The Art of Breaking
Résumé
Drawing on a preliminary reading of The Secrets of Salt Making 塩製秘録, a 1816 salt-making manual by an obscure Japanese salt-maker Miura Genzô 三浦源蔵 (?-1835), this talk seeks to address the change in production dynamics in the Seto Inland sea region in the first half of the 19th century. In so doing, this talk contributes to the rethinking of the nature of Japan’s early industry by drawing attention to actors and initiatives that call for a reassessment of the importance the logic of growth for profit-making.