Japanese Booksellers in Korean Peninsula before WWⅡ

This paper explores a history of book distribution in Japanese overseas territories before World War II, focusing on booksellers that sold books and magazines written in the Japanese language and the distribution system that circulated books and magazines between Japan and Korea. I outlined the history of book distribution in modern Japan and pointed out that Japanese bookstores in Korea essentially followed a similar historical pattern. In this paper, I especially noted upon the manner in which business was conducted between major booksellers in Korea and the Japanese distributors. I also examined in detail attempts to establish a distribution agency called Sen-pai (鮮配) in Korea. Next, I wrote a brief history of Japanese booksellers and their partner associations in Korea. I also discussed the increase in the number of booksellers in Korean peninsula from the 1900s to 1940s. Furthermore, I highlighted the situation before the establishment of the association of Japanese booksellers in Korea with particular focus on Nikkan-shobo (日韓書房). I also summarized the relationship between the expansion of the distribution system of government approved textbooks and development of leading local booksellers in Japan and its colonies. In addition, I outlined the history of Korean association of booksellers from their establishment to the end of World War II. In conclusion, I discussed the role of bookstores in Japanese overseas territories as the contact zone between two nations and ethnic groups.