"Originally published in Japanese under the title of Nihon tochika no Chosen: Tokei to jissho kenkyu wa nani o kataruka by Chuokoron-Shinsha, Inc., in 2018"--Title page verso.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 216-221) and index.

Preface to the English edition -- Korean history prior to annexation -- Introduction: Initial conditions -- Japanese administrative policies in Korea : a public finance perspective -- The development of modern industry : rapid departure from agriculture -- Standards of living -- Rapid transition to wartime economy : from the Sino-Japanese War until the fall of the empire -- Emergence of North and South Korea : the legacy of the Japanese empire -- What did Japan gain from its rule over Korea?

"From 1910 to 1945, Korea was a colony of Imperial Japan. Its governance has been described politically in terms of harsh oppression and economically as exploitation and impoverishment. Certainly, there were many problems with Japanese rule in Korea, but how accurate are those claims? What is the connection between the post-war development of South Korea and the socialist regime in North Korea? This book focuses on economic issues, sticks to positivism, and depicts the reality and transformation of Korea during the period of Japanese control"-- Back cover.