Abstract
The weaving industry in eastern Mikawa began in the latter half of the eighteenth cen tury. It differs from the newly risen weaving regions in size of operation. The size of operation in eastern Mikawa varies, while it is small in the newly risen weaving regions, which depend mainly on family labor. The consideration of the small-scale operation in the former weaving region makes possible to show clear differences from the latter regions. On the other hand, this is useful to analyze the social division of labor in textile manufacturing region.
The greater part of existing small operation of weaving in eastern Mikawa was established in 1950s without governmental assistance, making use of the advantages of the traditional manufacturing region. Generally, weaving operators of small size who established their works after 1950s had previously been employed in weaving works in this region and had acquired the weaving techniques. This experience enabled the small operators of weaving to start with less investment in equipments and to make an increase or exchange of looms without difficulty.
Since the end of 1960s, looms were improved to large scale, and a variety of textiles appeared. In response to such trend, smll-scale production became a dominant form in weaving. During the same period, a shortage of laborer, especially young workers, was becoming serious. The percentages of middleaged and aged workers in the small works are higher than those in the large factories. As a result of such trend, weaving operators were forced to reduce the size of operation, and, therefore, they farmed out such parts of weaving processes as winding, warping, warp-sizing, and drawing-in to specialized operators. This brought the social division of labor to this textile manufacturing region.
In eastern Mikawa, various wholesalers in this weaving region supply yarn to weaving operators and collect textile from them. The trade relation between textile wholesalers and weaving operators is not fixed or exclusive. The trade patterns are spatially complicated.
As mentioned above, the processes of formation and the structure of productive circulation in eastern Mikawa are similar to those in the districts of various small industries in the metropolitan areas, and present a contrast to those in the newly risen rural industrial regions.
