The ‘miracle’ of car ownership in Japan's ‘Era of High Growth’, 1955--73

Susan C. Townsend

Business History, 2013, vol. 55, issue 3, 498-523

Abstract: The ‘Era of High Growth’ in Japan is well known for its ‘miracle’ economy, although the reasons why car ownership increased during this period have been largely ignored. Both the ‘miracle’ and the process of motor manufacturing have been viewed from the perspective of supply rather than demand. This article examines the ways in which the formidable barriers to mass car ownership were removed during this period by analysing quantitative data and also reconsidering narratives of Japanese manufacturing predicated on Japanese cultural uniqueness ( nihonjinron ). It considers the Japanese as consumers as well as workers, and concludes that car ownership is less a ‘miracle’ than a manifestation of Japan's process of modernisation during the twentieth century.

Date: 2013
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DOI: 10.1080/00076791.2013.771336

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