Undermining the Japanese Miracle
Work and Conflict in a Japanese Coal-mining Community

This book, first published in 1995, is about the underside of Japan's economic miracle.

Matthew Allen (Author)

9780521114943, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 25 June 2009

320 pages, 38 b/w illus.
22.9 x 15.2 x 1.8 cm, 0.47 kg

This book, first published in 1995, is about the underside of Japan's economic miracle. It is an account of people who have been forgotten in Japan's push to industrialise in the post-war era: the coal-miners of Chikuho on Japan's southernmost island. The dirty and neglected character of Chikuho is in stark contrast with Japan's prevailing image as an international leader in technology and an affluent, socially cohesive country. As coal industries in industrialised nations around the world are closed down, regions like Chikuho embody the concept of underdevelopment within highly developed societies. Matthew Allen challenges the concepts of industrial harmony, economic foresight, cultural homogeneity and caring political management that dominate much of the literature on Japan. He describes how the people of the coalfields see themselves, providing insights into an aspect of Japanese society that is rarely encountered.

List of Plates
List of Maps
List of Figures
Acknowledgements
Glossary
List of abbreviations
Notes on translation and anonymity
Introduction
1. Chikuho: a short description
2. The Chikuho revivalists
3. Idegawa
4. A short history of coalmining: Chikuho in context
5. The picture show man
6. A culture in violence
7. H-san mine: violence and repression
8. The bathing master
9. Labour conflict: the case of the K-san union action
10. D-san and the students
11. Mizuno
12. The Y-san disaster
13. Sono
14. Welfare
15. Welfare in Chikuho
16. A Yakuza story
Conclusion
Bibliographical Essay
Bibliography
List of Informants
Index.

Subject Areas: Social & cultural anthropology, ethnography [JHMC]