Modern History of Japan - Essay Example

29 November, 2007 Modern History of Japan Q What was the nature of the environmental problem associated with the Ashio Copper Mine? To what extent did the state respond to the problem? Answer: Japan is known worldwide as the nation with the most serious environmental pollution. Japan’s environmental destruction started long before the emergence of the country’s modernization and industrialization period. The well known example of early pollution problem was Ashio copper mine, which began its destructive operations at the end of the nineteenth century and continues to this day to be a pervasively insoluble problem (Ui, par.1). The Ashio mine, in Tochigi, has been in existence at least since 1600 when it belonged to the Tokugawa shogunate with annual production capacity of about 1,500 tons. It became privately owned in 1871 following the industrialisation initiated by the Meiji restoration. In 1877 it became the property of Furukawa Ichibei, and by the 1880s production had increased dramatically, reaching 4,090 tons by 1885, 78 % of the total output of the Furukawa mines and 39 % of Japan’s copper production. The major pollution problem associated with Ashio Copper Mine was the destruction of water ecosystem due to copper poisoning of ground water caused by flooding and drainage (Gros, par. 5). In 1884, massive tree blighting occurred because of discovery of large copper ore lode. In August 1885, massive fish kills in the Watarase River was observed because of the use of steam-operated pump and rock-crushing machines in Ani mine. In August 1890, 1,600 hectares of farmland and 28 towns and villages in Tochigi and Gunma prefectures were heavily damaged by the floodwater, which contained poisons from the Ashio mine. In September 1896, a massive flood due to heavy rain damaged the one large city, five prefectures, twelve provinces, and 136 towns and villages over a total area of 46,723 hectares by the water-borne mine poisons. The loss sustained was about 23 million yen, which was eight times the annual income of the Ashio copper mine. The voice against the mine pollution was first raised in October 1890, after August flood when because of Chugo Hayakawa led anti-mine movement, the residents of Azuma Village, Tochigi Prefecture, appealed to the governor of the prefecture to call a halt to the mining operations at Ashio and conduct tests for water-borne poisons. The Gunma Prefecture followed their move in March 1891. In April, 1891, Professor Yoshinao Kozai of the Agricultural University carried out the soil analysis on the request of both the governors of Tochigi and Gunma, but the results were confiscated by the authorities. During this an immense movement to stop the mining started in the provinces of Yamada, Nitta, and Oura in Gunma Prefecture. In September 1891, because of the mediation of the governor of Tochigi Prefecture, the farmers’ anti-mine operation movement turned into a movement to demand compensation for damage. Furukawa, the the owner of the Ashio mine, had very close ties both with the leading capitalist of the times like Eiichi Shibusawa and political figures like Kaoru Inoue1. Furukawa further strengthen his economic and political power by adopting Junkichi, the second son of the future Foreign Minister Munemitsu Mutsu as a son-in-law by Ichibei Furukawa. In December 1891, Shozo Tanaka, a member of the Lower House from Tochigi Prefecture, demanded to exercise the Article 27 of the Imperial Constitution and to stop mining at Ashio. During 1892-96, different arbitration meetings to settle the issue yet every time Furukawa Company tried to press the victimized farmers by marginalizing the damage done by water contamination. In March 1895, the Japan victory in Sino-Japanese War accelerated the industrialization process and Japan joined the race with other advanced nations for its imperialistic expansion. By the close of 1884, the Ashio copper mine further wrought the natural environment by deforesting the area around Ashio copper refinery yet the authorities did not take any concrete step to stop the damage. In September 1896 due to a massive flood, one large city, five prefectures, twelve provinces, and 136 towns and villages over a total area of 46,723 hectares were damaged by the water-borne mine poisons and it turned the situation too critical. Mr. Shozo Tanaka started his efforts to analyze the damage and he set an office in the Unryu Temple of Watarase Village in Gunma Prefecture. In November, the Ministry of Agriculture and Business conducted a survey to collect information about damage. The survey results rised the tide of public opinion against the destruction of the agricultural environment and became a powerful challenge to traditional agricultural ideologies based upon Confucianism. In February 1897, massive rallies against the operation of mine. In response to the