This report presents a clear, data-driven view of the laboring class in Japan, exploring how geography, climate, and policy shape work and pay. It covers farmers, artisans, and common laborers, from farm wages to the skilled trades behind porcelain, lacquer, bronze, and textiles. The analysis shows how family and cottage industry intertwine with broader economic forces, and it notes the role of new institutions and foreign influence in shaping wages and opportunities.

What you’ll read

How location, soil, and climate affect the daily life and earnings of workers across regions.
The mix of handcraft and small-scale production that drives many traditional crafts.
Comparisons of wages by craft, including silk, porcelain, lacquer, and metalwork, with attention to skilled versus common labor.
The emergence of new trades and the status of professional labor and coolie labor in a changing Japan.

You’ll encounter practical portraits of workers: wheel-turners, painters, enamelers, bronze workers, carpenters, and teachers, alongside the realities faced by carriers, jinrikisha operators, and their communities. The text situates labor against the backdrop of education, governance, and market access, offering a grounded, historically informed view of how work is organized and rewarded in a rapidly evolving society.
Ideal for readers who want a clear, real-world account of Japan’s laboring population, its crafts, and the economic forces shaping wages and living conditions. This edition provides a factual, accessible entry point to understanding work, skill, and opportunity in late 19th-century Japan.

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