Collaborative Research
B Japan's Period of Rapid Economic Growth and Lifestyle Changes
| Type of Research | Basic Research |
|---|---|
| Project Title | General Study of the 20th Century Ⅱ |
| Supervising Head of the Research Team | YASUDA Tsuneo |
| Research Title | B Japan's Period of Rapid Economic Growth and Lifestyle Changes |
| Head of the Research Team | YASUDA Tsuneo |
| Research Period | 2007–2009 |
| Research Team |
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| Purpose | Japan sustained rapid economic growth in the 1960–70s; the nationwide changes in lifestyle that accompanied that growth comprised epoch-making phenomena in postwar Japan, when the country experienced a historical level of progress. During that time, Japan underwent economic recovery, seeing a level of economic growth that led to it becoming an economic power and a leading contributor to international affairs. For this reason, these phenomena have become study subjects in a contemporary sense—not only from the viewpoint of folklore, but also those of science, history, sociology, economics, and geography—and have led to ever-deepening discussion in each field. Considering that the NMJH emphasizes the development of history, in a broad sense, to be applied to research of Japanese history and culture, these subjects should also be reevaluated as important themes for the NMJH. Issues related to Japan's rapid economic growth are not the sole domain of economic history; rather, they are elements of general contemporary history that have wrought drastic changes in Japan's social structure. When the group examines this period, it is important that it collect information about top-down political plans and how they were promoted, in tandem with gathering information about bottom-level individual responses, both receptive and resistive. In particular, thorough fieldwork is indispensable in detecting and confirming responses regarding traditional life knowledge and matters in the respective local communities, in response to uniform, nationwide policies. In doing so, it is also important that differences in region, time, and hierarchy be taken into account. Meanwhile, it is also necessary for the group to examine those phenomena—which constitute what is called a "lifestyle revolution"—by reviewing them in relation to world history; doing so will help researchers understand whether or not the phenomena are unique to Japan. Considering that the research should examine postwar trends in overseas countries, the group must first collect, sort, and analyze field information on the local communities. Based on the results of its research activities, the group's raison d'être is to construct a dynamic theory on the relationships between the changes in and continuity of traditional lifestyles, with the secondary aim of contributing to the establishment and further development of Gallery 6 at the NMJH. |
2008
Progress
The group held four workshops. Not only the group members but also other researchers from various scientific fields were invited to make presentations. The August 2008 meeting was held in Hiroshima, followed by a study tour of the petrochemical complex in Mizushima, among other facilities.
Result
The group's workshop introduced research trends in not only economic history and folklore but also various other scientific fields, thus facilitating the sharing of intellectual information and the recognition of potential problems and issues. In the "Production and Consumption in the Period of Rapid Economic Growth" workshop, discussion took place with regards especially to resources and lifestyle, bringing about a renewed confirmation of the drastic changes that took place in mountain villages after the 1970s. Along with these issues, those of mass distribution and accompanying waste-disposal problems—as well as the responses of local governments to these issues—and the influence of the media on public perception, among other things, were discussed.
2007
Progress
The group had four workshops; in each, a cooperative researcher introduced research trends in his or her field—e.g., economic history, folklore, and the history of medicine or natural landscapes. Based on these introductions, the group exchanged opinions on shared themes, to consider Japan's rapid economic growth and the resulting lifestyle changes. From this, the group established three themes: "Cities and Villages in the Period of Rapid Economic Growth," "Production and Consumption in the Period of Rapid Economic Growth," and "Changes in Food, Clothing, and Shelter in the Period of Rapid Economic Growth." The group held a workshop on the first of these, in December 2007.
The group also collected data in Shimane, Fukushima, Shizuoka, and Hokkaido, among other prefectures.
Result
Discussion at the workshop revealed that there is little, if any, active research within the fields involved, on Japanese lifestyle changes during the period under examination. In a workshop on "Cities and Villages in the Period of Rapid Economic Growth," members made research presentations and exchanged questions and answers on changes seen in both cities and villages, focusing especially on labor realities among young city workers (who had been called "golden eggs"); lifestyles in villages, which had sent their young generation to the cities; and the mechanization of agriculture. The endpoint was to obtain true and clear images of what the national census figures indicate.
