It is surprising, then, that amid the upsurge of interest in the history of capitalism and of economic life more generally over the past two decades, Japanese history has played a decidedly marginal role. The rise of China and contemporary Japan’s economic woes did much to dim the luster of Japan as a model for development. Within the academy, scholars effectively deconstructed the paradigm of modernization that made Japanese economic history relevant. But the historical significance of Japan – and its status as the world’s third largest economy today – make it essential to understanding the global development of capitalism. New approaches, informed by the renewed interest in the history of capitalism and economic life, are needed to situate Japan within the global history of capital.

This panel, made up of junior scholars with a range of different perspectives, will explore the development of capitalism in Japan from the late Tokugawa period through the early 20th century. The panelists will focus on three interrelated questions. (1) How can we restore the significance of the “premodern” past to contemporary economic questions without falling into the trap of modernization theory? (2) How might recent work in global history informed by the history of capitalism, new Marxian approaches, and environmental history reshape our understanding of the history of Japan in this period? (3) What can the Japanese case contribute to our understanding of perennial questions around capitalism, power, and the making of modern economic life? In approaching these questions, the panel hopes to propose a new research agenda for the field of Japanese history that transcends disciplinary and regional boundaries.