Innovation Dynamics, Traditional Technologies, and International Division of Labor : Motor Coach-builders in Tokyo in the 1910'

本論の目的は1910年代東京の自動車車体工場への検討を通じて、当該産業の存立を可能とした諸条件と、「流動期」にある産業において、先進工業国と後進工業国との間での国際分業が成立しうる可能性を示唆することにある。歴史分析の結果、車台単体のみでの流通という当時の自動車市場の特性を背景として、東京には複数の独立系車体工場が存在し、漆塗りのような伝統的技術が活用されていたことが明らかとなった。Numerous attempts have been made by scholars to development of motor industries in Japan in 1918-39. This study is the first to investigate motor coach-building in 1910’s Tokyo. The objective of this paper is to examine the foundations of this industry in this period. The secondary objective of this paper is to examine the capability of international division of labor between developed countries and low developed countries in “fluid phase” industries. The following were the main findings: (a) there were many independent motor coach-builders in 1910’s Tokyo. Some of them were founded by car-dealerships like Yanase Motors. (b) Motor coaches made by Japanese coach-builders had some characteristics. They were made of wood including panels. And traditional technologies like Urushi were used in production. (c) Many car models were distributed only by the chassis. So, existence of independent coach-builders was possible in 1910’s Japan where only few chassises were builded.22