Types and Trade Characteristics of Fashion Accessories Imported from Japan during the Port-Opening Era

This study aims to identify the types of fashion accessories imported from Japan during the port-opening era and analyze the characteristics of import trade. The research method is a literature study of trade statistics published in Japan in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The findings indicate that fashion accessories were divided into a total of 17 product types―shoes and boots, socks and stockings, hats, ornaments and cosmetics, gloves, handkerchiefs, buttons/buckles/hooks and eyes, scarves/ties/shawls, trimmings, pocket watches, and glasses. Toward the later stages of the port-opening period, the segmentation of items became more prominent, particularly in Japanese products compared to foreign imports. The total import value of fashion accessories was twice that of clothing, demonstrating quantitative growth during the port opening period. As 98.9% were Japanese products and the remainder were foreign products, Japanese products accounted for the majority. In the early days of the port opening, umbrellas represented the largest import value, but over time the demand for shoes and boots increased significantly, and they maintained the top rank after 1901.