Industrial Association - Sangyokumiai

Japanese: 産業組合 - さんぎょうくみあい

A cooperative organization based on the Industrial Cooperatives Act established in 1900 (Meiji 33). It is the predecessor of today's agricultural cooperatives (Nokyo) and consumer cooperatives (Seiko-cooperatives).

[Tetsuo Takeuchi]

History

The origins of cooperative organizations in rural Japan are known to be the Tanomoshikou (a mutual aid practice among the common people since the Middle Ages), the Hotoku-sha (organized based on the Yuikou) and the Senso-kabu Kumiai (affiliated association) founded by Ohara Yugaku during the feudal domain period, which were based on the unique ideals of Ninomiya Sontoku. The activities of the former in particular were limited to a certain region at the time, but from the Meiji period onwards, they spread widely throughout rural areas as a guiding principle for the rehabilitation of rural farmers. However, cooperatives in modern Japan appeared in the 1870s and 80s as an attempt to respond to the development of the commodity economy, without any connection to these prehistory under the feudal domain system.

One of these was a number of consumer cooperatives established by volunteers from government, business and the media who were inspired by the findings of the Rochdale Fair Pioneers Association in England, but they all dissolved within a few years. The other was cooperative organizations of farmers who sought more favorable conditions for the production and sale of raw silk and tea, which were trade commodities at the time, or who jointly purchased cheap production materials. Many of these continued to develop steadily afterwards.

Thus, cooperative organizations in Japan had a history dating back to the feudal period and the early Meiji period, but they became widespread nationwide through the institutionalization of the Meiji government, which was based on the slogans of enriching the country and strengthening the military and encouraging new industry. This was based on the following understanding of the situation. In other words, it was believed that the progress of economic modernization would lead to social unrest and undermine the foundations of Japanese capitalism, as farmers and small and medium-sized producers, who made up the majority of the population, abandoning their land and losing their stable income due to the seizure of usury capital. In order to respond to this situation, Yajiro Shinagawa and Tosuke Hirata, both internal affairs bureaucrats who had traveled to Europe at the time and gained knowledge of European cooperatives, intended to establish a credit union modeled after the German Schulze-Delitzsch credit unions, and drafted a credit union bill and submitted it to the Second Imperial Diet in 1891 (Meiji 24). The bill never saw the light of day as the Diet was dissolved and deliberations were not completed, but its intention was carried over to the establishment of industrial unions (Sangumi).

[Tetsuo Takeuchi]

Enactment of the Industrial Association Law

After the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95), Japanese capitalism entered the stage of the Industrial Revolution. During this time, various policies to promote industry were implemented, but farmers and small and medium-sized producers were more deeply involved in the commodity economy than ever before, and the foundations of their existence were shaken. As industrial capital developed, social problems such as the emergence of labor movements and the spread of socialist ideology became more serious. Under these circumstances, the Industrial Union Law (Sangumiho) was drafted to replace the Credit Union Law, and was submitted to the Diet in 1897 (Meiji 30). However, various objections were raised regarding its contents, so a second Industrial Union Law was submitted to the Diet again in February 1900 with some amendments. It passed both houses without incident and was promulgated in March of the same year. Incidentally, the Public Order Police Law, Japan's first law to suppress social movements, was also enacted in the same year.

The Industrial Cooperative Law did not stipulate any qualifications for membership, and anyone who wished to join could become a member regardless of occupation. Taking advantage of the argument made in the debate over the Credit Union Bill that economic and production businesses should also be included, the law permitted four types of businesses to be operated concurrently: sales cooperatives, purchasing cooperatives, and production cooperatives (later renamed user cooperatives) in addition to credit cooperatives (until the first legal amendment in 1906, credit cooperatives were prohibited from operating other businesses concurrently). In addition, the law initially stipulated three types of liability: unlimited liability, guarantee liability, and limited liability. From the perspective of cooperatives, the Industrial Cooperative Law stipulated freedom of joining and leaving (however, in the case of unlimited liability cooperatives, the consent of all members was required), equal voting rights, the right to elect and dismiss officers at general meetings, the right to convene general meetings, the setting of capital contribution limits and restrictions on the transfer of shares, and the distribution of surplus funds (stipulated in the Enforcement Regulations). However, it had some flaws, such as not clearly stating the non-profit principle, not allowing the loaning of living expenses (approved in the third legal amendment in 1917) or processing business by purchasing cooperatives (same), having no provisions regarding federations (approved in the second legal amendment in 1909), and not providing for restrictions on the government's right to approve establishment.However, the Industrial Cooperative Law was notable for its character as a unified legal system, whereas the cooperative legal system after World War II was vertically divided by type of cooperative.

