follows.By the opening of the Dou-line in 1905, commodity system flows which previously had depended upon the road or the river transportations were converted to the utilization of the railway.Consequently Yuzawa city changed its position as the gateway to Tokyo and the commodity system flows and the spacial mobility of population were widened. This made Yuzawa city as the center of that area. This fact means a great deal to the development of regional industry.Innai (silver mining town), which has prospered greatly since the beginning of 1700, had been breeding the regional economy of Yuzawa for last three hundred years. This prosperious regional economy has contributed a great deal to the development of sake brewing, lumbering and wood working from the beginning of the 1910's to the 1920's.The economic contribution of the landowners or the rich merchants and the political influence of the prefectural, and other local politicians, such as member of Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also revealed their efforts in the development of this area.