This work investigates the critical role of female labor in the rapid industrialization of Japan during the pre-Pacific War era. Janet Hunter, a scholar of Japanese economic history, utilizes extensive archival data and industrial records to analyze how the textile industry relied upon a specific demographic of young female workers. The book argues that these women were not merely passive participants but were central to the structural development and international competitiveness of the Japanese economy during its formative industrial years.

Experts recognize this text as a foundational study for understanding the intersection of gender and industrial policy in early twentieth-century Japan. Scholars frequently cite the book for its rigorous use of primary sources and its nuanced approach to labor history.