The mayor of Aihara : a Japanese villager and his community, 1865 to 1925

Aizawa Kikutarõ (1866-1963) was born into the wealthiest family in Hashimoto, a small agricultural village specializing in wheat and silk. By 1925, the village was undergoing rapid commercial development, residents were commuting to factory and office jobs in cities, and, after serving as mayor for almost twenty years, Aizawa was working as a bank manager. Taking the biography of this leading villager as its central focus and incorporating intimate details of life drawn from Aizawa's diary, __The Mayor of Aihara__ chronicles the extraordinary transformation of Hashimoto against the background of Japan's rapid industrialization. By portraying history as it was actually lived by ordinary people, the book offers a rich and compelling perspective on the modernization of Japan. The Village Enters The Modern Era (1866-1885) -- Born In Troubled Times -- Building A New Nation -- Hardship And Protest -- From Farm Manager To Independent Landowner (1885-1894) -- A Young Man Of The Enlightenment -- Reaching Maturity In Momentous Times -- Toward Independence -- For Village And Nation (1894-1908) -- The Nation Comes Of Age -- Politics On The Kantō Plain -- The Mantle Of Responsibility -- The Hour Of Need -- The Railway Comes To Hashimoto -- The Mayor Of Aihara (1908-1918) -- Mayor Of Aihara -- Technology And Change -- A Great Sadness -- A World Transformed (1918-1926) -- An Unprecedented Economy -- A Modern Village -- The World Turned Upside Down -- The Family Patriarch -- Conclusion -- Did Hashimoto Ever Become Modern? -- Villagers In Control Of Their Destiny? -- The Meaning Of A Life. Simon Partner. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 217-221) And Index. The village enters the modern era (1866 to 1885) Born in troubled times Building a new nation Hardship and protest From farm manager to independent landowner (1885 to 1894) A young man of the enlightenment Reaching maturity in momentous times Towards independence For village and nation (1894 to 1908) The nation comes of age Politics on the kantq plain The mantle of responsibility The hour of need The railway comes to Hashimoto The mayor of Aihara (1908/1918) Mayor of Aihara Technology and change A great sadness A world transformed (1918/1926) An unprecedented economy A modern village The world turned upside down The family patriarch Conclusion. Aizawa Kikutaro was born into the wealthiest family in Hashimoto, an agricultural village specializing in wheat and silk. Taking the biography of this villager as its focus and incorporating details of life drawn from Aizawa's diary, this book chronicles the transformation of Hashimoto against the background of Japan's rapid industrialization. Contents List of Illustrations Introduction 1. The Village Enters the Modern Era (1866 – 1885) 2. From Farm Manager to Independent Landowner (1885 – 1894) 3. For Village and Nation (1894 – 1908) 4. The Mayor of Aihara (1908 – 1918) 5. A World Transformed (1918 – 1926) Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index