Chinese Charcoal Exports to Japan in the Early Modern Times -Focusing on the Japanese Materials-

摘要

In the Meiji era, charcoal production developed through improvement of Japanese charcoal production technology, resulting in the export of charcoal to Hong Kong, British India and North America in the middle of Meiji era （1868-1912）. In the Taisho period （1912-1926）, the export destination of Japan charcoal gradually changed; charcoal was exported to areas such as China, Kwantung leased territory, the Russian Far East, etc. In 1918 the export quantity to China accounted for a majority of the total charcoal export volume. However, after about 1918 Japan began importing charcoal from abroad, especially from China. The amount of Japanese charcoal exported to China declined in only a few years. Japan went from being a country with a surplus in charcoal exports to one with a surplus of charcoal imports, reflecting heightened domestic demand.　This article uses the publications of the Japanese government and considers the history of Chinese charcoal exported to Japan in the early modern times by referencing to Chinese Maritime Customs Historical Material. The author examines exports of Chinese charcoal to Japan in the early modern period by using statistical analysis based on the above-mentioned materials.