[Tetsuo Takeuchi]

The spread of industrial associations

After the law was enacted, the establishment of industrial cooperatives was slow, despite the efforts of the government and agricultural associations. Furthermore, the industrial cooperatives that were established were limited to relatively privileged classes such as landlords, self-farming farmers, and tenant farmers. However, due to subsequent legal reforms and educational activities aimed at promoting the establishment of industrial cooperatives, the number of cooperatives increased from 1,671 to 7,308 in the five years from 1905 (Meiji 38), and to 11,506 by 1915 (Taisho 4), and they were widely established in cities, towns, and villages. However, at that time, the proportion of agricultural cooperative members among the 5.54 million farming families was only 19.3%, and it was not until the development of the "Industrial Cooperative Promotion and Renewal Movement" at the end of the Taisho era that half of the farmers were organized. Around the time of this promotion and renewal movement, the idea of "coexistence and mutual prosperity" and the slogan "thorough implementation of industrial cooperativeism" based on that idea were set as the movement's goals.

It was through the "Industrial Association Expansion Plan" that was implemented twice in response to the "Rural Economy Rehabilitation Movement" that was a rural policy during the Showa Depression that industrial associations came to organize more than 70% of farmers. The first five-year plan for expanding industrial associations, which began in 1933 (Showa 8), set the main goals as eliminating towns and villages without associations, all households joining, implementing four types of business, and fully utilizing the associations, and as a result, industrial associations developed greatly both organizationally and in terms of business. However, this business growth was largely supported by the concentration of national policies, such as rice distribution and fertilizer distribution, on industrial associations. Meanwhile, small and medium-sized merchants, who felt a sense of crisis about this growth of industrial associations, organized the All-Japan Business Rights Protection Federation in 1933 and launched an anti-industrial association movement, resulting in fierce battles with the industrial associations.

The second legal amendment permitted the establishment of local federations and central associations for industrial cooperatives, and in 1909 the National Industrial Cooperative Central Association was established covering the whole country, with branches in each prefecture. As prefectural and county-level local federations became more widespread, the National Purchasing Association was established in 1948, the Greater Japan Raw Silk Sales Purchasing Association in 1952, and the National Rice Sales Association in 1956. The Industrial Cooperative Central Bank Act was also promulgated in 1948, and the Industrial Cooperative Central Bank, the precursor to today's Norinchukin Bank, was established in the same year.

In addition to the rural industrial cooperatives mentioned above, labor unions and citizen groups established consumer cooperatives in urban areas in accordance with the Industrial Cooperatives Law against the backdrop of rising prices symbolized by the rice riots during World War I and the subsequent depression, but many of these were soon dissolved or effectively ceased operations due to the oppression of labor and social movements and subsequent exclusion from material controls. Furthermore, the third amendment to the Industrial Cooperatives Law (1917) prohibited concurrent operation of other businesses and permitted urban credit cooperatives, which expanded the scope of their credit business, becoming the forerunners of today's credit unions and credit unions.

[Tetsuo Takeuchi]

From integration into agricultural associations to agricultural cooperatives

Japan entered the Manchurian Incident in 1931, the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, and World War II in 1941, and various control legislations were enacted to establish a wartime system. As part of this, the Agricultural Organizations Law was enacted in 1943, and the Industrial Association was integrated with the Farmers' Association, Livestock Association, Sericulture Association, and Tea Association to become the Agricultural Association. Agricultural Associations were established for each administrative unit, and those involved were forced to join. There were regulations regarding the involvement of the government in the selection of officers and the obligation to obey regulations, making them a national policy agency different from cooperatives. After the end of World War II in 1945, the Occupation policy ordered the dissolution of the Agricultural Association, and the establishment of democratic agricultural cooperatives by self-cultivating farmers born from the land reform was promoted. However, the Industrial Association Law itself continued to exist until its abolition was stipulated in the supplementary provisions of the Consumer Cooperative Law promulgated in July 1948.

