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A Brief Chronicle of the Modern Japanese Consumer Cooperative Movement in an Electronic Version

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A Brief Chronicle of the Modern Japanese Consumer Cooperative Movement in an Electronic Version A Brief Chronicle of the Modern Japanese Consumer Cooperative Movement in an electronic version Edited and translated by Takeshi Suzuki, based on the writing in the same title by Yoshiaki Saito, Under editorial supervision by Toshifumi Yamashita, President, Japanese Consumers’ Co-operative Union. Published by the Japanese Consumers’ Co-operative Union Forewords by the Editorial Supervisor June 2010 Toshifumi Yamashita President, Japanese Consumers’ Co-operative Union As the president of the Japanese Consumers’ Consumer Co-operative Movement” and its Co-operative Union, I am much pleased to have related “Information Packet” were published published “A Brief Chronicle of the Modern by JCCU in Japanese. For international visitors Japanese Cooperative Movement” (CD version) and trainees coming to the Japanese Consumer in English that could be available to Co-operatives, it was obvious that an English international readers. version of this history book would be necessary In commemoration of the 50th anniversary and helpful. Therefore this electronic version of the Japanese consumers’ co-operative union, (in English) has been produced through the “The chronicle of the Modern Japanese collaboration between Mr. Yoshiaki Saito and - 1 - Mr. Takeshi Suzuki. Suzuki and I shared some common views on the After the edition of the chronicle Mr. Saito history of Japanese consumer cooperative wrote a summary version of the chronicle in the movement in various aspects, and those views title of “A Brief Chronicle of the Modern are reflected in this chronicle in English. Japanese Consumer Cooperative Movement”, Although the Japanese consumer which was published by Co-op Publishing, Inc. cooperative movement developed lately in in 2003. An enlarged and revised version was comparison with western countries, it rapidly made in 2007. grew especially after the 1970s, and has To help present Japanese consumer become very significant in the Japanese society cooperative movement to international readers, as consumer organizations or retail business Mr. Suzuki, after editing the book “The 50 entities. With regards to the movement’s social years of Co-op Tokyo” which was published to achievements I would leave that to the commemorate the 50th anniversary of Co-op international readers to explore in this Tokyo, started to translate Mr. Saito’s second chronicle. version into English adding his own commentary in consultation with Mr. Saito. Note: After deliberation of what to do with the This chronicle includes a column introducing book they finally suggested the idea of Toyohiko Kagawa, who is indispensable to electronic publication to JCCU. describe the history of the Japanese consumer Through the edition of the “The 50 Years cooperative movement. However, it is not of Co-op Tokyo”, which was one of my last intended to be an official critical biography for projects as the president of the cooperative, Mr. him by JCCU. - 2 - Words by the Original Author As the author of the original of this chronicle in Today’s Japanese consumer cooperatives English for an electronic publication, it is my owe much to the learning from the leading delight that the history of the Japanese cooperatives overseas. As this chronicle consumer cooperative movement is widely describes, the Japanese consumer cooperatives introduced to fellows in cooperative movement created their original operational and business worldwide. systems such as the han organization and joint The movement, which dates back 130 years buying, which have contributed to their ago, was born through learning from the development. The latter led to the creation of Equitable Pioneers of Rochdale, a British individual delivery service unsurpassed by cooperative, which developed in response to other retailing businesses. Consumer capitalistic-economic conditions and situations cooperatives can develop only when they of workers since the industrial revolution. The exactly respond to consumers’ living and needs. Japanese cooperatives, however, developed Although the experiences of the Japanese later after the cooperatives in Britain and other consumer cooperatives may not be directly European nations but could not fully expand to helpful for the international readers, I believe the extent that they could influence the society they will serve as a good reference for fellows before the end of the Asia-Pacific War. in cooperative movement overseas. It was only after the 1960s when the June 2010 movement got widely organized and developed Yoshiaki SAITO (**) after receiving the support of consumers and citizens. It was at the time that I joined the movement during my studentship