The Expansion of Agricultural Co-operatives and the Reorganization of the Rural Structure in the 1930's

Abstract

The prewar Japanese agricultural co-operatives (sangyo-kumiai) developed rapidly after the "sangyo-kumiai expansion movement" started in 1933. This movement was a policy to relieve the peasantry oppressed by the economic depression through the sangyo-kumiai. After this period the sangyo-kumiai had a large influence on the villages. . The aim of this study is to clarify the historical significance of this movement from two point of view, studying the case of Yutaka-mura in Nagano Prefecture. Firstly, it is to pursue the relation between sangyo-kumiai and some classes in the villages ; and secondly, it is to make clear the role of the sangyo-kumiai under the Japanese imperialism during the 1930's. Now, as regard the first point, I think is necessary to emphasize that the middle class peasantry took in the sangyo-kumiai positively, while the low class peasantry was not positive towards the sangyo-kumiai increased slowly. On the other hand, the class of the small landlords depended deeply on the sangyo-kumiai, because they were strongly influenced by the economic depression. However, secondarily, through the whole process of the sangyo-kumiai expansion movement, the villages were reorganized by Japanese imperialism from the process of circulation. The reorganization of the process of circulation particularly effected in funds and chemical fertilizer. The village funds were absorbed by the sangyo-kumiai savings and were spent for the expansion of the capital market (national dept and bond). At the same time, through the channel of sangyo-kumiai, the chemical monopoly capital gained monoply profits. It is to say that, the sangyo-kumiai movement, on one hand relieved a little the peasantry, on the other strengthened the control on the villages of the monopoly capital using peasantry effort (jiriki kosei).