From being an important centre which attracted a large number of merchants during the feudal period, Shingū, on the northern shores of Kyushu is today a suburb of Fukuoka City. Fishing is a slowly-dying occupation and this volume analyses how the fishermen adjust to changing circumstances. Although Japan is the largest fishing nation in the world, when originally published this book was the first to be published in English which focussed on the composition and role performance of the crews and larger net-groups. This analysis has been set in an historical perspective, showing how the vertical structures during the Tokugawa period have changed to more egalitarian structures where much energy is spent to hinder the development of any new hierarchy.
1. Introduction 2. The Setting 3. The History of Shingū 4. Household and Community 5. Technology and Annual Cycles 6. The Fishing Boat as a Management Unit 7. Net-Groups as Management Units 8. Organizational Changes in the Fisheries 9. Recruitment of Fishermen 10. Conclusion. Appendix 1 The Fishing Household (1.1.1976). Appendix 2 Merchant Houses in Shingū-Ura. Appendix 3 The Catches in Shingū in 1950. Appendix 4 The Relative Value of the Monthly Catches in Shingū. Notes, Glossary, Bibliography.
Biography
Arne Kalland
