Professor: Yukinobu Koyama

He analyzes the development of regional economies during the early modern and modern periods to elucidate the structure of the regional market from the perspective of money lending and commodity trading. He emphasizes the analysis of historical documents showing the economic activities of merchants and farmers to explore the actual local society. Specifically, his research delves into how the merchants and wealthy farmers growing up in the late early modern period became involved in economic activities. This attempt will shed light on their positions in the local community during the early modern period. It will draw the continuous social changes from the early modern period to the modern period.

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Associate Professor: Kiyotaka Maeda

He is researching how local commodity market trends and related policies promoted economic advancement in Japanese colonies, analyzing the relationship between the expansion of colonial trade in pre-war Japan and the quantitative/qualitative transformation of local commodity markets, using salt and rice as examples of primary commodities. To this end, he is surveying and collecting historical materials in Japan and former colonies, attempting a multifaceted approach that includes qualitative analysis using descriptive materials such as letters and handwritten notes, as well as quantitative analysis using ledgers and price data.

Professor Emeritus: Shigehiko Ioku

His research considers how the traditional Japanese industry contributed to the modernization of Japan. Specifically, he is conducting research on the brewing industry, which has utilized the environment and culture of Japan and is engrained as a part of the Japanese national character. He pays particular attention to the soy sauce industry, which has made seasonings indispensable for Japanese food. While the mechanization of the soy sauce industry was delayed, it grew as a handcraft industry. Today, soy sauce has become a truly global seasoning.