Agricultural Revolution In Japan And Its Impact On The Society - Book Report/Review Example

Agricultural Revolution In Japan And Its Impact On The Society The novel The soil by Nagatsuka Takashi covers the Meiji period in Japan at a time when agricultural was being revolutionized in Japan, and the adverse effects of transformations fell hard on the poor peasants (Waswo, 1969). The author was brought up in a stable family but was unable to complete his middle-school education due to his poor health (Nagatsuka, 1993). The story presents challenges as some people have viewed it as portraying the progress of the community while others have believed those characteristics were an indication of “backwardness” of the community. This document examines various approaches in which story can be used by different age groups to demonstrate the aspects of backwardness or progress of the community. The author of the novel was born in a family of the landowner could not be considered to be among the best economically (Nagatsuka, 1993). During that period in 1910, the Japan economy was undergoing a transformation although slight changes were evident in agriculture compared to other sectors such as trade. The author was a learned person having attained his formal education from middle-level institutions. The novel presents historical facts that the author observed from the community through interacting with others and from personal experience due to his strategic position in the community (Waswo, 1969). During that period, inequality was dominant aspect in the community. Those from poor families or tenants had to work hard in order to earn their living. They had to tolerate harsh conditions in order to earn their living. For example, kanji had to spend the entire day in the field, and the pay was meager (Nagatsuka, 1993). In addition, he had to report to work even after Oshina fell sick instead of staying at home to take care of her. On the other hand, the landowners played special roles such as setting policies and settling disputes. The author describes the lives of farmers as that of deprivation and struggle. Kanji and Oshina spends most of their time working on the rice and potato farm. They worked from morning until sunset and though they did not finish the work Oshina was left to continue the following day while Kanji takes up his new job in the crew (Nagatsuka, 1993). As the author illustrates, Kanji used to travel for fifty miles, carry his food and one yen for ferry expenses. He used to travel a lot and toil hard and that made him regret having taken over that job. Kanji used to work until his hands could ache because there was no mechanization of farming and farmers depended on human labor for their farms (Vanoverbeke, 2004). The author creates an impression that the farmers were living pathetic life with a lot of toiling and little earning. The social class had different roles to play in the community, and the class of landowners was responsible for making important decisions in the community (Waswo, 1969). Inequality in the community paved room for the rich (landowners) to oppress the weak (tenants) since tenant depended on landowners in everything they did. The land owners dictated to tenants on what crop to grow in their farms and farming practices to be applied (Nagatsuka, 1993). The landowners used their social status to oppress the poor by limiting the farming practices they could apply. Also, every year the landowners set the rent for the land so high and could reduce it only by ten percent whenever requested to reduce rent by the tenants (Nagatsuka, 1993). However, the rent still remained high even after reduction because the landowners ensured the rate was always higher than necessary in order to create room for issuing discounts. Inequality hinders innovation since the poor people had no room to exploit their creativity and fully depended in the landowners decisions on how to use the land (Nagatsuka, 1993). Since landowners dictated anything that was to be done on the land by the tenants, the landowners used their powers to contain the tenants at their poverty zone. Without the freedom to decide on crop to grow or farming process to utilize, the tenants were denied the opportunity to engage in productive farming activities. Therefore, decisions made by landowners without engaging tenants were in favor of the landowners at the expense of tenants. The unity of the Japanese people in Meiji period developed neighborhood, family unity and labor unions that created hierarchies and promoted social cohesion. The ownership of resources determined the roles performed by different members in the society (Nagatsuka, 1993). The landowners were held with high esteem in the society and various social groups performed different roles in the society. Various households formed different cooperative bodies (kyodotai) and influenced marriage institutions by not providing room for social classes to interact in marriage (Nagatsuka, 1993). The formation of social structures in the community with shared responsibility was a characteristic of progressing community. The landowners were called upon to provide financial assistance beside the managerial roles to the tenants (Nagatsuka, 1993). Tenants ensured they used the borrowed funds responsibly in order to be able to pay the borrowed money and gain some income (Waswo, 1969). Even in the modern society capitalists have a responsibility to make important decisions on behalf of the community. The wealth class was responsible for setting policies to govern the community (Nagatsuka, 1993). On the other hand, investors have to adhere to the policies established by the capitalists. The policies created order in the society. The affluent assisted the poor with finances and farms where they could grow crops and support their families. In addition, landowners used their powers to settle disputes in the society to restore peace and order in the society (Nagatsuka, 1993). In conclusion, the author of The soil presents an issue of bias whereby landowners use their social status to dictate to the tenants on what to farm and the farming practices to use thus limiting the innovation of the farmers. Due to the inequality the rich used their status to oppress the poor by increasing interest exorbitantly every year, making harsh policies at the expense of the tenants and forcing the tenants to work under terrible conditions with little pay. The landowners controlled how tenants’ activities and how tenants used the loans advanced to them and charged high interest on loans. However, the policies united the community thus creating harmony in the society. The landowners provided financial support and rent land to the tenants that enabled them to earn living. Therefore, inequality in the story had both positive and negative aspects depending on how the readers understanding of the context. References Nagatsuka, T. (1993). The Soil. USA: University of California Press. Vanoverbeke, D. (2004). "Community and State in the Japanese Farm Village: Farm Tenancy Conciliation, 1924-1938." Leuven University Press: 50-123 Waswo, B. A. L. (1969). Landlords and Social Change in Prewar Japan. Japan: Stanford University. Read More