在来産業と在来燃料 : 明治〜大正期における埼玉県入間郡の木炭需給
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概要
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This paper examines changes in the pattern of fuel consumption in Saitama prefecture during the early phase of Japanese industrialization, with reference to the impact on the regional supply of and demand for fuel The paper focuses on the Iruma district, and its major industries of sericulture, silk and tea. During the Meiji and Taisho eras, the three industries shared similar patterns of rapid growth; however, there were differences in their fuel consumption patterns. In sericulture, the change from cool to heated methods of breeding caused a dramatic shift from very low to high charcoal consumption. In the silk industry, fuel use changed from an indigenousonly to a dual-use pattern. In the tea sector, along with innovations in machinery, firewood and coal came into use at certain stages in the production process. Although the technology of the three industries developed in different ways, their overall consumption of the indigenous fuel, charcoal, grew. This was due to the growth of each industry per se, but also to the way the respective production technology propagated in each sector. The increase in charcoal consumption had an enormous impact on local supply and demand. In 1876, before growth in the indigenous industries really took off, half the villages in Iruma district were self-sufficient in charcoal; by 1912, the end of the Meiji era, the district was dependent on imports from other parts of Saitama prefecture. Industrial growth led to an increase in charcoal consumption and put increased pressure on forest resource. There were two responses: one was an increase in imports from other areas and the other was technological improvements in charcoal production. Without such solutions, forest resources in Iruma would have been exhausted. From the viewpoint of the economic history of the environment, this paper therefore proves that economic development does not necessarily lead to environmental destruction, and suggests an underlying model for sustainable development.
- 社会経済史学会の論文
- 1998-11-25