The Significance of a Government Model Factory: Our Problem

• Was the first real steam filature in Japan – 1872

• Government controlled training factory

• Designed to improve quality of Japanese raw silk

  • As it was the most important export in the early Meiji period

• Faced difficulties in producing Western construction materials

  • Indigenous techniques and raw materials

• Meiji government had only recently (a few years back), adopted the open-door policy

  • Began to promote industrialization

    • Actively introducing Western culture and technology

  • But anti-alienism was still widespread

    • Based on ideas from the previous Tokugawa Rule

    • “blood-wine” rumour

• When it finally opened, the number of applicants was surprisingly small (because of the anti-alienism)

• The transfer of technology was not the most significant feature

  • Transplant of a completely new Western production system was more important

    • i.e. the factory system

• Tomioka filature focused “quality-first” principle

• There already existed a few Western-style filatures

  • “domestic filatures”

  • But were based on viewpoint of cheaper and easier transfers of Western technology

    • Adaptation rather than adoption

• Tomioka filature introduced a Western factory management system to Japan

  • Sunday holidays

    • Unknown in Japanese society due to reliance on lunar calendar and lack of Christianity

    • These regular holidays led to high-absentee rate, loitering and tardiness

    • Government introduced Sunday system into public schools and offices in 1876

    • Took until 1940s to penetrate factories and society

  • 8 hour days

  • Meals and housing conditions in the dormitory were better than average rural conditions

  • Medical office

• Was too idealistic

• Successive losses and poor financial situation

Economic Adaptations in the Silk Reeling Industry

• After 1900s Japanese silk-reeling industry began to deprive China of the raw-silk export market

• French filature system was too expensive and sophisticated

  • So led to modifications in the technology, marketing policy and institution

• The production of fine sizes from poor cocoons is accompanied by a high proportion of waste silk

  • Moved to thicker size, which was consumed more by the US market

    • Because of low price for its level of quality

• Switchover to “quantity-first” principle encountered problem of insufficient cocoon supply

  • Led to development in early 1900s of bi-voltine silkworm varieties (two broods a year)

• Government supported the industry in promoting...

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