MANAGEMENT IN THE DECLINING SILK-SPOOLING INDUSTRY

THE CASES OF THE KATAKURA AND THE GUNZE COMPANIES

Abstract

The silk-spooling industry was one of the important traditional industries in Japan, developed since before the Meiji Restoration. Before World War II it developed in many localities as a key export industry and accerelated the overall development of capitalistic production in Japan by earning handsome foreign exchange. However, after World War II, the conditions of the industry changed conspicuously. The new synthetic fibres, especially “nylon” took the place of raw silk as a raw material of the U. S. fullfashioned hosiery industry. On the other hand, the rapid economic growth, especially the development of heavy and chemical industries, pulled apart laboreres from the toilsome manual labor in the silk-spooling industry. Many silk-spooling firms have closed their factories and diversified their investment into many other industries. Some of them have been going forward to invest in foreign countries, such as Brasil and Paraguary. The Katakura and the Gunze have taken the lead in such new development.