Abstract:
In the late nineteenth century, the Japanese government promoted cow’s milk as a nutritious “elixir” that could help protect national sovereignty against encroaching Western empires. Observing the physical strength and dietary habits of Western populations, Japanese officials and elites identified protein-rich foods like milk and beef, which were largely absent from the Japanese diet, as essential to strengthening what they perceived as the “meager” bodies of the Japanese race. Establishing the dairy industry, however, posed a myriad of challenges. Most Japanese consumers, unfamiliar with fresh milk, found its odor repulsive. Small-scale farmers were unable to afford imported dairy cows. Even after overcoming these initial obstacles, milk’s rich nutrients nourished not only humans but also harmful microbes that threatened public health. In retrospect, these myriad of challenges to producing and marketing milk prompt us to ask––how did the dairy industry actually develop in Japan? This presentation explores this question by focusing on the roles played by local entrepreneurs, physicians, livestock experts, farmers, and state officials.

Short bio:
Narusa Yamato is a Ph.D. candidate in History at Stanford University. Her research explores the relationship between imperialism and capitalism by studying the rise of the Japanese dairy industry. This project also draws on her other interests such as gender history, the history of science and technology, and agricultural history.