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Fishing Villages in Tokugawa Japan
This is the first full-length presentation of Japan's pre-industrial fishing culture and a careful application of anthropological method to historical research. Shows that Tokugawa Japan's fishing villages were critical to Japan's economic development, being key links between towns and farming communities.
355 pages, Paperback
First published February 23, 1995
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December 7, 2020
What would people associate more with Japan then fish? It is therefore surprising to read that few western studies or translations of Japanse studies have been made concerning the fishing villages of Japan. An oversight that Arne Kalland set out to set right with this extensively documented book. He does more than that though, his study of fishing villages in the Edo period is alternative window into the dynamics of the Tokugawa society of Japan that has all to often focuses on either the farming villages and or the bustling city life in either Edo or Osaka. Both of which are fascinating and insightfull in their own right to be sure but as Kalland argues such a dichotomy tends to enforces a too wide a gap of two worlds; of self sufficient traditional villages and of commercial castles towns between which little seems to fit. On top of that his choice for focusing on one region, the north Kyushy region Fukuoka domain was welcome, it allowed for in depth analysis and refrains from sticking to the usual suspect regions of interest when studying early modern Japan
According to Kalland and meticulously supported by various sources, the fishing villages of Japan offer the bridge between these worlds. The role of these villages was to supply the lords and merchants of the towns with various forms of seafood but also functioned as rural trade markets for the farmers who among other things bought dried fish and whale bone as fertilizers. Fishers themselves depended on a functioning local market to acquire rice and vegetables and on credit supplied by moneylenders for fishing gear and boats or they worked as part time or even full time wage workers for merchants active in the more capital intensive fishing such as whaling and use of large nets for tuna and sea bream. Wages, mercantile investments and commercial activity that drew in various other crafts such as saltmaking and sakébrewing which in turn enticed more farmers to engage in the “local” market thus in this sense the fishing villages, one could argue as Kalland does, served as vectors of commercialization in Tokugawa Japan.
Besides this economic approach, Kalland dives deep into social studies and anthropology, marriage customs, birth control, taboos, social norms on gift giving and appropriate behavior studied in relation to how this was influenced by and influenced the economic conditions of these coastal communities. A Max Weber approach akin to his classic “the protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism” well executed. But make no mistake, this book is not out to prove that these villages were somehow detached from the feudal norms and rules of Japan. Status and privilege were immensely important for their daily lives, their grayish zone (not quite farmers not quite merchants or artisans) that made them fall in between the rigid class structure of Tokugawa Japan gave them perhaps more options to negotiate or interact with the lords but that did not mean they could get escape duties of corvee labor or taxes in kind, it was simply a distinct role they served as beholden to the feudal order as any other commoner.
Having said that these fishing communities did have some peculiarities to them. For one they were more mobile then most commoners as activities such as whaling and albalone diving among others was not only seasonal but a migratory occupation, the profits of which let lords be more lenient as it came to allowing these fishers to migrate for work. Likewise the corvé labor often involved marine service for ferrying troops and lords, receiving noble guests and as coastal guards, after all who else had the experience to man the ships? The albalone diving was so lucrative that it managed to circumvent social norms on the role of women and households. The diving for the priced shells was a task for women, in fact the only task in the actual fishing open to women and unlike other Japanese households, due to the need to learn the skill from their mothers, these women did not by default move in to their husbands family as was custom.
In other aspects these fishing villages were thoroughly similar to their rural counterparts in the sense that like rural villages, communities had formally designated “plots” unlike Europe, the sea was not free. The right to fish a specific peace of sea was a granted privilege that like farming required payment and servitude and in combination with the diversification in household occupations resulted in “fishing villages” were only a minority of inhabitants were directly involved in fishing. A system that demanded extensive social control and collective punishment in case of transgressions.
This book is an interesting read into the extent of social control that this society enforced, how respect and hierarchy were experienced by those at various levels and Kalland does not simplify it to an autocratic system of control but as a set of rules for people to navigate in. Another aspect that I found fascinating was the existence of relief funds, apparently through use of the village heads, lords were meant to be kept up to date of the well being of the commoners and the relief funds were meant to act when for instance a fisher drowned and no one could take care of his household. These investigations were thorough accounting for ages, disabilities, skills off al those involved and serious punishments in cases of fraud.
In conclusion if your interested in Tokugawa Japan this book is definitely something to put on your list. On top of all I have said the book included quite a few historical prints which are always a pleasure and a lot of examples and cases to prove his points.
According to Kalland and meticulously supported by various sources, the fishing villages of Japan offer the bridge between these worlds. The role of these villages was to supply the lords and merchants of the towns with various forms of seafood but also functioned as rural trade markets for the farmers who among other things bought dried fish and whale bone as fertilizers. Fishers themselves depended on a functioning local market to acquire rice and vegetables and on credit supplied by moneylenders for fishing gear and boats or they worked as part time or even full time wage workers for merchants active in the more capital intensive fishing such as whaling and use of large nets for tuna and sea bream. Wages, mercantile investments and commercial activity that drew in various other crafts such as saltmaking and sakébrewing which in turn enticed more farmers to engage in the “local” market thus in this sense the fishing villages, one could argue as Kalland does, served as vectors of commercialization in Tokugawa Japan.
