Papers by Hisayuki Ōshima
Japanese research in business history, Dec 31, 2022
The importance of general trading companies in Japan's economic development is widely acknowledge... more The importance of general trading companies in Japan's economic development is widely acknowledged, but little is known about their role in the transfer of technology and innovations. We address this issue by examining the emerging aircraft industry in Japan during the 1920s, focusing on its main foreign partner, France, and one of the largest Japanese groups, Mitsubishi. We show that while the French influence in the Japanese market remained unchallenged up to the mid-1920s, it faded away afterward due to the absence of French trading companies on the ground, despite considerable support from the French government. This contrasts with our analysis of the Japanese side. Using its worldwide network, Mitsubishi Trading Co. provided Mitsubishi Motors Co. with appropriate information and contracts with French as well as German companies. It eventually succeeded in creating joint ventures with these close partners. Their early failure in 1926 sparked a shift from importing technology via trade agreements to developing the industry through manufacturing (e.g., creation of Mitsubishi Aircraft Co. in 1928). Thus, Mitsubishi Trading proved to be an efficient early market developer for the Japanese side, whereas French business suffered from not having similar trading companies in Japan and being overdependent on state structures. Keyword: international trade, aircraft, aeronautical industry, technology transfer, France-Japan relations, general trading companies. After the Russian Revolution took place in February 1917, France and Great Britain repeatedly asked Japan to send troops to the Eastern Front to replace Russia. 8 The Japanese were reluctant, requesting support and concessions in return that their Western allies would not concede. It was not until the Bolshevik Revolution in October 1917 that Japan decided to stage a genuine intervention, limited to Eastern Siberia. In April 1918 the Japanese military officially asked the French government permission
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https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jrbh/40/0/40_24/_article/-char/ja
The imp... more OPEN ACCESS :
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jrbh/40/0/40_24/_article/-char/ja
The importance of general trading companies in Japan’s economic development is widely acknowledged, but little is known about their role in the transfer of technology and innovations. We address this issue by examining the emerging aircraft industry in Japan during the 1920s, focusing on its main foreign partner, France, and one of the largest Japanese groups, Mitsubishi. We show that while the French influence in the Japanese market remained unchallenged up to the mid-1920s, it faded away afterward due to the absence of French trading companies on the ground, despite considerable support from the French government. This contrasts with our analysis of the Japanese side. Using its worldwide network, Mitsubishi Trading Co. provided Mitsubishi Motors Co. with appropriate information and contracts with French as well as German companies. It eventually succeeded in creating joint ventures with these close partners. Their early failure in 1926 sparked a shift from importing technology via trade agreements to developing the industry through manufacturing (e.g., creation of Mitsubishi Aircraft Co. in 1928). Thus, Mitsubishi Trading proved to be an efficient early market developer for the Japanese side, whereas French business suffered from not having similar trading companies in Japan and being overdependent on state structures.
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Papers by Hisayuki Ōshima
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jrbh/40/0/40_24/_article/-char/ja
The importance of general trading companies in Japan’s economic development is widely acknowledged, but little is known about their role in the transfer of technology and innovations. We address this issue by examining the emerging aircraft industry in Japan during the 1920s, focusing on its main foreign partner, France, and one of the largest Japanese groups, Mitsubishi. We show that while the French influence in the Japanese market remained unchallenged up to the mid-1920s, it faded away afterward due to the absence of French trading companies on the ground, despite considerable support from the French government. This contrasts with our analysis of the Japanese side. Using its worldwide network, Mitsubishi Trading Co. provided Mitsubishi Motors Co. with appropriate information and contracts with French as well as German companies. It eventually succeeded in creating joint ventures with these close partners. Their early failure in 1926 sparked a shift from importing technology via trade agreements to developing the industry through manufacturing (e.g., creation of Mitsubishi Aircraft Co. in 1928). Thus, Mitsubishi Trading proved to be an efficient early market developer for the Japanese side, whereas French business suffered from not having similar trading companies in Japan and being overdependent on state structures.
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jrbh/40/0/40_24/_article/-char/ja
The importance of general trading companies in Japan’s economic development is widely acknowledged, but little is known about their role in the transfer of technology and innovations. We address this issue by examining the emerging aircraft industry in Japan during the 1920s, focusing on its main foreign partner, France, and one of the largest Japanese groups, Mitsubishi. We show that while the French influence in the Japanese market remained unchallenged up to the mid-1920s, it faded away afterward due to the absence of French trading companies on the ground, despite considerable support from the French government. This contrasts with our analysis of the Japanese side. Using its worldwide network, Mitsubishi Trading Co. provided Mitsubishi Motors Co. with appropriate information and contracts with French as well as German companies. It eventually succeeded in creating joint ventures with these close partners. Their early failure in 1926 sparked a shift from importing technology via trade agreements to developing the industry through manufacturing (e.g., creation of Mitsubishi Aircraft Co. in 1928). Thus, Mitsubishi Trading proved to be an efficient early market developer for the Japanese side, whereas French business suffered from not having similar trading companies in Japan and being overdependent on state structures.