Japanese agriculture before WWII
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In agriculture before WWII, Japan had only 16% of its land area (about 23,000 mi²) under cultivation. Before the Pacific War around 45% of workers made a living from farming.
Family farms averaged 2.5 acres. Approximately one-third of peasants owned their farms — fewer in the South. The majority had to rent or work for landowners. Additionally they paid higher taxes than city residents.
Farmers' incomes were typically $150. Farming families were dependent on the zaibatsu who controlled fertilizer factories and farm implement suppliers. The hardships in the country meant many young people moved off the land to the cities.
Japanese cultivated land was mostly dedicated to rice, with 25% under grains and cereals and the rest fruits and garden vegetables. Rice production in Japan was 15% of world production. In Honshū the subtropical climate favoured a double harvest. Additionally Japan imported great quantities of rice from its exterior provinces and nearby countries for home consumption. Other important cereals were wheat, maize, rye, millet (in North Honshū and Hokkaido), barley; with potatoes and some production of soybean.
With 1,500,000 horses in use on the land the techniques were still at a low level of development. In Japan it was common, as in other Asian lands, for human labour to substitute. Meat and milk production were low at 3%; animal fat, 0.33%; Milk 0.75% and proper animal fat from meat 2%. With these and sugar use at low levels, the regular food ration of Japanese was by world standards very frugal.
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[edit] Farming
Farmed land in 1937 was 14,940,000 acres (60,460 km²), which represented 15.8% of the total Japanese surface, compared with 10,615,000 acres (42,957 km²) or 40% in Ohio (USA), or 12,881,000 acres (52,128 km²) or 21% in England. The proportion of farmed land rose from 11.8% in 1887 to 13.7% in 1902, and 14.4% in 1912 to 15.7% in 1919. This fell to 15.4% in 1929. There were 5,374,897 farmers at an average 2.67 acres (11,000 m²) per family, in comparison with any American farmer family with 155 acres (627,000 m²). These were larger in Hokkaido and Karafuto and reduced by 2 acres (8,000 m²) in southwest area. The principal grain was rice, from the extreme south to the north area, being farmed in poor soils. The intense culture, fertilizers and scientific development, raised the yield to 43 bushels per acre (374 m³/km²) in 1936.
[edit] Agricultural fertiliser
Japan had long imported nitrates from Chile for agriculture, to a value of ¥200,000,000, and began fertilizer manufacture from prime materials from the South Mandate and Christmas Island.
[edit] Japanese farming in northern areas
[edit] Chisima islands
In Shumushu, Paramushiro, Matsuwa, Shimushiro, Uruppu, Shirihoi, Etorofu, Kunashiri and the Shikotan Islands, there was capacity for small-scale farming and the harvest of fox furs and reindeer meat. Some of these islands were used as whale stations and contained lakes and rivers which supported inland fishing.
[edit] Karafuto
Its soils are "podzolics". This combined with a severe and harsh climate made cultivation difficult. Farming was least developed in the Suzuya South Plain, with land suitable for potatoes, oats, rye, forage, and vegetables. Only 7% of Karafuto is arable land (2% only in South) and about 25% of the population was dedicated to agriculture. The raising of horses and cows was quite important. In 1937 of 10,811 families, 623 had recently arrived. In 1932 the new peasants numbered 1341. The land in cultivation was 86,175 acres (349 km²), but specialists thought that more land could be available. The most capable farmers came from Hokkaido and North Honshū, settlers being given a land portion of 12.5 to 25 acres (50,000 to 100,000 m²) and one Russian style house. Farming experiments with Rice were partially successful. Government research mentioned 4,300 km² and in 1926 8,755 families had been established which cultivated 179.9 km².
[edit] Hokkaido
Here rice was cultivated, which occupied 25%, oats also 25%, potatoes, vegetables, rye and wheat. In other areas the rice was the main crop in 60% of the territory. Horses (200,000 or 250,000) were bred for use on the land and by Japanese Army forces. Also cows (12,000 or 35,000).
Hokkaido farms averaged 48,000 m², more than four times others in Japan. The rice farming expansion looked for a viable variety for this climate, but the disposable land (14%) was not adequate for rice farming purposes, and yields were low.
Inland apple, potatoes, cherries, etc were cultivated. One special crop was Mint. Other sources state farm sizes of 11 acres (45,000 m²), isolated one each other. Farmers numbered 2,000,000 and the government mentioned the possibility to establish another 1,000,000.
[edit] North Honshū
The farms were 3.5 to 4 acres (14,000 to 16,000 m²), for rice, potatoes, mice, and rye. It produced 75% of apples of Japan, most production in the south. Other products were cherries and horses.
