Edward J. Pratt shows in this study that during the Tokugawa and Meiji periods in Japan, the protoindustrial economy being set up was not stable. Japan’s Protoindustrial Élite includes examples of the death of rural élites in the face of competition, market volatility and succession problems as specific challenges to wealthy families. | Japan's Protoindustrial Elite by Edward E. Pratt, Hardcover | Indigo Chapters