Modern history of fresh fish distribution and fish market in Nagasaki [Japan]

The history of fresh fish marketing in Nagasaki was classified into six periods. 1. Feudal era: Nagasaki fish market appeared in 1620s and its place was later moved along the river. 2. Meiji era: The fish market in form of assembly of fish wholesalers was still in small scale due to non-motorized fisheries and under-developed transportations. Wholesalers dominated the fisheries. Nagasaki Fisheries Union started to control the wholesalers and the finance agency was established in the market. 3. Before the First World War: With the emergence of steam trawler using ice and the transportation by train; the fish market enlarged and became a big producing centre which finally moved close to Nagasaki harbour and the railway station. 4. Taisho era: Instead of steam trawler, motorized longline and trawl which immigrated from isolated islands to Nagasaki City accelerated the fish marketing modernization. Some big fish dealers of the market invested in these fisheries. 5. Showa era: The fisheries consisting of independent fishing group and fish dealer's management expanded their business of fisheries material supply. By adding the purse seine fishery, the market reached the highest deal amount. Auction system took place while refundment from wholesalers to fishermen and middlemen had prevailed. 6. The Second World War period: During the war, fisheries and fish marketing were centralized under the governmental control and at last collapsed.