This work explores the development in Japan throughout the 20th century of marketing, consumption and marketing thought. It shows how Japan had a long established indigenous tradition of marketing thought, separate from Western marketing thought, and discusses how Japanese marketing thought was applied in the form of new marketing activities, which, responding to changing patterns of consumption, contributed considerably to Japan's economic success. The book concludes with a discussion of how Japanese marketing and marketing thought are likely to develop at a time when globalization and international marketing are having an increasing impact in Japan.

There has been much discussion about the origin of marketing and marketing thought, and whether it was truly American in origin. Nevertheless, it is true that US marketing management thought was very influential throughout the world in the latter half of the twentieth century, becoming dominant after the Second World War. In order to recognize why and how this kind of thought developed in the USA, it is necessary to explore the historical contexts in which the marketing management thought was produced and developed at this time, as well as the contents of the thought. This work argues that while doubts about the US origin of marketing are acceptable, marketing management thought, which especially appeals to mass producers such as the USA, developed according to their particular needs. This book looks at the relationship between theories of marketing and the historical context in which they were developed, rescuing them from later generalizations that failed to take into account contemporary social and economic factors.

This book explores the development in Japan throughout the twentieth century of marketing and consumerism. It shows how Japan had a long established indigenous traditional approach to marketing, separate from Western approaches to marketing, and discusses how the Japanese approach to marketing was applied in the form of new marketing activities, which, responding to changing patterns of consumption, contributed considerably to Japan's economic success. The book concludes with a discussion of how Japanese approach to marketing is likely to develop at a time when globalisation and international marketing are having an increasing impact in Japan.