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 | Servants, Shophands, and Laborers in the Cities of Tokugawa Japan |
In this analysis of lower-class life in Tokugawa Japan (1603-1868), Gary Leupp vividly portrays the emergence of an urban proletariat during a time of extraordinary economic change. With the rapid increase in commercial activity, products previously restricted to use by the elite became commodities for mass consumption. Likewise, labor power became a commodity as hired laborers replaced traditional corvée workers in the commercial realm and contracted servants supplanted lifetime, hereditary workers in households. Focusing on a class system mediated increasingly by money, Leupp explores the ways employers and employees dealt with each other and the steps taken by government officials to control rising hostilities. "This book is especially welcome because it waters a barren desert in the English-language historiography.... This comprehensive book should be read by all scholars interested in modern Japanese society, and especially those interested in urban Japan."--Luke Roberts, The Journal of Asian Studies "Leupp paints a rich portrait of underclass life. . . . The information presented . . . on servant types and functions will be invaluable to readers concerned with practically any facet of urban society."--Constantine Vaporis, Monumenta Nipponica "A creative and intelligent examination of the urban working class in Tokugawa Japan.... The most wide-ranging discussion of the subject available in English.... This is not just good social history, it is also fun reading."--William B. Hauser, Journal of Japanese Studies "Leupp writes in a lively style. He uses an impressive variety of primary sources. . . . The result is a vivid and informative narrative which sustains interest throughout."--Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society Subject Area: Prices subject to change without notice File created: 11/7/2011 | |
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