Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the development of the apparel industry in post-war Japan. Previous studies have emphasized how unique customary practices in the transactions between wholeselers and retailers contributed to the development of the industry. This paper proposes a broader historical view, which argues that the apparel industry experienced three different phases in the post-war period. In the first phase (the 1950s), there was little progress in apparel production because the procurement of textiles was such an important factor in deciding the degree of competitiveness between apparel companies. In the second phase (the 1960s), products were rapidly improved and ready-made apparel became available in various sizes and designs. In this phase, department stores and specialist shops provided different types of product and were drawn into fierce competition. In the third phase (from the 1970s onwards), apparel companies began to develop sophisticated strategies in the management of retail outlets and the pricing of products. This new phase occurred along side a general rise in income levels and the appearance of a range of designs. Consumers developed diverse tastes that fluctuated in unpredictable ways. This paper identifies the third phase as consumer society and treats it as a typical socio-economic phenomenon of our time.
