Introduction
It is noteworthy to study about the past labor and political economy of Japan, as its transformation to what it is today is too different from what it was in the past. Japan has successfully reinvented itself, from one that used to be a closed political economy, into a country that is now open to world economic integration. Despite its economic stagnation in the past few years, Japan remains to be one of the world’s greatest powers, and this can be attributed to decades of political and economic choices that fostered its miracle growth. One of the critical options taken by the Japanese empire was the utilization of “skills, energy, and physical strength of millions of human beings to prosecute a war of conquest across East and Southeast Asia”. The massive but systematic labor mobilization of Japan was built on cheap labor, but this labor and economic strategy have helped propel the country’s economy for what it is today.
Military Recruitment
One of the major steps taken by the Japanese empire was to strengthen its military forces by recruiting manpower for its military operation. People were not only recruited to become members of the combat team, but also to serve as servicemen in manufacturing industries for military supplies and armaments, as well as military facilities. Japan’s population during that period of imperialism numbered to over 100 million, the majority of them were mobilized to serve in the war. Specifically, the Japanse men were recruited to take part in militaristic undertakings which were prioritized over all other activities in the region. The mobilization of Japanese men to join the military resulted in the diminished number of skilled workers in major industries. Consequently, the employers have to take workers who were less skilled such as women, shop assistants, farm laborers and people from other countries such as Koreans and Chinese workers.
Korea and Japan Relationship
In 1910, Japan brought Korea under its imperial wing and the Korean has since played a major role in supplying cheap labor to different Japan industries, including the military. The apparent colonization of Korea by Japan occurred with the annexation of both countries that was agreed into during August 22, 1910. There were mixed standpoints about the annexation, such that there were people who welcomed it with positive anticipation, while there were also those that condemned the eventual cessation of the existence of one country. While Korea has existed for many years before, it was considered to be weak and feeble, so that its eventual annexation with Japan was perceived with positivity. As reasoned, the absorption of Korea into the power of Japan was a means to “build a finer and stronger nation”.
However, the annexation of Korea by a stronger country did not all lead to the positive intention. Accordingly, the employment of a large number of Koreans in Japan industries serves to validate the notion about the Korean proletariat who were deemed to be “working population whose surplus labor time is exploited in capitalist production”. Moreover, the exploitation of the Korean workers was most apparent when the Japanse empire implemented the private property system which paved the way for the expropriation of more lands and mobilization of thousands of Koreans to increase agricultural production in the colony.
The expropriation of private lands and the exploitation of Koreans to operate these lands for agricultural production lasted from 1910 to 1945. The process has largely contributed in keeping the spirit of capitalism in Japan, while it helped in capitalism’s gradual development in Korea. One of the problems brought about by a capitalist economy is the emergence and maintenance of primitive accumulation which refers to the transformation of a system of production towards a capitalist-focused mode of production. The problem with the primitive accumulation under a capitalist economy is that it yields workforces who only have their labor power.
In addition to the expropriation of private lands in Korea, the Korean peasants were also recruited and transferred to Japan and were paid cheap labor. The relationship between Korea and Japan was marked with two opposite sides, Korea is the provider of commodity labor power, while Japan is the buyer or owner of capital. Consequently, the recruitment process served a definite purpose, especially in heavy industries that aimed to increase the number of workers to “deepen factory paternalism and to reduce high labor turnover of skilled workers”. Eventually, the upsurge of many Korean workers in Japan resulted in a massive unemployment, and the Korean workers started to feel the pressure when the government imposed restrictions in terms of recruitment policies. There were a large number of Koreans who opted to migrate in Japan, yet the imperial country was not prepared to absorb all of them. There were a few employment opportunities for the Koreans in Japan so that they found themselves stuck in chronic unemployment and a harshly limited choice to find work and accommodation. Moreover, it was also a difficult situation even for the Koreans who were employed and who happened to hold working contracts, as employers found ways to violate the initial agreement in the contract. Consequently, a closer examination of the annexation of Korea and the use of its labor force reveals how Japal imperialism exploited its colony as a means to promote its own economic objectives through the use of Korea’s labor power.
The Participation of Women in the Labor Force
The lives of many Korean women will never be the same again after the annexation of Korea with Japan. There were many families that encouraged their daughters to join the labor force, unwary of the possible dangers of a young woman leaving home to work in factories and other establishments. In addition to that, the need for more manpower leads to the recruitment of women in many industries. The working lives of the Korean women during the colonial period was not only affected by economic and political factors, but also shaped by cultural practices. For example, the wages of young women workers were given directly to their parents, demonstrating how women remained to be subject to parental authority despite being a productive member of the labor force. The majority of the Korean women were unskilled during their initial employment, and this was perceived an an opportunity for the employers to pay lower wages. Moreover, the women did not only suffer from low wages, but also from other forms of mistreatment such as physical, emotional and sexual abuse. For example, many Korean women became the subject of sexual exploitation when they were forced to provide sexual gratification to the Japanese military.
Manchuria and Japan Relations
The initial annexation of Manchuria by Japan occurred during the Japanese invasion of the region sometime in 1931. Japan’s interest in Manchuria was part of its operation to transform diverse geographical locations into special regions. As described, Manchuria and Mongolia were perceived as a rare terrain that could be possibly acquired with “100,000 lives and two billion in cash from the national treasury”. According to historians, the goal of colonizing Manchuria was part of Japan’s mission to continue the legacy of the Meiji Emperor. However, a more specific reason why Japan was interested in annexing Manchuria was its strategic location, as the region was an important part of the national defense in terms of protecting the country’s interest in Korea. Accordingly, the number of Koreans in Manchuria increased with the annexation of Korea by Japan in 210, and they were said to have reached about 800,000, and their vast number was considered by the Chinese as advance guards by the Japanese in Manchuria. This perception resulted in the restriction of Korean immigration as well as the expulsion of Koreans from the area. In addition to that, was the realization of the natural richness of the Manchurian territory and it was “viewed as something that promised economic development for Japan”
However, it was difficult for Japan to assert its territorial interest in Manchuria because the Chinese also realized the economic importance of the region to their development. The region was eventually coined as the Cradle of Conflict as Japan and China asserted their interest in the region. For example, Japan initiated an effort to politically detach Manchuria and Mongolia from China, as well as to designate it as a special zone that recognized solely its interest. On the hand, China was also on its way towards a nationalist movement that aimed to bring about national unity within its territory, and against the political imposition of other countries such as Japan. In this instance, Japan’s objective of expanding its political and economic interest conflicted with China’s clamor for the recognition of its sovereignty. Nevertheless, Japan succeeded in occupying Manchuria and this conquest lasted until the end of the Second World War.
Conclusion
Japan has gone through a massive transformation from its imperial state during the inter-war into a progressive economy that it is today. Tracing off to how it started prior to the First World War, the Janapese empire greatly mobilized labor forces, not only within the borders of Japan, but also the human resources of other regions such as Korea. It has not only called for the participation of men, but also of women in order to promote economic progress. While historians revealed the negative impact of exploiting labor forces, Japan has benefited greatly from the process as it was able to propel its economy through a vast but cheap labor resources.
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