During the early years after its
introduction into Japan, tobacco became the
subject of much prohibitive legislation, but in
spite of legal hindrances, the cultivation and use
of tobacco continued to spread.
By the time when the bans were lifted in the seventeenth
century, tobacco was firmly established as one of
the most popular consumer luxuries throughout all
social levels, including the rank and file of the
lower and middle strata of the population.
The characteristic Japanese
method of smoking finely-minced tobacco in the
long-stemmed, thimble-bowled pipes known as kiseru
is also believed to date from approximately the
same era. This custom of using finely-shred tobacco
was to prove of significance in the history of Japanese
technology, for the original hand-shredding process
was soon supplemented by a variety of mechanical
techniques, that stimulated the early development
of qualitymass-production machinery in Japan.
In addition, the decorative possibilities of smoking
paraphernalia opened up new fields for the creative
energies of craftsmen in numerous areas of applied
art.
In these and other ways, influences from tobacco
made their mark upon early modern
Japanese art , society, farm economy, agriculture,
transport and technology.
In the years after 1868(meiji),
when Japan once more became open to cultural stimuli
from other parts of the world, new kinds of tobacco
products were imported from abroad and rapidly naturalised.
In particular, the introduction of cigarettes revolutionised
the smoking habits first of city-dwelling tobacco
connoisseurs and then of con- sumers throughout
the nation.
The indigenous tobacco industry flourished as never
before, with rival manufacturers striving to outdo
one another through flamboyant publicity
campaigns.
At the same time, the Meiji-era government was quick
to realise the value of tobacco as a potential source
of revenue. In 1904, all stages of tobacco leaf
processing and sale were brought under government
control as a national monopoly, which remained in
effect until 1985. Today, too, tobacco and tobacco
products continue to play significant roles in Japanese
society, agriculture, economics, medical science
and other areas.
Contemporary advances
in biotechnology are opening up intriguing new possibilities
in the never-ending search for product improvement
and further uses for tobacco in industry and everyday
life.
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