[Tetsuo Takeuchi]

"The History of the Development of Industrial Unions, compiled by the Industrial Union History Compilation Committee, 5 volumes (1966, Industrial Union History Publishing Association)" ▽ "The Theory and History of Cooperatives, written by Takeuchi Tetsuo and Ikuta Yasushi (1976, Minerva Shobo)" ▽ "New Edition Dictionary of Cooperatives, compiled by Kawano Shigenobu et al. (1986, Ie no Hikari Kyokai)" ▽ "The History of the Central Federation of Industrial Unions, supervised by the Zenchu Cooperative Library and Resource Center (1988, Zenchu)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

1900年（明治33）に成立した産業組合法に基づく協同組合組織。現在の農業協同組合（農協）や生活協同組合（生協）などの前身である。

［武内哲夫］

沿革

わが国の農村における協同組織の端緒としては、中世以降の民衆の相互救済慣行であった頼母子講(たのもしこう)や、ゆい講を母体に、幕藩体制期に二宮尊徳(にのみやそんとく)の独自の理念を基に組織された報徳社や大原幽学(ゆうがく)による先祖株組合が知られている。とくに前者の活動は、当時は地域的な限界を脱しなかったが、明治時代以降、農村農家の更生の指導理念として広く農村に浸透した。しかしこれら幕藩体制下の前史とつながりをもつことなく近代日本における協同組合は、明治10年代に商品経済の進展に対応する試みとして出現した。

　その一つは、イギリスのロッチデール公正先駆者組合についての知見に刺激を受けた官界、財界、言論界の有志によって設立されたいくつかの消費組合であったが、数年を経ずしてことごとく解散してしまった。もう一つは、農村において当時の貿易商品であった生糸や茶の生産販売条件の有利性の追求、あるいは廉価な生産資材の共同購入を目的にした農民の協同組織であり、これらの多くはその後も着実に発展していくことになった。

　このようにわが国の協同組織は、幕藩体制期から明治初期にかけての前史をもっていたが、全国的な普及をみせるのは、富国強兵、殖産興業を旗印とした明治政府による制度化を通してであった。それは次のような状況認識を背景にしていた。すなわち経済の近代化の進展によって、人口の大部分を占める農民や中小生産者が、高利貸資本の収奪によって土地を捨て恒産を失って窮乏化することは、社会不安をもたらし、未熟な段階にあった日本資本主義の基礎を揺るがせかねないと考えられた。こうした事態に対応するため、当時、渡欧によってヨーロッパの協同組合に関する知見を得ていた内務官僚品川弥二郎と平田東助の両者は、ドイツのシュルツェ・デーリッチュ系の信用組合に範をとった信用組合の設立を意図し、信用組合法案を策定し1891年（明治24）第二帝国議会へ上程したのであった。同法案は議会の解散によって審議未了のまま日の目をみることがなかったが、その意図は産業組合（産組）の設立に引き継がれていった。

［武内哲夫］

産業組合法の成立

日本資本主義は日清(にっしん)戦争（1894～95）を経て産業革命の段階を迎えた。この間多様な勧業政策が行われたが、農民や中小生産者は以前にも増して深く商品経済に巻き込まれ、存立の基礎を揺るがされることとなった。また産業資本の展開につれて、労働運動の発生や社会主義思想の伝播(でんぱ)など社会問題が深刻化した。こうした状況の下で信用組合法案にかわって、産業組合法（産組法）の策定が進められ1897年（明治30）に議会へ上程された。しかし、その内容をめぐってさまざまな異論が表明されたため、若干の修正を行い第二次産業組合法案が1900年2月に議会にふたたび上程された。これは無事に両院を通過し同年3月公布された。ちなみにこの年に、わが国最初の社会運動弾圧法である治安警察法が成立している。

　産組法では組合員資格についての規定はなく、加入の意志をもつ者は職業のいかんを問わず組合員となることができた。また信用組合法案をめぐる論議のなかにあった経済および生産の事業をも含むべきであるという主張を生かし、信用組合に加えて販売組合、購買組合、生産組合（後日、利用組合と改称）の4種の事業を、兼営することを認めた（1906年の第一次法改正まで信用組合は、他事業を兼営することが禁止されていた）。また責任形態としては、当初無限責任、保証責任、有限責任の三つを規定した。産組法は協同組合という観点からは、加入・脱退の自由（ただし無限責任組合の場合、全組合員の同意を必要とした）、議決権の平等、総会における役員選出権と解任権の行使、総会招集権、出資金上限の設定および持分譲渡の制限、剰余金の配分（施行規則で規定）等を規定していた。しかし非営利原則を明記していないこと、生活資金の貸付（1917年の第三次法改正で認可）や購買組合の加工事業（同）を認めていないこと、連合組織に関する規定（1909年の第二次法改正で認可）がないこと、行政による設立認可権の制限を規定していないなどの欠陥をもっていた。しかし産組法は、第二次世界大戦後の協同組合法制が種別の縦割り法制となっているのに対し、統一的法制としての性格を有していたことに特徴があった。

