Historiographical Essay

The Tokugawa Transition: Bridging Japan's Pre-Modern and Modern Era. Students Name Course Instructor Date Introduction Japan is considered one of the developed nations. Her development journey has been discussed by many scholars, especially during the Tokugawa period (1603-1868). One of the scholars is Susan B. Hanley's on her book, "Everyday Things in Pre-modern Japan," which challenges the conventional notion of evaluating living standards solely based on economic indices. Hanley advocates her argument with a concept named "level of physical wellbeing," an approach that considers social factors like sanitation, nutrition, health and wellbeing, housing, and others. Her approach has attracted many economic and historical views, leading to an examination of Tokugawa Japan's readiness for the subsequent era of modernization. Hanley's work and that of other scholars like Gary P. Leupp, William B. Hauser, and Sydney Crawcour illuminate the pivotal facets of Tokugawa society in Japan's transition to industrialization and economic growth. By examining the urban working class, traditional economic interpretations, and the continuities between the Tokugawa and Meiji eras, these sources collectively contribute to the understanding of Japan's preparedness for the modern era. Source 1: “Everyday Things in Pre-modern Japan" by Susan B. Hanley In his book, Hanley brings out the idea that the measure of economic standards solely using GDP or income is ineffective, especially in pre-industrial societies. She introduces the concept of "level of physical wellbeing," which incorporates the standard of living but also considers various "quality factors" like housing, wellbeing and nutrition, and sanitation, among others. Applying this concept to Tokugawa Japan, Hanley contends that the Japanese population achieved a relatively high level of physical well-being prior to industrialization. . Their lifestyle emphasized resource efficiency, hygiene, and a balanced diet. This enabled them to live quite healthfully despite modest incomes compared to Western nations at the time. Hanley's analysis contributes to the debate by suggesting that Japan had developed the foundations for a capable and productive labor force needed for industrialization. While estimated income levels appear low, accounting for quality of life factors reveals that the Japanese were well-nourished, healthy, and able to work productively. Their high level of physical well-being meant Japan had an important prerequisite for industrialization - human capital in the form of a robust population suited for economic modernization. Hanley challenges purely income-based assessments, arguing that Japan's population was better prepared for industrialization than generally assumed.[Susan B Hanley, Everyday Things in Pre-modern Japan: The Hidden Legacy of Material Culture (Berkeley, Calif.: University Of California Press, 1999).] Source 2: “Servants, Shophands, and Laborers in the Cities of Tokugawa Japan” by Gary P. Leupp In his article, Leupp argues that the urban working class, often overlooked by Western historians, significantly impacted Japan's development during the Tokugawa period (1603-1868). He contends that the emergence of wage labor and capitalist relations of production in Japanese cities during this "feudal" era was crucial in shaping Japan's historical trajectory towards capitalism. Leupp examines the transformation of the urban labor force from unpaid, hereditary retainers to short-term, contracted employees paid in cash wages. He focuses on domestic servants, manual laborers in construction and transport, and manufacturing workers, who he argues constituted a wage-earning, exploited workforce representative of nascent capitalism. . ...