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PUBLICATIONS OF OP50–E, Occupied Areas Section. OPNAV 50E-1. OPNAV 50E-1s. OPNAV 50E-2. OPNAV 50E-3. OPNAV 50E-4. OPNAV 50E-5. OPNAV 50E_7. OPNAV 50E-8. OPNAV 50E-9. OPNAV 50E-10. OPNAV 50E-12. OPNAV 50E-13. Activities desiring copies of the above publications should make request directly to the Chief of Naval Operations, Occupied Areas Section. |
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Civil Affairs Handbook
Izu and Bonin Islands OPNAV 50E-9 Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
Navy Department 10 July 1944 |
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NAVAL CIVIL AFFAIRS PUBLICATIONS1. There will be issued from time to time several types of civil affairs publications for the guidance and assistance of naval personnel in carrying out their responsibilities in occupied areas. These publications will be principally Handbooks, Guides, and Manuals. 2. Civil Aflairs Handbooks are factual studies of general information pertaining to civil affairs in specific areas. 3. Civil Affairs Guides are studies of anticipated civil affairs problems. In no sense is a Guide, as such, to be taken as an order or a statement of official policy. Such orders and statements of policy will be issued in the normal manner. 4. Civil Affairs Manuals establish basic principles, procedures, and methods of dealing with civil affairs for naval personnel. The broadest of these is the Army–Navy Manual of Military Government and Civil Affairs, (FM 27–5, OpNav 50E-3). 5. Civil Affairs Studies will include Pocket Guidebooks for the indoctrination of troops in the characteristics and customs of occupied areas; special studies on military government and civil affairs techniques of other powers; and other material as found useful. |
LETTER OF PROMULGATIONOffice of the Chief of Naval Operations,
Navy Department. Washington 25, D. C. 10 July 1944 CIVIL AFFAIRS HANDBOOKIZU AND BON IN ISLANDSOPNAV 50E-91. OPNAV 50E-9 is a non-registered RESTRICTED publication. It is intended to provide useful information for civil affairs officers in the area indicated, but the material contained herein may be of value to other officers and for other purposes. 2. This publication is to be used and stowed in accordance with the provisions of U. S. Navy Regulations, Articles 75,75 1/2 and 76. F. J. HORNE,
Vice Admiral, U. S. Navy Vice Chief of Naval Operations. |
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PREFACE
This handbook is designed primarily for the use of Army and Navy commanders and their staffs and subordinates who may be concerned with military government and the control of civil affairs in the Izu and Bonin Islands. The materials selected for inclusion have been chosen with reference to their pertinence to administrative planning and action. No attempt has been made, therefore, to present data on military objectives or detailed hydrographic information, which are readily available in other existing monographs. In a few instances data of primary interest to scientists have been included. Thus the sections on Flora and fauna contain detailed lists of local plants and animals compiled from inaccessible Japanese sources. The inclusion of this material seemed advisable in view of the extreme inadequacy of the information on these subjects in any of the available sources written in European languages.
The islands covered by this handbook fall into two distinct groups: the Izu archipelago, which extends southward from Tokyo Bay to approximately 30° N latitude, and the Bonin archipelago, which lies southeast of the Izus and northwest of the Marianas Islands. The Izu Islands are divided for administrative purposes into the O-shima district, consisting of a cluster of larger islands just offshore from Japan, and the Hachijo-jima district, made up of a number of smaller islands widely scattered in a line extending almost due south from the former. The Bonin Islands, as defined for the purposes of this handbook, comprise the Ogasawara Gunto or Bonin Islands proper (consisting of the Parry, Beechey, and Bailey Islands), the Kazan Retto or Volcano Islands, and cne island. Marcus, which lies considerably to the eastward. All these islands are combined for administrative purposes under the Ogasawara district. The text of this handbook is divided into three parts — (1) Basis Information, (2) Administration and Public Facilities, (3) Economics — each part being subdivided into chapters and topics, numbered decimally. Part 1 is designed to present an over-all survey of basic information on the islands for military administrators. Parts 2 and 3 contain data especially pertinent to particular administrative functions or activities, and are intended primarily for reference • Appended to the text are 32 illustrations, mostly dated about 1939, which, portray important aspects of life and enterprise in the islands. Also attached is a selected bibliography of the sources consulted, with brief critical comments. As indicated by the bibliography, this handbook has been compiled in the main from Japanese sources. Most of the information contained is comparatively rebent, dating largely from the years 1?:35 to 1940. iii
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1. BASIC INFORMATION |
