Empire of Japan (economic and financial data)
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In the half century up to the 1930s, Japan's exports grew from 144 million to 5,331 million yen (¥). This amounted to a share of world trade of only 3.7%, compared with 13.7% for the United Kingdom or 11.8% for the United States. The Great Depression of the 1930s also resulted in imports exceeding exports by ¥1,000 million.
1936, Japan possessed the third-largest commercial shipping fleet in the world, valued at $1,183,000,000, or $28.10 per person.
[edit] Government economic administration (previous days & WW2 period)
The official government entities which guided the Japanese national economy were the Economy and Finance Ministry. the Bank of Japan, and the Industry and Commerce Ministry. For military spending there was the Marine and War Ministry, and other important government entities.
[edit] Japanese investment in Chosen (previous times and WW2 period)
During 1932, Japan invested $550,000,000 and $320,000,000 in 1938. This investment produced a return of 400% in industrial monetary value.
In the fishing industry, Japan extracted a value of 20,000,000 U.S. dollars annually. This is a high per capita statistic in fishing and collected 15% of world fishing volumes.
The Noguchi Family put their principal investments in Banking commerce and Industry in this province. With their funds zaibatsu and the Japanese government founded the Bank of Chosen, the central banking institution in the province, which stayed linked with the Bank of Manchukuo, the Manchu central bank.
Other significant industries were chemicals (30%) and Metal and machinery (10%) with a total 1,000,000 of workers in these areas, plus woodworking, textile, foods and handcrafts.
Japan developed 4,000,000 acres (16,000 km²) for rice and 4,000,000 acres (16,000 km²) for rye and mice, and another 3,000,000 acres (12,000 km²) for soybean, wheat, tobacco and cotton. 7% of peasant families were employed in this cultivation which produced 5,000,000 tonnes annually. The harvest supported 1,700,000 cows, 1,400,000 pigs and others. [citation needed]
[edit] Fishing (WW2 era)
The important Okhotsk fisheries had a value of ¥50 million. Other fisheries in Chosen, Karafuto, South Mandate and Formosa came to ¥122,000,000 and ¥358,000,000 from Japan proper, for a total of ¥480,000,000 (1938 figures). Secondary products from fishing had a value of ¥150 million to ¥200 million. (From another source, fishing values were of ¥235,000,000 and ¥275,000,000 during 1919 to 1913, more than the British.)
Coastal fishing represented 61% of the total value, with a fleet of 364,260 small boats of which 20% had engines; the rest were sailing boats. High seas fishing represented 28% of the industry, with whaling, coral and pearl collecting and a little physiculture on land making up the rest. The high seas vessels operated in the North Pacific area (Alaska coasts), to the South Pacific. During Japanese administration the fishing in the Kwantung leased territory was 61,000 tonnes.
In 1938 the fish factory vessels packed 204,000 packages of Crab, and 370,000 packages of Sea Salmon. In the same year four Whale Hunting Vessels fished in waters around the Antarctic. Factories were built in Chisima, Hokkaidō, Karafuto, Taiwan, Chosen, Kyūshū, Shikoku and other coastal areas to process fish products.
[edit] Forestry products (WW2 Times)
Local forestry represented a production of 14,000,000 square meters of wood with a value of ¥75,000,000, a total value of ¥50,000,000 in cut wood, ¥3,000,000 in bamboo and other secondary wood products for a total value of ¥100,000,000. The local forests covered 200,000 km², 90,000 km² under State administration or Imperial Family reserves and taking part in scientific forest research during latter years. Coal of wood was valued at 100,000,000 yen. The Sugi (Scryptomeria Japonica), representing a quarter of the total quantity, Pine more than 20%in quantity and value and the Hinoki (Chamaecypaaris Obtusa) only 1/4% of quantity, but more than 9% in value.
Despite many forests and their importance, Japan continued to buy wood overseas. In accord with another dates, Japan had 200,000 km² of forest, 100,000 km² in private hands, the other 75,000 km² in state control and 12,000 km² owned by the Imperial House. Wood exports were made to the rest of the Japanese empire and foreign markets.
[edit] Paper and cellulose industry
Since ancient times, Japan manufactured assorted paper types by hand. A modern mechanized industry appeared in 1872 and became one of the most important industries in the nation. The total production was about 1,000,000 tonnes of paper and cardboard. cellulose paste, the principal prime material, was made in Shikoku, Hokkaidō and Karafuto. The Cellulose production resulted in 8% of U.S. manufacture; the Cellulose industry in Japan developed in Shikoku, North Honshū, Hokkaidō, Chosen,Manchukuo and Karafuto. In Karafuto was the Shiretoru Cellulose Factory, the most advanced installation dedicated to the cellulose industry in all of East Asia. The first place where European type paper was manufactured in all of Japan was in the city of Shikuka. Additionally to complement this local production, these products were sold in Canada and the United States of America.
[edit] Notes of Japanese concessions in North Sakhalin and Japanese-Russian fishing convention
The Japanese and Russian oil wells, in the same oil zone, were strictly controlled to ensure equitable exploitation. The pits stayed in direct connection with the Moskalvo port in the west coast of Ohka through a network of oil pipelines.
In 1925 the Soviet Government granted Japan Petroliferous and Carbonaceous Concessions in North Sakhalin to Mitsubishi, Itoh-Korada, Mitsui and other Japanese Companies for a period of 45 years. By Protocols and agreements signed in Moscow in May, 1944, these concessions expired 26 years before the accorded time in 1925, while one new Japanese-Russian accord over fishing conventions agreed to the formal retirement of some Japanese fisheries in the Far East to Japanese concessors, the right of Soviet Organizations to buy annually and for auction 10% of Japanese fish shares, and a supplementary payment in gold for Japanese owners.
When modifying these fishing conventions in 1928, according to the activities of Soviet Fishing Organizations, citizens were subject to substantial reductions. The Japanese-Russian accord of March 1944 cancelled all restrictions previously observed.
Japanese subjects and foreigners were banned from fishing in certain maritime zones in the Far East under an agreement with the Soviet Government made in July, 1941. The Japanese Government also guaranteed that fishing rights on the East Coast of Kamchatka and Olyutorsk were not taken up by the Japanese.
[edit] The Yen block and economic thought
To manage and control use of these resources the Japanese Military, industrial and Economic Thinkers proposed the "Yen Block" or Yen Zone. An economical doctrine, with one economic zone in these areas and Japan using Yen monetary values.
Following monetary problems during the 1930s, the theorists analyzed and created the "Greater Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere" Plan to perfect the previous economic doctrines. The plan expanded to Southeast Asia and Siberian Mainland to use the natural resources and spread the Japanese Yen currency in these areas, integrating them into their military conquest plans.
[edit] See also
- Japanese heavy industry during WW2 times
- Manchukuo (Japanese investment in industry)
- Japanese mining and energy resources (WWII)
- Japanese demography before WWII
- Japanese Agriculture in WW2
- Empire of Japan (wartime economy in occupied lands)
- Japanese Finances in WW2 times
- Japanese exterior Commerce during WW2 Times
- Natural resources under Japanese hands in Asia Mainland and Pacific area after 1937