massive public demonstration, the government instituted an Ashio Copper Mine Survey Committee of 18 members, headed by Tomotsune Kamimuchi, the Minister of Justice and in May it sent 37 environmental protection articles in relation to the mine to Ichibei Furukawa. The committee recommended that Ichibei Furukawa build a special area for the accumulation of slag and waste ores, a poisons catchments basin, and drainage for the copper mine itself, and that the water coming from the refinery be neutralized with lime. Since there was not any effective technology available at that to eliminate the mining-related smoke and hence environmental destruction continued. In 1955, Furukawa moved all inhabitants to other places, simply allowing the complete destruction of all living things and creating thereby a “death valley” (Shoji and Sugai, par. 1-36) Q. (2) What were the zaibatsu, and what economic and political factors account for their emergence? A. The term zaibatsu was used in the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century and it refers the diversified family enterprises which were established and became prominence during the Meiji Era. Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Yasuda, Sumitomo, Okura, Furukawa, Kuhara, Susuki, Fujita and Asano were few important names among them. Among these zaibatsu , Big Four zaibatsuof Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Sumitomo and Yasuda were the most historically significant zaibatsu groups, having roots stemming from the Edo period of Japanese history (Watkins, par.1). During Meiji period (1868-1912), new education system was introduced. Basic infrastructure was improved by building new roads and highways. The land reform programs were introduced. Also more than 3,000 western experts were hired to teach modern science, mathematics, technology, and foreign languages in Japan (The Economy - Patterns of Development, par. 2).The Tokugawa shogunate employed their services and financial powers for various endeavors, which the zaibatsu often provided free of charge in exchange for the privilege of using government funds. All these activities were to stimulate the economic growth. In the early Meiji period, the government built factories and shipyards that were sold to entrepreneurs at a fraction of their value. Moreover, the government emerged as chief promoter of private enterprise, enacting a series of probusiness. It adopted industrialist friendly policies and economic conditions to promote industrialization. It generously provide help to private business by allocating the resources and plans. Japan expand its territory by including Taiwan, Korea, Manchuria, and parts of northern China. The sole objective behind all this was to built an extensive empire and take control of trade and economics by influencing as a political and economic power (Okubo, pp.2-23). Q. (3) In what sectors of the economy did Japanese private enterprise begin to excel in the Meiji era? What accounts for the ability of these sectors, and (by the end of the era) of the Meiji economy as a whole, to do so well? A. During the Meiji era, because of government industrialist friendly policies and better economic conditions, an enormous growth in Japanese private enterprise was observed. The major sectors in which these privately owned enterprises flourished were financial services (like Mitsui zaibatsu), shipping and transportation (Mitsubishi), money change, revenue tax collection, mining and smelting (like Sumitomo), export (of raw silk, camphor and mint) and import (of sugar) and coal and cement processing. Most of these enterprise were family owned enterprises with strong political affiliation and influence. Later on these enterprises turned into industrial and financial tycoon. For example in 1876 Mitsui formed the Mitsui Bank and in the same year Yasuda also founded the Third National Bank of Japan. Both of the banks proved to be major financial institution in Japan in the years ahead. Similarly Mitsubishi proved to be the strongest player in shipping, transportation and automobile industry ((Watkins, par.1-23). Works Cited Gros, Xavier E. “Let’s Pollute: A Tribute to Japans Disregard for the Environment.” Electronic Green Journal 11(1999). 29 November, 2007 Okubo, Toshihiro. “Trade Bloc Formation in Interwar Japan.” Journal of the Japanese and International Economies. (January, 2006). 30 November, 2007 Shoji, Kichiro and Sugai, Masuro. “The Ashio Copper mine pollution case: The origins of environmental destruction.” Industrial pollution in Japan. Jun Ui. University of Okinawa 1992. 29 November, 2007 Ui, Jun. “Environmental pollution: Basic precepts.” Industrial pollution in Japan. University of Okinawa 1992. 29 November, 2007 Watkins, Thayer. “THE ZAIBATSU OF JAPAN.” applet-magic.com, Silicon Valley. 30 November, 2007 18 http://gpih.ucdavis.edu/files/Fukao_Ma_Yuan.pdf Read More