Origins Of Japanese Wealth And Power PDF Download

This study is an English translation of Gendai kinken shi (The Power of Money inModern Japanese History), written in Japanese by Yamaji Aizan (1865-1917) and published as abook in 1908 by Hattori Shoten and Bunsendō. Yamaji Aizan was one of the most influentialintellectual figures during the Meiji period. Born as the son of samurai, he became a journalist,wrote many articles and books that shaped the public sphere in a variety of fields such as politics,economy, and current events. In Gendai kinken shi, Yamaji details the history of modern Japan,especially the relationship between politics and the fugō, the rich men who emerged during theMeiji government's promotion of industry. He describes how these fugō (e.g., Iwasaki Yatarō,the founder of the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, a financial conglomerate) developed political connections,ultimately controlling politics and arguably having more power than politicians themselves.Yamaji critiques these fugō, characterizing them as modern Japan's new daimyo or feudal lords.He argues that fugō should spend their money on behalf of the common people, not onthemselves, and that this must be accomplished through an intervention of the government. Thisis what Yamaji calls, "a unit of community" (seikatsu kyōdōtai). Gendai kinken shi is a pioneerwork of economics and a classic text regarding the theory of the fugō during the Meiji period.While Yamaji is an important figure in the history of modern Japan, the English-languageliterature written discussing his contribution to Japan's intellectual and economic history arelimited, with very few English translations of his original works. This study seeks to restore thiscritical voice to the English-language historiography of the economic theory and intellectualhistory of Meiji Japan by providing Western scholars with an English translation of YamajiAizan's influential work, Gendai kinken shi.