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Paper short abstract:

Modern globalization brought about changes in the formation of fruit and vegetable production areas and the development of a distribution systems. Mandarin exports, which began in the 1880s, were a factor in the expansion of mandarin production and the development of modern distribution systems.

Paper long abstract:

This research aims to document the development of mandarin orange exportation. In the modern era, trading between Japan and other countries has become more active, and globalization has brought about multifaceted changes in Japan. One example of these changes is the formation of fruit and vegetable production areas and the development of a distribution system. In particular, Japan saw an increased commercialization of fruit, which were almost exclusively classed as luxury items.

In the early modern period, fruit production was self-sufficient, and only a few items were distributed as commodities, and the distribution of highly perishable fruits was limited. In the early Meiji period, the government imported many foreign fruit tree seedlings, and fruit tree cultivation was introduced in many parts of Japan. In the Taisho period (1912-1926), the domestic distribution of fruits and vegetables increased due to the expansion of railroad lines and an increase in the urban population. Contrarily, the formation of fruit-growing regions and the increase in production were influenced by demand outside of Japan.

Mandarin oranges, one of Japan's major fruits, were not in great demand in the early modern period. However, in the 1880s, mandarin oranges began to be exported to Canada, where they were in high demand as “Christmas oranges,” due to their easy peeling and nucleus-free qualities.

Mandarin orange exports from Japan to Manchuria increased rapidly after the 1930s, when Japan's imperialization of the country progressed. Mandarin oranges were desired by the Japanese abroad as a fruit that reminded them of their homeland, and were systematically rationed as a daily necessity in Manchuria.

Although the quantity of mandarin oranges exported was small compared to the quantity distributed domestically, the difference in cultural values outside of Japan produced significant overseas demand, which became a factor in the growth of mandarin orange production in Japan during the modern period, when the domestic commercial value of the fruit was not so high. The demand, which arose not only from non-Japanese populations but also from Japanese expatriates, expanded the scope of mandarin orange distribution, advancing the development of a modern distribution system.