The next meeting of the Japan History Group (JHG) at the Institute of Social Science (ISS), University of Tokyo, will be held on Tuesday, 12 December 2023, at 5:00 PM in the Center Meeting Room of ISS (room no.549, Center Kaigi-shitsu), 5th floor of the Akamon Research Building, Hongo Campus.

Presenter: Ms. Narusa Yamato, Ph.D. candidate, Stanford University

Discussant: Prof. Yohei Kojima, The University of Tokyo

Title: The Hachijō Island Condensed Milk Company: Livestock Experts, Local Notables, and Island Governors in Imperial Japan

Abstract:

A small island located in the Izu archipelago some 287 km south of Tokyo, Hachijō was renowned for its dairy industry. During the early twentieth century, the island produced condensed milk and record-breaking dairy cows that helped meet the growing demand for dairy items in the Japanese empire. The empire was experiencing a "milk craze" because of the understanding that milk was an elixir that would help strengthen the physiques of Japanese imperial subjects (Veronica S. W. Mak, 2021). This paper analyzes how dairy cows were popularized in this liminal island by using a wide range of sources from national, local, corporate, and personal archives. In doing so, it demonstrates that livestock experts, local notables, and island governors played integral roles mediating amongst the state, local islanders, and confectionary conglomerates. Another focus of this paper is the connections between Hachijō and other islands such as those in the Oki archipelago, Shimane, that were known for their beef cattle. Exploring these connections sheds light on the idiosyncrasies of island economies and the importance of livestock in regions where rice cultivation proved to be challenging.

 

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Dr. Naofumi NAKAMURA
Professor of Business History
Institute of Social Science, 
The University of Tokyo
naofumin@iss.u-tokyo.ac.jp