The Lumber Industry in Early Modern Japan

This concise volume surveys three hundred years in the history of the lumber industry in early modern (Tokugawa) Japan. In earlier works, Conrad Totman examined environmental aspects of Japan's early modern forest history; here he guides readers through the inner workings of lumber provision for urban construction, providing a wealth of detail on commercial and technological systems of provision while focusing on the convoluted commercial arrangements that moved timber from forest to city despite exceptionally severe environmental and financial obstacles. Based on scrupulous scholarship in the vast Japanese secondary literature on forest history, The Lumber Industry in Early Modern Japan brings to light materials previously unavailable in English and synthesizes these within a thoughtful ecological framework. Its penetrating examination of the patterns of cooperation and conflict throughout the industry adds significantly to the scholarly corpus that challenges the stock image of Tokugawa rulers and merchants as social enemies. Instead it supports the view of those who have noted the interdependent character of political and economic elites and the long-term strengthening of rural sectors of society vis-a-vis urban sectors.
ASIN: 082481665X
VSKU: BVV.082481665X.G
Condition: Good
Author/Artist:Totman, Conrad D.
Binding: Hardcover
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact including the dust cover, if applicable . Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.