[edit] Japanese farming in central areas
[edit] Central-South Honshū
Here were cultivated rice and special products including White Mulberry (for silkworm) in Suwa, tea, (in Shizuoka), Daikon (spice rabanus) in Nagoya, and also rye, mice, grape for wine, etc. A traditional farming place was Kinki district. Here Biwa Lake (a special place), and Japanese interior and Pacific seas are near to Osaka, Nagoya, Nara and Kioto, principal cities and their ports in Tsuruga (Sea of Japan), Yokkaiti (Pacific sea), Wakayama, Kobe and Osaka (interior sea).
[edit] Kyushu
A traditional place for rice and sweet potato crops, due to subtropical conditions. Other crops are Sugar Cane, Banana, tropical orange, lemon, tobacco, taro, and beans. Additionally on high ground horses breeding. Kyushu has more cultural relations with the South Seas and China, and is one of the more ancient centres of Japanese Origin and Culture.
[edit] Shikoku
An island with Subtropical conditions similar to Kyushu for farming Palm (of various types including coconut), Camphor (in plantations), Wax-Tree, sweet potato, taro, and rice. Other products obtained in the highlands are Rye, Mice, sarracin wheat, White Moral (for grown silk worms) and forage for horses and cows.
[edit] Chosen
Korean farming is similar to Chinese farming for its intense human work, but the Koreans had little capital for machinery or fertilizers. Much of its products are similar to Japanese and Chinese farming. Each local peasant family possessed 3.6 acres (15,000 m²) to farm and the large private or government Japanese farming companies having grown, they absorbed these small concerns. Here rice (for export to Japan), maize, oats, soy beans, wheat, sorghum, Kaoliang, potatoes, sweet potato, many vegetables including cauliflower, turnips, Daikon, Corn, cotton, white mulberry (for cultivation of silkworms), pears, apples, orange, lemons are grown; also cattle, horses and pigs.
Farming topics were managed by the Farming State Empress "East Foment Company" from Keijo (Seoul). This center dictated all farming and harvest official measures in all provinces. Another crop was bamboo.
[edit] Kwantung Leased Territory and South Manchurian Railway Zone
Farming here was very similar to Manchukuo and Chosen. The Soybean was developed for industrial use and export to foreign markets, and White mulberry to support the Silk Worm harvest; other crops are Wheat, Rye, Kaoliang, some Rice, Cotton, Maize, etc. Also some rearing of cows and horses, but the latter for transportation. In Kwantung the Fishing industry was developed in Liaotung Gulf for local consumption and sending to mainland Japan.
[edit] Manchukuo (Japanese and Manchu farming)
This territory, was the most fertile in the Central Manchu Plain. Here wheat, corn, maize, rice, Kaoliang, soybean (for industrial and export), rye, oats, barley, etc were cultivated. Other important crops were tobacco, hemp, sesame, apples, pears, nuts, etc. Mills and granaries grew to support the grain cultivation industry and also byproducts such as beers and liquor, paints, oils, etc.
As a farming country the local peasant cultivation by village communities included cows, sheep, horses, Bactrian Camels (Tsingan province and other Mongol majority areas) and dogs (for winter transportation and other uses in Kirin and Heilungkiang).
Manchukuo had a fishing industry in its lakes (Khanka and others), rivers and seas (Liaotung Gulf).
For more detailed information see Economy of Manchukuo.
[edit] Japanese farming in South areas
[edit] Ryukyus
If other tropical islands adequate for farming rice, sweet potatoes, sugar cane, Paw Paw coconuts, taro, etc.
[edit] Taiwan (Formosa)
The farming was Chinese style, with rice cultivation, sweet potato, etc. Cherries and Strawberries were farmed at higher altitudes. Other characteristic products were Oolong tea, bananas, pineapple, etc.
The most developed crop was sugar cane, especially in the north and south areas, which satisfied 42% of the crude sugar demand of Japan. The consumption of sugar in Japan grew from 15 lb (7 kg), in 1918 to 30 lb (14 kg) in 1928; much of the growth was satisfied from this province.
Camphor was collected from forests or plantations to send crude to Japan, and jute & ramie (to obtain fibres for cords) and others. The Japanese government administered and developed all Camphor production organized via the "Formosa Manufacturing Company" from 1899.
The cultivated land was 2,116,174 acres (8,564 km²) at a density of 1,576 inhabitants per square mile in 1937.
[edit] South Pacific Mandate
The province, with its equatorial tropical conditions, supported farming of coconuts, taro, sweet potato, tapioca, banana, pineapple and rice, for local use and export. Similarly in Formosa the sugar cane industry was pushed to obtain more production for deliveries to Japan and foreign exports. The principal sugar cane centres were Saipan and the Palau Islands.
[edit] Philippines
Prior to the Pacific War there was a small Japanese settlement in Davao at the South of Mindanao Island which worked with Japanese private companies to cultivate Abaca for Manila Hemp fibres. This was the main center of cultivation in the region, with farming of sugar cane, pineapple, bananas, sweet potato and other tropical crops. Abaca farming exceeded sugar cane cultivation in acreage but not in value. 25% was sent to the USA. Sisal was also exported to the USA and Japan.
