Some Characteristics of Innovations in Traditional Industrial Regions : A Comparative Studies of the Pottery Industries in Mashiko and Kasama(<Special Issue>On the innovativeness of industrial agglomerations)

Recently there have been many research studies about innovations in areas of industrial growth. Though such studies are important to the promotion of regional economies, more research specifically about traditional industrial regions is needed. This study, therefore, examines selected characteristics of an innovations and their influence on the regional industrial structures of Mashiko and Kasama traditional pottery industrial regions. To introduce innovations in a traditional industrial region, new product development and the establishment of educational systems to support the new technology and skills are essential. In the case of the Mashiko industrial region, the relocation of Shoji Hamada, a famous pottery artist, to that region was the primary impetus for industrial innovation in the area. Hamada introduced the production of folk handicraft pottery to the Mashiko region. Following World War II, many manufacturers changed from the production of traditional goods to the making of folk handicraft pottery. To support this change, new educational approaches/systems were developed in the Mashiko industrial region. One such system was the "Tsukamoto School," which was put into place for the employees of the Tsukamoto Company. Many graduates of this school, a key element of which is the independence of the workers, are currently active in the Mashiko region. Another educational system was developed by the Tochigi Industrial Technology Institute (TITI), which teaches the basic technology and skills to beginning pottery makers. These two educational systems have supported not only the individuals who produce pottery in the Mashiko industrial region but also the development of the Mashiko region as a whole. The changes in production and in the regional education system have resulted in changes in the entire regional industrial structure. Regional innovation is related to the reorganization of regional industrial structures. Unfortunately, however, life styles have changed in recent years and the Mashiko industrial region faces a serious recession. In response to this, TITI is proceeding with a new innovation. The industrial structure of Mashiko will be reorganized again. In the case of the Kasama industrial region, the innovation relating to pottery manufacturing was led by the Ibaraki Industrial Technology Institute (IITI). The Kasama industrial region faced a serious recession in the days after the war. There was no pottery artist to lead the innovation in that region, as there had been in Mashiko, and the Kasama region's economic situation was such that they were unable to undertake the development of new products on their own. In light of these limiting factors, IITI took the initiative to research the folk handicraft pottery industry and to provide guidance to the pottery makers in the Kasama region. A pottery art complex area was built through the collaboration of IITI and the Kasama City Office, and many young pottery artists from throughout Japan were invited to come. After the 1970s, IITI began a business training program and the regional education system to support the industrial enterprise was formed. The present industrial structure of the Kasama region was shaped by these activities. Recently, like the Mashiko region, the Kasama industrial region faces some new problems. But in the Kasama region, unlike the Mashiko region, new innovations are developed in partnership with public institutions. As a result, the basic characteristics of the Kasama industrial region are not undergoing change. According to these case studies, innovations of an industrial region require the establishment of networks both inside and outside of the industrial region. To accomplish this, the roles of industrial technology institutes have become increasingly important.