Besides this economic approach, Kalland dives deep into social studies and anthropology, marriage customs, birth control, taboos, social norms on gift giving and appropriate behavior studied in relation to how this was influenced by and influenced the economic conditions of these coastal communities. A Max Weber approach akin to his classic “the protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism” well executed. But make no mistake, this book is not out to prove that these villages were somehow detached from the feudal norms and rules of Japan. Status and privilege were immensely important for their daily lives, their grayish zone (not quite farmers not quite merchants or artisans) that made them fall in between the rigid class structure of Tokugawa Japan gave them perhaps more options to negotiate or interact with the lords but that did not mean they could get escape duties of corvee labor or taxes in kind, it was simply a distinct role they served as beholden to the feudal order as any other commoner.
Having said that these fishing communities did have some peculiarities to them. For one they were more mobile then most commoners as activities such as whaling and albalone diving among others was not only seasonal but a migratory occupation, the profits of which let lords be more lenient as it came to allowing these fishers to migrate for work. Likewise the corvé labor often involved marine service for ferrying troops and lords, receiving noble guests and as coastal guards, after all who else had the experience to man the ships? The albalone diving was so lucrative that it managed to circumvent social norms on the role of women and households. The diving for the priced shells was a task for women, in fact the only task in the actual fishing open to women and unlike other Japanese households, due to the need to learn the skill from their mothers, these women did not by default move in to their husbands family as was custom.
In other aspects these fishing villages were thoroughly similar to their rural counterparts in the sense that like rural villages, communities had formally designated “plots” unlike Europe, the sea was not free. The right to fish a specific peace of sea was a granted privilege that like farming required payment and servitude and in combination with the diversification in household occupations resulted in “fishing villages” were only a minority of inhabitants were directly involved in fishing. A system that demanded extensive social control and collective punishment in case of transgressions.
This book is an interesting read into the extent of social control that this society enforced, how respect and hierarchy were experienced by those at various levels and Kalland does not simplify it to an autocratic system of control but as a set of rules for people to navigate in. Another aspect that I found fascinating was the existence of relief funds, apparently through use of the village heads, lords were meant to be kept up to date of the well being of the commoners and the relief funds were meant to act when for instance a fisher drowned and no one could take care of his household. These investigations were thorough accounting for ages, disabilities, skills off al those involved and serious punishments in cases of fraud.
In conclusion if your interested in Tokugawa Japan this book is definitely something to put on your list. On top of all I have said the book included quite a few historical prints which are always a pleasure and a lot of examples and cases to prove his points.
November 15, 2021
In the introduction to Fishing Kalland noted that it was based on a dissertation she did to earn her PhD. Thus, it exhibited the features one would expect of a piece of academic research.
First, she based it on a review of dozens of Japanese and English language primary and secondary sources which were referred to in footnotes throughout the text and in 13 pages of references. It should be noted, however, that unlike most economic historians the author immersed herself in the community and culture she was studying. Ie, she spent three years living in the area around Fukuoka on the northern coast of the island of Kyushu Japan. This significantly enhanced the book’s appeal.
Second, all,of this extensive research allowed her to construct an extremely comprehensive narrative about the complex interaction which took place between fishermen, farmers, merchants, and government officials over the period between the early 17th and the mid 19th centuries. The manner in which underlying social, cultural, political, and religious dynamics affected the lives of the people was discussed in a deep and textured way. In fact, there were 23 tables which provided a great deal of specific information.
Third, to her credit Kalland did some things to make Fishing readable. Chapters were divided into sections and subsections. A handful of maps and reproductions made it easier to visualize the information she was communicating. She integrated quotations from her sources and gave numerous examples of the points she was trying to make. When she used Japanese vocabulary, she always provided an English language translation. Additionally, unlike some scholarly publications the prose used in this one was largely direct.
My only criticism of this book is that it is a proverbial victim of its own success. Ie, its thoroughness meant that it became slow going, if not tedious, at times. By the last one third or so I began to skim some of it when it became a matter of TMI: too much information for my level of interest.
Otherwise, I would recommend it for readers with an interest in an aspect of that period of Japanese history that one does not find in other books.
First, she based it on a review of dozens of Japanese and English language primary and secondary sources which were referred to in footnotes throughout the text and in 13 pages of references. It should be noted, however, that unlike most economic historians the author immersed herself in the community and culture she was studying. Ie, she spent three years living in the area around Fukuoka on the northern coast of the island of Kyushu Japan. This significantly enhanced the book’s appeal.
Second, all,of this extensive research allowed her to construct an extremely comprehensive narrative about the complex interaction which took place between fishermen, farmers, merchants, and government officials over the period between the early 17th and the mid 19th centuries. The manner in which underlying social, cultural, political, and religious dynamics affected the lives of the people was discussed in a deep and textured way. In fact, there were 23 tables which provided a great deal of specific information.
Third, to her credit Kalland did some things to make Fishing readable. Chapters were divided into sections and subsections. A handful of maps and reproductions made it easier to visualize the information she was communicating. She integrated quotations from her sources and gave numerous examples of the points she was trying to make. When she used Japanese vocabulary, she always provided an English language translation. Additionally, unlike some scholarly publications the prose used in this one was largely direct.
My only criticism of this book is that it is a proverbial victim of its own success. Ie, its thoroughness meant that it became slow going, if not tedious, at times. By the last one third or so I began to skim some of it when it became a matter of TMI: too much information for my level of interest.
Otherwise, I would recommend it for readers with an interest in an aspect of that period of Japanese history that one does not find in other books.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews