2011 Volume 66 Issue 2 Pages 61-79
The aim of this paper is to clarify the local development of miso and soy sauce manufacturing in Suzaka City by analyzing the social context of the change in manufactures' management. Suzaka City has many small-scale miso and soy sauce manufacturers despite the comparatively low production of miso and soy sauce. The decline rate of manufacturers in the city is low as compared with the other districts in Nagano Prefecture. This is because manufacturers have historically had other sources of income; an increasing number of farmers run businesses on the side; and since the 1970s, there has been a negative attitude toward home-brewed sauces. Additionally, since the Meiji era, Suzaka City manufacturers have been able to differentiate their products from those of large-scale manufacturers by independently managing their small businesses. Consequently, their prices can compete with those of large-scale manufacturers, and they have not been put out of business. Today, five miso and soy source manufacturers operate in Suzaka City, and it is a business that promotes commercial growth.