at the (*) Translator Note: university. At first I read “The history of the George Jacob Holyoake（1817 - 1906） Rochdale Pioneers” written by George J. was one of the most famous and significant Holyoake (*), learning the cooperative idea. persons in the pioneer days of the modern Those days in Japan, there were not much British cooperative movement. He formulated information available about the history and the basic principles of cooperative 1s for the practice of cooperatives in developed nations. ICA based on the origin of the Equitable The JCCU made many efforts to obtain the Pioneers of Rochdale. His above -mentioned information and sent delegates overseas to writing was translated into many languages learn. including Japanese. - 3 - （＊＊）Career Summary executive at community cooperatives and a He was born in Sado Island, Niigata cooperative union in Tokyo, he served as prefecture.1936, was involved in the consumer executive director, advisor and chief chronicle cooperative movement during the student-time editor at JCCU (1989 - 1999). at the Waseda University. After working as - 4 - Table of Contents Forwards by the Editorial Supervisor ････････････････････････････････････ 1 Words by the Original Author ････････････････････････････････････････････ 3 Prologue: Consumer Cooperative Movement prior to the Asia-Pacific War 1. Birth and Expansion of Consumer Cooperative ･････････････････････････････ 9 2. Consumer Cooperatives in pre-during the Asia-Pacific Wartime ･･････････････ 14 Column Toyohiko Kagawa: The Leading Initiator of the Japanese Consumer Cooperative Movement ･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 18 Prefecture map of Japan ･････････････････････････････････････････････････ 21 Chapter One: Rebuilding Consumer Cooperative Movement after the Asia-Pacific War 1. Economic Turmoil and Hardship of People’s Lives after the Defeated War ･･････････････････････････････････････････････････ 22 2. Revival of Consumer Cooperatives and Birth of the Japanese Cooperative Alliance ･････････････････････････････ 23 3. Struggling to Build Business Basis of Consumer Cooperatives ･･･････････････ 26 4. “Dodge Line” Policies and Efforts for Crisis Breaching ･･････････････････････ 29 5. Establishment of the Japanese Consumer Cooperative Union (JCCU) and Joining the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) ･････････････････････ 30 Chapter Two: Expansion of Business Areas in the Recovering Japanese Economy The 1950s 1. Situations of Japan and Feature of Consumer Cooperatives in the 1950s ･･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 33 2. Worker Welfare Activities and Laborer Community Cooperatives ･･･････････････････････････････････････････ 35 3. Bedrock Building and Spreading Business Fields of Consumer Cooperatives ･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 37 4. Joint purchase business and organization of cooperative business union ･･････ 40 5. Up-rise of Anti-Cooperative Campaigns - 5 - and New Evolution of Consumer Movements ････････････････････････････････････ 41 Chapter Three: Advancing Consumerism and New Evolution of Consumer Cooperative Movement The 1960s 1. Social Situations and New Evolution of Consumer Cooperative Movement In the1960s ･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 45 2. Trials and Errors to Jump-Up ･･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 48 3. Structural Arrangement of the JCCU and Advancing Pooled Buying ･････････････ 53 4. Advancing Consumerism ････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 54 5. New Evolution of Consumer Cooperative ････････････････････････････････････････ 56 6. “Community Cooperative Development Policy” and International Exchanges of the JCCU ････････････････････････････････････････ 59 Chapter Four: Wide-Spreading “Citizen Cooperatives” Centering on Housewives The 1970s 1. Situations of the 1990s and birth and development of“ Citizen Cooperatives ････ 63 2. Incorporation and Development of “Citizen Cooperatives” throughout the Nation ･･･････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 64 3. Developing Chain Store Operation and Joint Buying Business ･･･････････････････ 67 4. Management Crises of Some Cooperatives in the Shadow of Rapid Expansion ･･････････････････････････････････････ 70 5. Evolution of Member Activities for Better Living, Health and Peace ･･････････････ 70 6. Development of Each Sector of Consumer Cooperatives and Co-op Insurance Business ･･･････････････････････････････････････････････････ 73 7. Petition for Amending the Consumer Cooperative Act and Reversal Reactions ･･ 74 8. Progress of International Exchanges and Trading ･･･････････････････････････････ 75 Chapter Five: Making Great Strides Resisting Regulatory Pressure The 1980s 1. Social Conditions and Great Strides of Consumer Cooperatives in the 1980s ････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････････ 77 2.
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