副業在日本農家生計中佔有很重要的地位。但是，由於政府的不重
視，以及商人的剝削等因素，在近代以前日本農村的副業並未獲得應有
的發展。在明治 30 年代以來，日本政府開始推動與獎勵日本農村副業的
發展，特別是鼓勵那些零散從事小規模副業生產的業者成立組合，即合
作社。成立組合可以避免副業生產者被中間商剝削，也有助於推動農村
副業的技術改革，以及提高產量與質量。然而，近代日本政府始終是站
在以農為本的立場推動副業發展，最終副業仍不免受到貶低。

Sideline businesses played a significant role in peasant livelihoods within
rural Japan. But due to the neglect of government and exploitation by
merchants, rural sideline businesses had failed to develop adequately in
pre-modern Japan. After the 1890s, Japan’s government undertook measures
to promote and subsidize the development of rural sideline businesses,
especially encouraging small-scale producers to establish cooperatives, which
could prevent the proprietors from facing exploitation, induce technological
reform, raise output, and improve quality. However, the government’s goal
was in fact to develop rural sideline businesses as a means to supplement
agriculture, and ultimately, the side endeavors still did not receive due
attention from Japan’s government.