Abstract This article explores the historical development of Japanese wholesalers in the food and drink industry in modern Japan. Despite many criticisms of Japanese wholesalers as being “multi-layered,” “old-fashioned,” and “outmoded,” there were historical reasons for the existence of wholesalers. While the traditional wholesalers remained even after the Meiji Restoration, the new wholesalers emerged by dealing with new products that appeared for the first time in modern Japan. Utilizing the historical conditions of both producers and retailers, the newcomers such as Kokubu boosted their development by innovative activities and gradually superseded the traditional wholesale market, firmly establishing their position as general wholesalers before the Second World War.

中文翻译：

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1880 年至 1940 年日本食品和饮料行业新兴批发商的作用：以国分案例为中心

摘要 本文探讨了日本食品和饮料行业批发商在现代日本的历史发展。尽管很多人批评日本批发商“多层次”、“老式”、“过时”，但批发商的存在是有历史原因的。即使在明治维新之后，传统批发商仍然存在，但新批发商通过处理现代日本首次出现的新产品而出现。国分等新兴企业利用生产商和零售商双方的历史条件，通过创新活动促进发展，逐步取代传统批发市场，牢固确立了二战前的综合批发商地位。