Industrial Workers: An Overview
The section details Japan's transformation into a modern industrial nation, emphasizing the substantial increase in the number of manufacturing employees from 700,000 in 1870 to 4 million in 1913.
The workforce primarily consisted of women, who made significant contributions to the industry during the early years of modernization. Notably, women organized the first modern strike in 1886, illustrating their crucial role not only in the workforce but also in labor movements. As male workers started entering industrial jobs post-1900, the dynamic of the workforce shifted. The growth of factory sizes is also a key point, with establishments employing over a hundred workers rising significantly while smaller workshops remained a staple, contributing to a family-centered ideology in Japan's socio-political environment.
Despite the industrial boom, the rapid unregulated growth also led to environmental degradation, as pointed out by Tanaka Shozo’s early activism against industrial pollution. The political framework during the Meiji era, which limited the franchise and emphasized military strength, shaped labor's position within society. Despite the challenges, including exploitation and poor working conditions, industrial growth laid the groundwork for Japan's complex socio-political landscape, combining aggressive nationalism with the struggles of the working class during the expansion of its industrial economy.