| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,300,000)
Fiscal Year 2001: ¥700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000)
Fiscal Year 2000: ¥1,200,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000)
Fiscal Year 1999: ¥1,400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000)
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| Research Abstract |
In this project, we mainly examined the formation process of so-called Japanese production system. In 1999, we started this project by gathering records concerning production methods of 78 companies from their company histories. While analyzing those records, we visited some factories, for example Kojima Press Industry Co. Ltd. and Mizusima Plant of Mitsubisi Motors Corporation so on, and interviewed their production managers. In the year, we also wrought an article, "The Evolution of the 'Japanese Production System ': Indigenous Influences and American Impact" which included Jonathan Zeitlin and Gary Herrigel ed. Americanization and its Limits-Reworking US Technology and Management in Post-War Europe and Japan, OXFORD University Press, 2000.
In 2000, we visited some company archives, for example the Archive of Nagasaki Shipyard and the Archive of Shimonoseki Shipyard of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. and the Archive of Toyota Motor Corporation and interviewed their archivists. W
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e also collected articles of newspapers written about production system or production methods from the end of WWII to the beginning of 1960s at libraries in Tokyo and Nagoya. Two years visits to factories, archives of companies in assembly industry and local libraries brought us some important materials and ideas concerning formation process of Japanese production system. For example, at the Archive of Nagasaki Shipyard, we found reports which engineers of JES, the Japan Efficiency Society, wrought for the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Company. The company entrusted improvement of production methods in Nagasaki Shipyard to JES in 1956. Those reports which show not only detail of their improvement activities from 1956 to 1958 and results but also importance role of production engineers of JES in the formation process of Japanese production system.
In the same year, we also obtained and analyzed original drafts of reports on Japanese aircraft makers and other machine makers during World War II written by United States Strategic Bombing Survey and annual reports of Ota Mortar Co./Kousoku Kikann Kougyou that had been an unique maker of small cars from 1940s to 1950s and one of firms that improved their production methods cooperating with JES.
In 2001, last year of this project, we analyzed materials accumulated during two years supplementing additional materials through visiting other plants, for example Tu Plant of Nippon Koukan Co., Ltd., archives of assembly companies and libraries in Tokyo and Nagoya. Now, based on those materials, we are writing an article on improvement activities of production methods at the Nagasaki Shipyard in the middle of 1950s.
A part of result of this project will be reported at the annual meeting of the Society for the History of Technology, which will be held at Toronto October 2002, by Wada and Shiba. Less
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