The Socio-Economic Background of Japanese Expansionism into Korea in the Meiji Era

Abstract

As to the colonization in Korea by Japan from 1875 to 1910, it has been often pointed out that, under National Capital protection, Seisho-Zaibatsu had gone into the business of financial, shipping, railway and mining, and in connection with Japanese Industrialization, a system of the exchange of cotton goods for rice had been built. In opposition to this, a number of Japanese people in Korea, chiefly consisted of medium and smaller merchants has been neglected in spite of the importance. This paper aims to make clear the socio-economic background of Japanese expansionism into Korea, in the case of old Marifu-mura, Kumage-gun, Yamaguchi-ken. Then I would like to cover the black of the study and make clear one of the forms of the masses' correspondence under the reorganization of native industries. After the investigation of historical materials at Yamaguchi Prefectural Archives and the Office of old Marifu-mura, I concluded the following points; (1) The population in Korea from old Marifu-mura amounts to 40.7% of the legal residencial population in 1917. (2) The most frequent period of expansionism is the twenty years before and after Japanese and Sino-War. (3) Many of them are engaged in commerce, and the rest are other various jobs. (4) Most of them are householders and the eldest sons. (5) The greatest force that drove them to such expansionism is the affairs in connection with commerce-shipping which are caused by the economic fluctuations since the Meiji Restoration. The people engaged in commerce-shipping went into Korea to find a new stage of their activities. Of course we should not overlook the backup of Japanese government. But the main purpose is in the establishment of the political and strategical bridgehead.