The Diffusion of Sugar-Making Knowledge in the East China Sea: Japan, Amami, and Ryukyu, 1609–1868

Japan's early modern sugar industry, from the late 17th to mid-19th century, developed through two distinct yet interconnected pathways: a colonial monoculture in the Amami Islands under Satsuma Domain control and a decentralized household economy in eastern Shikoku. This study reveals that sugar-making knowledge entered Japan primarily via Ryukyuan intermediaries rather than directly from China, challenging conventional narratives of technological diffusion. Analyzing domain administrative records, sugar-making manuals, household documents, and the journal of a samurai exile, researchers demonstrate how Japanese producers adapted and hybridized imported technologies—such as three-cylinder mills, waterwheel-powered crushers, and refining methods—to local conditions, labor regimes, and market demands. The findings highlight significant environmental and social transformations in Amami, including deforestation, food insecurity, and debt bondage, while contrasting this with the more integrated development of sugar production in Shikoku. This work situates Japan's modest yet innovative sugar industry within broader global histories, suggesting possible connections to Latin American and Jesuit networks.

Monaghan, T. (2026). The Diffusion of Sugar-Making Knowledge in the East China Sea: Japan, Amami, and Ryukyu, 1609–1868. Itinerario, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0165115326100631