［武内哲夫］

産業組合の普及

法の成立後、行政や農会の努力にもかかわらず産組の設立は遅々として進まなかった。また設立された産組も地主、自作、自小作層などの比較的恵まれた階層を中心とする組織にとどまっていた。しかしその後の設立促進のための法改正や啓蒙(けいもう)活動などによって、組織数は1905年（明治38）からの5年間で1671組合から7308組合に、15年（大正4）には1万1506組合にまで増加し、市町村への広範な設置をみた。しかしその時点で、554万農家のうち組合員農業者の割合は19.3％にとどまっており、農家の半数を組織するに至ったのは大正末年の「産組振興刷新運動」の展開を通してであった。この振興刷新運動に前後して、「共存同栄」という理念とそれに基づく「産業組合主義の徹底」というスローガンが、運動の目標として掲げられた。

　産組が農家を7割を超えて組織するに至るのは、昭和恐慌期の農村対策であった「農山漁村経済更生運動」に呼応して、二度にわたって実施された「産組拡充計画」を通してであった。1933年（昭和8）からの第一次産組拡充5か年計画では、未設置町村の解消、全戸加入、4種兼営の実施、組合全利用などを主要課題とし、その結果、産組は組織的にも事業的にも大きく発展した。しかしこの事業の伸びは米穀流通や肥料配給など、国の政策の産組への集中に大きく支えられたものであった。一方こうした産組の発展に危機感を募らせた中小商業者は、33年に全日本商権擁護連盟を組織し反産組運動を展開し、産組との間で激しい攻防が繰り広げられた。

　産組の連合組織は、第二次法改正で地方連合会および中央会の設立が認められ、1909年に全国を区域とする産組中央会が設置され、その支会が都府県ごとに置かれた。また府県域、郡域の地方連合会の普及に伴って23年に全国購買組合連合会が、27年に大日本生糸販売購買組合連合会が、そして31年には全国米穀販売組合連合会が設立されている。また23年に産業組合中央金庫法が公布され、同年、今日の農林中央金庫の前身となる産組中央金庫が設立された。

　以上に記した農村産組とは別に、第一次世界大戦中の米騒動に象徴される物価騰貴やその後の恐慌を背景に、都市部に労働組合や市民層によって産組法に準拠した消費組合が設立されたが、労働運動や社会運動への弾圧やその後の物資統制からの除外によって、これらの多くは、まもなく解散ないしは事実上の事業停止に至った。また産組法第三次改正（1917年）によって、他事業の兼営を禁止したうえで信用事業の内容を拡大した市街地信用組合が認められ、今日の信用組合、信用金庫の前身となった。

［武内哲夫］

農業会への統合から農協へ

わが国は1931年（昭和6）の満州事変、37年の日中戦争そして41年には第二次世界大戦へと突入し、それに伴って戦時体制の確立に向けての各種統制立法が進んだ。その一環として43年に農業団体法が制定され、産組は農会、畜産組合、養蚕業組合、茶業組合と統合されて農業会となった。農業会は行政単位ごとに置かれ、関係者は強制加入させられ、役員選出への行政の関与や統制への服従義務などが規定され、協同組合とは異質の国策代行機関であった。45年の第二次世界大戦終結後、占領政策によって農業会は解散を命ぜられ、農地改革によって生まれた自作農による民主的な農業協同組合の設立が進められた。しかし産組法自体は、48年7月に公布された消費生活協同組合法の付則において廃止が規定されるまで存続していた。

［武内哲夫］

『産業組合史編纂会編『産業組合発達史』全5巻（1966・産業組合史刊行会）』▽『武内哲夫・生田靖著『協同組合の理論と歴史』（1976・ミネルヴァ書房）』▽『川野重任他編『新版　協同組合事典』（1986・家の光協会）』▽『全中協同図書資料センター監修『産業組合中央会史』（1988・全中）』