2016 Volume 56 Issue 2 Pages 31-61
In early modern Japan, only Northern Kyushu region generated “giant whaling enterprise”, which mobilized thousands labors and managed several whaling groups. This article analyzes such organization, Doi-Gumi（土肥組, Doi whaling group） to clarify internal factors to the expansion and its historical implication. Whaling group in Northern Kyushu consisted of small-scale subunits with high autonomy, therefore managerial cost was reduced to operate several whaling groups. Doi-Gumi’s administrative organization for wide area operations loosely comprised of member of dozoku and local wealthy class; in contract another enterprise had hierarchical administrative organization. It had advantage to obtain resources from local society for the enlargement, but it determined its regionalistic managerial behavior and resulted unproductive management, which caused Doi-Gumi’s decline.
