Discovery of coal resources and formation of modern political system

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K00991
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 03020:Japanese history-related
• Research Institution: Kitakyushu Museum of Natural History and Human History
• Principal Investigator: HIBINO TOSHINOBU 北九州市立自然史・歴史博物館, 歴史課, 学芸員 (90372234)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 季武 嘉也 創価大学, 文学部, 教授 (40179099) ; 中村 尚史 東京大学, 社会科学研究所, 教授 (60262086)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 石炭 / 筑豊 / 北九州 / 企業家 / 政治システム / 麻生太吉 / 安川敬一郎 / 松本健次郎

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In conjunction with Kyushu University's Aso Family Documents Organization and Research Project, we conducted joint research focusing on the investigation and research of Aso family documents. In particular, while jointly reading the family head's Taikichi Aso diary, they held regular study sessions to reference materials related to the Aso family documents as well as the Yasukawa family documents and the Matsumoto family documents. As a result, Taikichi Aso, Keiichiro Yasukawa, and Kenjiro Matsumoto, also Chikuho coal mine managers and entrepreneurs, worked together to develop the Chikuho coal industry as a whole, focusing on the development of transportation infrastructure such as railways and ports. At the same time, it was revealed that there were differences in the personalities of Aso, a wealthy farmer, Yasukawa, a samurai, and Matsumoto, the next generation. Based on these results, we created a report and published and shared the research results and information.

Free Research Field

日本近現代史・地域史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

九州大学の「麻生家文書」整理・研究プロジェクトと連動して、全国的にも屈指の質と量を誇る麻生家文書の全体像の把握に努め、内容や特徴を明らかにすることで、①今後の研究の基盤を開拓できた。②特に日記や書簡など１次史料を子細に検討して、近代日本の工業化の過程や特徴について、工業化を担った企業家が構築したネットワークに注目して、具体的に明示できた。③これまで検討されることが少なかった企業家の政治的活動や役割について、福岡市政との関わりにも注目して明らかにすることができた。