Developments of the Traditional Industry and Its Regions

Especially on the Kasuri Fabric Producing Regions

Abstract

On the problems of industrial regions much has been researched by many geographers. Traditional industry was studied much earlier than the modern industry because of its historical and regional peculiarities, but the studies are rather isolated and little systematical. The author tried to make clear the peculiar production and circulation system and the historical development of traditional industry as the inner elements, and the relations with local agricultural conditions and the influences of the modern industry as the outer elements. Kasuri is the dyed pure cotton fabrics originated in the Edo era and continued as a traditional production in rural regions. Bingo (Hiroshima Pref.), Iyo (Ehime Pref.) and Kurume (Fukuoka Pref.) are the regions where most of the Kasuri are produced in Japan.
The purpose of this report is to compare with those three regions especially from the viewpoint of production, circulation system, the distribution of factories, the influence of rural economics in its procession and the relation with modern cotton industries.
At Kurume, far from the center of the modern fabric industrial region of Japan, where Kasuri fabric had its origin and from where its technique was spread to other regions, modern cotton industry was not established. The amount of Kasuri production gradually decreased there. Now Kasuri region at Kurume changed into the producer of special high grade Kasuri fabrics by manufacturing.
At Iyo and Bingo, they have been much influenced by the modern cotton industrial regions along the Inland Sea area, of which the center is Osaka.
In the Iyo region the modernization was delayed because the establishments were old-fashioned and the markets were not secure. But in the Bingo region, it was eagerly desired to adopt modern establishment and technique from adjoining modern industrial regions and the Bingo region (as a modern fabric industrial) grew larger than two other regions.
In short, we may say, the location of traditional cotton industry and its change are largely dependent on modern cotton industry.