Tuna Fishing As Subsistence and Migrant Work: Cases of Two Japanese Fishing Communities during the 1960s

Japanese deep-sea tuna fishing remained a prosperous industry from mid 1950s to the early 70s, until the 1973 oil crisis shot up the fuel price, and the 200 nautical miles agreement gave a finishing blow to the industry in the late 70s. It is little known, however, who were those fishermen who literally sailed seven seas of the world on tuna boats.

My paper will focus on two contrasting communities on the Pacific coast of the Shikoku Island of Japan: Muroto and Ainan, and discuss how they survived in the global tuna industry by using locally nurtured knowledge and skills.

Muroto, located on the Southeastern part of the island, developed as a Whaling port until the 19^th century, subsequently switching to tuna business. The town accommodated not only tuna fishermen but also shipbuilders, ship-owners and all kinds of businesses related to tuna. Tuna-fishing was indeed subsistence activities for the whole community. Muroto seafarers were known for their bravery to explore new fishing grounds, and to sail long distances by their simple wooden boats.

By contrast, Ainan, located on the Southwestern part of the island, consisted of small fishing communities mostly living on coastal fisheries. Many young fishermen there responded to the call for crew members for tuna-fishing expeditions during the 50s and 60s. Some of them got on board Muroto-based boats, while others on larger tuna-ships owned by big seafood companies. They were migrant workers, so to speak, living away from their home for one, two, or more years. Some community leaders established an education system to get seaman’s licenses so that the fishermen get higher salaries.

Both Muroto and Ainan fishermen were exploited in the gradually globalizing tuna industry, but at the same time, they also exploited the opportunities to bring cash income to their communities.