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11. GEOGRAPHY111. LocationGeographic Position. The Izu and Bonin Islands lie north of the Marianas, north-east of the Philippines, east of Formosa and the Ryukyu Islands, south of Tokyo, and about 3,000 miles west of Honolulu. The islands form a roughly linear chain stretching some 650 miles from O-shima, which dominates the approaches to Tokyo Bay, southward to the Volcano Islands. The Izu Islands extend from 34° 37' to 29° 49' N latitude. The Bonin Islands proper lie between 27° 45' and 26° 30' N latitude, and the Volcano Islands, which are included with the Bonins for administrative purposes, extend from 25° 26' to 24° 14' N latitude. With the exception of Naka-no-tori-jima and Marcus Island, all the islands lie within a narrow east-west area ranging from 138° 50' (Zeni-su) to 142° 12' E longitude (Chichi-jima). Naka-no-tori-jima (30° 51' N latitude, 154° 16' E longitude) and Marcus Island (24° 17' N latitude, 153° 58' E longitude) lie roughly 700 miles to the east of Chichi-jima. Table of Distances. The approximate distances in nautical miles from Tokyo to the principal Izu and Bonin Islands and island groups, as well as between the latter, are shown in the following table:
The following table presents approximate distances in nautical or air-line miles from Futami Harbor on Chichi-jima in the center of the Bonins to other points in the Pacific:
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Time. The standard time in the islands, with the exception of Marcus Island, is uniform with that prevailing throughout the four main islands of Japan, which is nine hours in advance of Greenwich. Marcus Island, considerably to the east of the other islands, falls within the minus ten zone (G.M.C.T.). Composition and Area. The Izu and Bonin Islands comprise ll: major islands or island groups (see II3 for geological structure and individual descriptions). The total land surface of the islands amounts to 105.13 square kilometers (156. l. square miles), of which nearly 75 per cent is accounted for by the Izu Islands. The following table lists the islands in order from north to south, together with their areas in square kilometers:
* Area not indicated in available sources; possibly included with that reported for the major island in the particular group. ** Exact N-S location within group not known. 4
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112. ClimateMeteorological Stations. The principal meteorological observatory in the Izu Islands is located at Ozato on Hachijo-jima (position: 33° 06' N, 139° 50' E.; elevation: 267 feet). Available reports of most weather data from this station cover a period of 23 unspecified years. In addition, weather observations have occasionally been made by personnel at the lighthouse on O-shima and by observers on Nii-jima, Kozu-shima, and at Tsubota and Kamitsuki on Miyake-jima. Observations with respect to temperature, humidity, wind direction, and rainfall have been made by the Japanese on Chichi-jima in the Bonin Islands since 1898. At the present time the principal meteorological observatory for this region is located at Omura on Chichi-jima (position: 27° 05' N, 142° 11' E; e1evation: 13 feet). Weather data compiled at this station over a period of 23 unspecified years has been included in the tables which follow. During the period 1907–11, temperature observations were made at Okimura on Haha-jima. There is a weather station on Iwo-jima, presumably established in recent years. Although definite information is lacking, it seems very probable that the Japanese also maintain a weather station on Marcus Island. Temperature. The Izus enjoy a mild climate, due largely to the influence of the warm Japan Stream which flows northward along the west side of the islands. At Hachijojima the mean annual temperature is 619 F; mean monthly temperatures vary between a minimum of 50°, recorded in January and February, and a maximum of 79°, reached in August. Although the range of mean monthly temperatures in these islands is greater than in the Bonins, the only very warm months are those from July through September, and the only months in which freezing temperatures are ever experienced are from January through March. The difference between day and night temperatures is about 11.° during the cool season and from 8° to 9° during the warm season. The absolute maximum temperature recorded on Hachijo-jima over a 23-year period is 919; the minimum is 30°. Temperatures below freezing occur infrequently. Somewhat more extreme temperatures are experienced on the northern islands, but even on O-shima the temperature is said to be fairly equable. The following table summarizes observations on air temperature at the Ozato station on Hacnijojima for a period of 23 unspecified years:
The Bonins, lying farther south and also within range of the warm Japan Stream, have a subtropical marine climate with relatively high temperatures. The mean annual temperature is 73° F at Chichi-jima,78° at Haha-jima, and still higher in the Volcano Islands. There are only two seasons: the hot season from April through November, and the cool season from December through March. The summer is long and the heat great, with ful:#y days and somewhat cooler nights. The mean monthly temperature in July and August is 81°. The cool season is temperate and suitable for all kinds of activity. The coldest weather is experienced in January, and February when the temperature sometimes goes as low as 1.5°, but averages between 65° and 63°. Even in these months, however, there is never Frost or snow. The difference between day and night temperatures averages about 10° to ll* during the cool season, and about 11° to 13° during the warm season. The following table summarizes the results of air temperature observations at the Omura station on Chichi-jima for a period of 23 unspecified years: 5
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The temperature of the sea water of the Bonins is relatively high and uniform. The following table shows the mean annual and monthly sea-water temperatures at Chichijima according to observations made at the oceanological station on Futami Bay during the period 1916-33:
Although meteorological information for Marcus Island is meager, it is known that air temperatures there are generally higher than in the Bonins and that the summer average is about 89°. An absolute maximum of 99° and an absolute minimum of 60° have been reported. Atmospheric Pressure. The mean annual barometric pressure in the Izu Islands is lol.3 millibars (755.8 mm or 29.9 inches). The maximum mean monthly pressure is lol'7 millibars (762.8 mm or 30.0 inches); the minimum is loog millibars (756.8 mm or 29.8 inches). The following table presents data on the mean monthly atmospheric pressure, corrected to mean sea level, as recorded at the Ozato station on Hachijo-jima over a period of 23 unspecified years:
The mean annual barometric pressure in the Bonins is 1011 millibars (761.0 mm or 29.9 inches). The seasonal variation follows a comparatively steady pattern: the maximum pressure is recorded in January, after which it falls gradually until August, 6
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when the low point is reached; thereafter it increases fairly rapidly. Considerable variation from the norm of mean monthly atmospheric pressures (though not from the general pattern) may be expected in some years. The following table presents data on average barometric pressures, corrected to mean sea level, for a period of 23 unspecified years, and for the year 1937, as observed at the Omura station on Chichi-jima:
Humidity. The mean annual relative humidity in the Izu Islands is excessive, averaging 77 per cent (100 per cent represents saturation). Atmospheric moisture content is lowest during the winter months, averaging about 68 to 69 per cent from December through February; it reaches a maximum of 87 per cent in June and July. Data on the average monthly relative humidity, compiled from observations made at the Ozato station on Hachijo-jima over a period of 23 unspecified years, are given in the following table:
The degree of proximity to the Japan Stream has a marked effect upon relative humidity in the various islands. Those islands which are in the stream or nearest to it have an atmosphere which is considerably more moist, especially in winter, than those which are more distant from it. The mean annual relative humidity in the Bonins averages about 78 per cent. There is appreciable variation, both seasonal and diurnal, although the range is not as great as in the Izus. The humidity for all months from December through March is under 75 per cent, but from April through October humidities of 80 per cent or more prevail, with the peak of 85 per cent in June. The daily variation is such that the moisture content of the air is nearly always greatest early in the morning; at Chichi-jima the humidity observations at 0600 from June through September average slightly more than .90 per cent. The following table presents data on relative humidity as observed at the Omura station on Chichi-jima during a period of 23 unspecified years, the years 1902-04, and the year 1937:
Rainfall. Precipitation is relatively heavy in the Izus. It is somewhat greater than the rainfall which occurs along the coasts of Honshu, the main island of Japan, and 7
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is more than twice that occurring in the Bonins. According to data collected over a period of 23 unspecified years at Hachijo-jima, the average annual precipitation is about 135 inches (3,438 mm). There is, however, considerable variation from the normal average in particular years or periods of years — for example, in 1929 a total of l55 inches (3,947 mm) of rain fell. Both the quantity of precipitation and the frequency of rainy weather increase as one proceeds southward in the Izus. There is, however, no really dry season anywhere in the troup, and even December and January, which are the drie st months, normally have more than 7 inches of rain and at least 19 rainy days. All of the other months have more than 8 inches. The month of heaviest rains is October with an average of nearly 22 inches of rain and 22 rainy days. The next rainie st months are September, June, and March, respectively. Rain falls during half or more of the days in each month, and the average number of rainy days (days with at least l.0 mm of rain) per year is 227. Heavy rainfalls are common, and precipitation exceeding l; inches in 21, hours has been recorded in every month. In September and October over 11 inches of rain have fallen in 21 hours. Such heavy rainfalls are usually associated with typhoons. There are occasional snow flurries in the months from December through March, but the average number of days with snow is only 2.8 per year. The following table presents data on precipitation (both rain and snow) as reported by the Ozato station on Hachijo-jima for a period of 23 unspecified years:
* Days with 1.0 mm (.03937 inches) or more of rain. The amount of precipitation in the Bonins is not great and, in fact, it is less than that at Tokyo. Authorities differ, but it appears that the average amount of rainfall in a year at Omura on Chichi-jima is approximately 62.5 inches (1590 mm). The same station reports an average of 191 rainy days per year. There are no well-defined wet or dry seasons, and each month — except January and February — receives more than 1,inches of rain. The rainiest months are May, which has an average of 8.1 inches and 18 rainy days, and August, which has an average rainfall of 6.7 inches and 17 rainy days. October also averages 18 rainy days, and September, November, December, and January usually average l? each, but the precipitation in these months is considerably less than in May and August. The driest months are February, with an average of 3.1 inches and 15 rainy days, and January, with an average precipitation of 3.9 inches. June usually has the fewest rainy days. The heaviest rainfall in 21 hours ever recorded at the Omura station was 9.1 inches (231.8 mm), which occurred in October. Such heavy downpours are usually associated with typhoons. During the warm season the rain usually falls in sudden and brief showers. Prolonged rainfall, however, is fairly common during the cool season, especially in March and April. The longest rainy period recorded at Omura began about the middle of July and lasted for 21, days, a marked exception. Hail has been known to fall, but is extremely rare. Droughts are likewise unusual, but one of 26 days' duration is reported to have occurred in September. The following table presents data on rainfall (in mm) as observed at Omura on Chichi-jima for a period of 23 unspecified years, the yº; #02-04, and for an unspecified period reported in the Japan-Manchukuo Year Book (1910):
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* Days with 1.0 mm (.03937 inches) or more of rain. Rainfall on Marcus Island is slight. In summer there are short and infrequent showers, which occur oftenest in July. Cloudiness. The degree of cloud cover in the Izu Islands is relatively high throughout the year. At Ozato on Hachijo-jima, mean annual cloudiness amounts to 78 per cent (loo per cent represents a completely overcast sky). The month of greatest overcast is June, with a mean maximum of 87 per cent. The least cloudy month is November, with an average of 71 per cent. The average number of cloudy days (more than 80 per cent §ej per year is 205 at the Ozato station. June has 21, such days, while November represents the other extreme with only lz. The average number of clear days (less than 20 per cent overcast) per year is variously reported as between 6 and 9. Even November, the clearest month, averages only one full day of clear skies. There is sunshine during 38 per cent of all daylight hours. Fog is fairly common in the northern islands, but rather rare in the southern islands of the chain. Its occurrence is most probable between the first of March and the end of July, but on Hachijo-jima the number of days with fog averages only 2.9 per year. Data on cloudiness, visibility, and the frequency of fog on Hachijo-jima are presented in the following table, which summarizes observations made at the Ozato station over a period of 23 unspecified years:
The skies over the Bonins are comparatively less cloudy. The mean annual cloudiness at the Omura station is reported as 65 per cent, with an average of 11.0 cloudy days per year. The month of least overcast is October, with 57 per cent; the cloudiest month is May, with an average of 78 per cent. Each major change in wind direction is accompanied by an increase in cloudiness. Thus, the principal maximum — in May — is associated with the setting in of southerly winds, and during this month the number of cloudy days is about 19 on Chichi-jima. Thereafter the degree of cloudiness diminisnes, and July is one of the least cloudy months of the year. The number of clear days is uniformly low, and the average number of such days per year is only about 20. Clear days are most frequent in the last half of the year, but even in October the average number per month does not exceed 3. Observations made at the Omura station from the time of its establishment until the end of lº28 show that there is sunshine during 53 per cent of the daylight hours. In general, fog does not present any serious problem in this area, and there is reported to be an average of only l;8 hours of fog per year on Chichi-jima. However, dense fog is reported eastward of the islands and also on Kita-iwo-jima in the Volcano group. Average conditions of cloudiness and visibility prevailing on Chichi-jima, based upon 23 unspecified years of observations at the Omura station, are summarized in the following table: 9
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Light fogs are reported to occur on Marcus Island in September and October. Winds. The Izu Islands, like the Bonins, lie within a borderline region which is influenced by both the Asiatic ràthnsoons and northeast trades. The winds experienced in the Izus, however, are far stronger than those in the Bonins and there are more than ten times as many gales. Westerly winds are the most prevalent throughout the year. From December through March, westerly and northwesterly winds predominate. These are the strongest of all winds during the year, averaging from 21 to 21, knots during most of this period, often freshening to force 7 (Beaufort: 32-38 knots), and at times attaining gale force (33-5. knots). From April through June, northeasterly, westerly, and southwesterly winds are prominent, with an average velocity of from 8 to 18 knots. In July, westerly and southwesterly winds of still less strength begin to dominate. In August winds from this quarter, averaging less than 13 knots, are most frequent. The latter part of the summer, however, is a period of highly variable winds. In September southerly winds become most common; in October winds from the east and northeast, averaging almost force. 5 (19 to 21, knots), tend to predominate. The winter monsoon sets in during November, when westerly winds begin to prevail except in the northernmost islands lying close to Honshu where northerly winds prevail during all the winter months. Throughout the islands, winds from southerly quarters are associated with bad weather and sudden squalls, while westerly winds usually bring clear weather. Calms are rare throughout the Izus; they almost never occur in the winter months, but are infrequently experienced during the summer, when gales are likewise less common. A heavy swell from the southeast, called "doyonami," appears frequently, even during the summer, and is especially prominent from Nii-jima northward. The following table gives the mean wind directions (in percent ages) and the average number of days with gales at Ozato on Hachijo-jima, according to observations over periods of 5 and 6 years, respectively:
* Indicates less than 1 per cent. ** Mean wind speeds of 29 knots or more for periods of at least 20 minutes before any hour of observation. In the Bonins, winds blow rather evenly from every quarter, with those from the east and northeast generally predominating. Calms, which are more common than in most neighboring areas, occur with maximum frequency from June through August. In the summer southerly winds usually prevail, those from the southwest being prominent during April, May, and June. The usual monsoon period is from July to September, with southeasterly winds, infrequent storms, and calm seas ordinarily characterizing the weather. In September, and sometimes earlier, the wind shifts to the east and northeast, continuing 10
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through November. The northwest winter monsoon appears in December and prevails through March, bringing the strongest winds and causing rough seas. Northeast winds often appear about the end of March or in April when the winter monsoon dies away, and these usually bring good weather. The westerly winds which follow in May are light and variable, and usually bring more settled weather. Wind velocity is ordinarily rather low in this area throughout the year. It is least from April through November, the minimum average velocity of 3 knots being recorded in July. From December through March it is greatest, the maximum average speed of 6 knots being reached in February. Gales, which are infrequent, are most likely to occur between September and December. Mean wind directions (in percentages), as observed at the Umura station over a period of 6 unspecified years, are shown in the table which follows:
The following table presents data on mean prevailing winds, average wind velocities, and average number of days with gales at Omura on Chichi-jima. The statistics on prevailing winds cover two periods: the years lºo2-01, and the years 1922-36. The data on wind velocity are for lº 37 only, and those concerning the frequency of gales are based upon a period of 6 unspecified years of observations:
* Mean wind speeds of 29 knots or more for periods of at least 20 minutes before any hour of observation. ** A December gale has been recorded, but not during this period of observation. At Marcus Island, northeasterly winds usually prevail during the winter months, while winds from the eastern to southern quarters predominate in the summer. The speed of the wind seldom exceeds force 5. Storms. Thunderstorms occur occasionally in the Izu Islands, averaging l’? days a year at Hachijo-jima. The months of greatest storm frequency aré from July through November, while May and June are the months of least occurrence. Gales are relatively common in all months, but most frequent during March. According to observations made at the Ozato station on Hachijo-jima over an unspecified 2O-year period, the average number of days with thunderstorms per year and per month is as follows:
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The Izus lie in the customary typhoon path, except during July when the track shifts more to the north. However, only the most northerly islands lie in this path during August and September. Since August, September, and October are the months of greatest typhoon frequency in the northern Pacific, the result is that the se disturbances are relatively rare in the southern islands of the group, and October is the month of their most probable occurrence there. However, typhoons often pass close enough to the islands to cause high winds in any month. #ven during relatively calm periods, dirty squalls are experienced, particularly from Nii-jima northward. Windstorms and thunderstorms are experienced less often in the Bonins, and when occurring they arise and fall very quickly. During September and October, storms usually come from the northeast, with sporadic gales from the northwest, while in April they come as a rule from the southwest. At Chichi-jima, the average number of days with thunderstorms is only about 8 per year, but the number of stormy days is about l”. Thunderstorms are most likely to occur in July, August, and October; they are least probable from December through February. Observations at the Omura station on the annual and monthly average number of days with thunderstorms (over an unspecified 2O-year period), and on the mean number of stormy days (over the period 1925-37) are summarized in the following table:
Typhoons, often accompanied by tidal waves, floods, and earthquakes (see 113), occur in the Bonins more frequently during autumn and winter than in other months, though such storms have been known to affect the area in every month. Extremely violent ones occur on an average of once every one and a half to two years, usually during September, October, or November. However, the usual typhoon track in these months lies somewhat westward of the islands. From May through August typhoons occasionally pass near enough to the group to cause southeast gales. The following table, based on observations at the Omura station over an indeterminate period of years, shows the mean number of typhoons affecting the region in the first, middle, and last lo-day periods of each month throughout the year:
At Marcus Island, typhoons are reported to be fairly common in October. 113. Geology and TopographyGeological Structure. The Izus and the Bonins (including. Naka-no-tori jima, the Volcano Islands, and Marcus) comprise 14 islands or island groups. Except for Marcus, which is a triangular-shaped coral island, the islands are of volcanic origin and formation. The Izu Islands are the southward continuation of the Fuji volcanic chain which extends from the Japan Sea across the middle of Honshu into the Pacific Ocean. The Bonins are variously described as a further continuation of the Fuji chain or as an independent chain. Many of the islands, such as O-shima, Miyake-jima, Tori-jima, and the Volcano Islands, reveal continuing volcanic activity in one of several forms: the pouring forth of steam and sulphurous fumes from fissures and vents, the appearance of new cones, and eruptions of varying intensity. On almost all the islands are found one or more principal craters, the floors or flanks of which are often pock-marked with subsidiary cones or explosive craters. On several of the islands, notably Hachijo-jima, Chichijima, Iwo-jima, and Minami-iwo-jima, earthquake shocks are frequent. 12
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All of the islands are small, the largest (O-shima) being ten and a half miles in length. They are rugged and either hilly or mountainous. Highest elevations on individual islands range from 500 to nearly 3,000 feet in the Izu Islands, from 400 to l,500 feet in the Bonins proper, and from 600 feet to over 3,000 feet in the Volcano Islands. Level land is scarce and is confined chiefly to Nii-jima and Hachijo-jima, although there are medium-sized coastal or valley lowlands on Chichi-jima and Haha-jima. Coasts, rising behind narrow rocky beaches, are steep and forbidding. Most of the islands have relatively straight coast lines; only Kozu-shima, the Beechey Islands, and Haha-jima have marked indentations. Offshore there are numerous rocks and rocky islets, as well as fringing reefs. The principal islands and island groups are listed below from north to south, with the essential geographic facts about each. All distances are approximate. O-shima. This island is situated at 34° 47" N, 139° 22' E, 65 miles SW of Tokyo, and 13 miles N of To-jima. Largest of the Izu Islands, it is oval-shaped and approximately six miles wide and ten and a half miles long. The chief topographic feature of the island is Mihara Yama, an active volcano, the cone of which is 2,477 feet high. The main crater of this cone is filled with a pool of incandescent lava some 800 feet in width. In clear weather the reflection of this lava on the white cloud of vapor which hovers over the summit forms, a landmark visible for many miles. A period of eruptions, starting in 1912 and continuing for three years, filled the crater nearly to its brim with newly-erupted lava. Since 1915 there have been incessant rumblings and vapor emissions, occasional volcanic earthquakes and ash precipitations, but only minor eruptions (in 1934, and 1938). On the NE and SW slopes of the cone there are breaches in the wall of the main crater from which flows of lava extend to the sea. In general, however, the W slope is comparatively regular with the exception of shallow radial valleys. The E slope is more irregular and is furrowed by deep valleys cut by the temporary streams of the rainy season and by the one permanent stream of the island. The coast is characterized by precipitous cliffs, although there are long sandy beaches on the W and S coasts of the island. Nii-jima. This island is situated at 34° 22' N and 139° 14' E,20 miles S of O-shima and 9 mile's NE of Kozu-shima. The island is two miles wide and seven miles long. From E or W, the elevations at each end appear to be two separate islands. Between the l,404 foot summit at the N end and the 985 foot summit at the S end lies a lowland of coarse gravel deposits which forms the principal cultivated area of the island. Except for this central portion and a small area in the SE, the shore line consists of steep cliffs. There are sandy beaches along the SE and SW shores and also along Awai Ura, a small inlet at the N end of the E coast. There are several offshore islands and many offshore rocks, the more important of which are described below. To-jima is a small cone-shaped island one and a half miles in diameter, situated at 34° 31' N and 139° 17' E, six miles N of Nii-jima. Its cone rises to an elevation of l,664 feet. The circumference of the island consists of steep cliffs, and the only landing place is a rocky beach on the N side. Udone-jima is a small uninhabited grass-covered island located at 34° 28' N and 139° 18' E midway between To-jima and Nii-jima. Its maximum elevation is 686 feet. Jinai-jima lies one mile to the W of Nii-jima. It reacnes a height of 247 feet and is grass-covered except for a pine-covered peninsula at the S end. Haya-jima is a small steep-sided and flat-topped island off the S tip of Nii-jima. Shikine-jima is a small irregularly-shaped island situated at 34° 22' N and 139° 13° E, two miles off the SW shore of Nii-jima. It is one mile wide, two miles long, and reaches a maximum elevation of 335 feet. Hot springs are found among the rocks on the N and W sides of the island. The coast consists of alternating cliffs and lowlands, and there are numerous rocks offshore. Taibusa-iwa is a rocky islet 180 feet long lying directly off the SW shore of Shikine-jima. Kozu-shima. This island is located at 34° 12' N, 139° 09' E, 7 1/2 miles SW of Nii-jima and 20 miles NNW of Miyake-jima. It is three miles wide and four miles long. In the center an extinct volcano, Tenjo Yama, rises to an elevation of l,871 feet, and several small cones rise from its flanks. The coast consists of cliffs and rocky beaches with short stretches of sandy beach along the SE and W shores. Numerous rocks and islets lie offshore. The most important of these are two rocky islets lying close together, about 1,000 yards off the central part of the E coast of Kozu-shima. The islets, which are called Tadanae-jima, are 270 and 281 feet high, have cliff-bound shores, and are wooded. 13
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Miyake-jima. This island is situated at 34° 06' N, 139° 30' E, 33 miles S of O-shima and 11 miles NNW of Mikura-jima. Round, and six miles in diameter, it is the third largest of the Izu Islands. The volcano, which rises to a height of 2,668 feet in the center of the island, erupted on July 12, 1940, and remained active for nearly a month. Although the contours of the island were not changed fundamentally, a new central cone was formed and a lava flow, coalescing with a small volcanic cone which rose from the sea floor, filled in Akabakyo Bay and formed two new beaches along the NE shore. The NW and SE flanks of the volcano are steeper and more deeply eroded than the others. Several subsidiary cones project from the NE and SE flanks of the central cone, and there are small hills at its base. Although there is little level land, there are extensive wooded and cultivated areas. The coast consists chiefly of steep cliffs and rocky shores, with a few short stretches of sandy beach. There are a number of small offshore rocks, the most important of which are: Onohara-jima — a group of high uninhabited rocks six miles SW of Miyake-jima; Zeni-su — an uninhabited reef consisting of a number of rocks rising abruptly from two small shoals, situated 39 miles SW of Miyake-jima. Mikura-jima. This island is situated at 33° 53' N, 139° 37' E, 11 miles SSE of Miyake-jima an miles NNW of Hachijo-jima. The island is nearly round and has a diameter of three miles. O-Yama, the volcanic cone at the center, reaches a height of 2,798 feet and has a horseshoe-shaped crater opening to the S. The sides of the volcano are cut by deep radial valleys. On the SW flank and close to the shore is a subsidiary cone, Akazawa Yama. The coast is formed of rocky cliffs varying from 300 to l,600 feet in height. Inamba-jima is a small uninhabited and inaccessible islet situated at 33° 39' N and 139° 18' E, 19 miles SW of Mikura-jima and 36 miles NW of Hachijo-jima. The islet, which has an elevation of 244 feet, is flat-topped and covered with grass. The E coast consists of a steep cliff, while the W side slopes slightly. Hachijo-jima (also called Fatsio and Fasisio). This island is located at 33° 05' N and 139° 46' E, 150 miles S of Tokyo, 42 miles SSE of Mikura-jima, and 35 miles N of Aoga-shima. The island, four and one-half miles wide and nine miles long, consists of the cones of two extinct volcanoes separated by a central lowland. Nishi Yama, in the NW part of the island, is a symmetrical truncated cone 2,812 feet high with a circular crater l,300 feet in diameter. Within this crater rises Naka Yama, a small cone. Nishi Yama has been called "Hachijo-jima Fuji" because of its resemblance to the famous mountain on Honshu in Japan proper. In the SE part of the island, Mihara Yama rises to a flat-topped summit of 2,298 feet. This inactive volcano has been modified by erosion, and around its base there are several small hills and a l,464 foot subsidiary summit, Mishotai Yama. The central lowland connecting Nishi Yama and Mihara Yama has an average elevation of 90 feet and is accessible from short low beaches on either side. Elsewhere the coast is composed of steep cliffs varying in height from 200 to 590 feet, with only a narrow sandy or rocky strand at the foot of the cliffs. There are a number of rocks offshore. Although Nishi Yama has not erupted since 1605, earthquake shocks are frequent: one occurred in 1929, four in 1930, five in 1931, and two in 1932. Ko-jima, lying two and one-half miles W of Hachijo-jima, is separated from the larger island by a deep channel. Small and oval-shaped, it has a central peak 2,023 feet high. The E and W sides have steep cliffs, but the NW and SE sides slope fairly gently to the sea. Aoga-shima (also called Aogo-shima). This small island is situated at 32° 28’ N, 139° 46' E, 35 miles due S of Hachijo-jima. The island, one mile wide and two and one-half miles long, consists of a composite volcano with a truncated come and a circular crater (Ikeno Sawa) from which arises a smaller, more recent cone with a crater 600 feet in diameter. The NW side of the old crater, which has an elevation of l,390 feet, is the highest point on the island. Although there are few trees, the soil is comparatively fertile, and the more level portions of the island, including the interior of the old crater, are under cultivation. The coasts are steep, but there is a rocky landing place at Mikono Ura, a cove on the NE coast. Central Islets. These uninhabited rocky islets between Aoga-shima and the Parry Islands, are described below. Bayonnaise Rocks (also called Beyoneisu Retsugan) is a group of rocks situated at 31° 55' N, 139° 54' E, about 37 miles of Aoga-shima. Submarine volcanoes have been reported near the rocks, and it is probable that the ocean floor in this vicinity undergoes constant change. Smith Island (Sumisu-jima) comprises a group of rocks situated at 31° 27' N, 140° 02" E, about 34 miles SE of Bayonnaise Rocks. 14
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Tori-jima (also_called Bird, Ponafidin, and St. Peter) is a volcanic island situated at 30° 39' N, 140° 19° E, 58 miles S of Smith Island and 230 miles NW, of Futami Harbor at Chichi-jima in the Ogasawara district. The volcano, roughly circular, at its base, has a diameter of about one and a half miles. Its triple summit, which attains, a maximum elevation of 1,516 feet, is seamed and fissured in every conceivable way. A quiescent period of 37 years suddenly came to an end in August, 1939, when volcanic activity occurred and continued for a period of four months. The few inhabitants of the island were compelled to leave, and none had returned by October, 1942. During the eruption, a new cone was formed on the W wall of Komochi Yama, one of the oldest summits, and the contours of the island were considerably altered. Except for a portion of the NW shore, steep lava cliffs fringe the island. As a result of the lava flow which accompanied the 1939 eruption, no landing place now exists. Sofu-gan (also called Lot's Wife) is a black pinnacle rock located at 29° 49' N, 140° 21' E,21' E, about 40 miles S of Tori-jima. Naka-no-tori-jima. The only known details regarding this island are its location (30° 51' N latitude, 154° 16' E longitude), area (2.13 square kilometers), and the fact that for political and judicial purposes it is administered from Chichi-jima in the Bonins (see 223 and 226). Parry Islands (also called Muko-jima Retto). Situated at 27° 40' N, 142° 10' E, 180 miles S of Sofu-gan and 21 miles directly N of the Beechey Islands, the Parry Islands form the northernmost group of the Bonins. The islands extend over an area 7 miles in breadth and 21 miles in length (NW-SE). The group includes five very small islands and a number of islets and offshore rocks. These are described individually below. Kita-no-jima, the northernmost island of the group, is 400 yards wide,800 yards long, and has a maximum elevation of 167 feet. Muko-jima (also called Harrau Island), the largest island of the group, lies two miles SE of Kita-no-jima. The island has hills nearly 300 feet high but is less rugged than the other islands of the group. Small rocky islets lie offshore, but there is a small beach and harbor on the S coast. Hari-no-iwa, located l,500 yards SE of Muko-jima, is a long narrow rocky islet rising to a height of 444 feet at its N end. This northern elevation presents a columnar shape from all directions and, when seen from NW of Muko-jima, it is sometimes mistaken for a peak on the latter island. Nakodo-jima lies two miles SE of Hari-no-iwa. The island, somewhat longer than it is wide, has a NW-SE axis, at both extremities of which are located sharp peaks. Byobu Yama in the SE is 509 feet high, and Tsurugi Yama in the NW end of the island towers 398 feet, with a conspicuous rock on its summit. Steep cliffs form the shore line, with few offshore rocks except on the S shore where there is a small harbor. Yome-jima (also called Kater Island), the southernmost island of the Parry group, lies about 8 miles SE of Nakodo-jima and 19 miles N of Mago-jima in the Beechey Islands. The island is rocky, has an elevation of a little over 300 feet, and the shores, except for two beaches on the S side, are steep cliffs. Landing places exist in the small open bay on the NE side and on the beaches facing Mae-jima, a small islet about 400 yards to the SW. Beechey Islands (also called Chichi-jima Retto). This group of islands is situated at 27° 05' N, 142° 12" E, approximately 523 miles S of Yokohama and 834 miles N of Apra (Guam); they are about midway between the Parry and Bailey Islands, the other principal island groups of the Bonins proper. The Beechey Islands are of volcanic composition and extend over an area 6 miles in width and 12 miles in length (N-S). There are eight islands, as well as a number of other very small islets. Earthquake shocks are common throughout these islands: there were 8 in 1929, 11 in 1930, 4 in 1931, and 7 in 1932. The principal islands of the Beechey group are described individually below. Mago-jima (also called Kakari-jima and Kita-jima ) is a small uninhabited island located about 800 yards N of Ototo-jima. It has an elevation of 440 feet and is bordered by precipitous cliffs. Nishi-no-jima (also called Disappointment Island and Rosario Island) is a very small flat grass-covered island, situated at 27° 16' N, 140° 51' E,80 miles W of Chichi-jima. The island is 200 yards wide,700 yards long (N-S), and has an elevation of about 80 feet. The beaches are sandy except in the NW where there is a cliff. Ototo-jima (also called Stapleton Island, North Island, and Nord Island) is a barren island with many hills, one of which rises to a maximum elevation of 766 feet in the S portion. It is one mile wide and two and a half miles long (N-S). The shores are 15
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chiefly cliffs, but there are some beaches on the W side. There are several small streams along the E shore between Tobo and Nihon Points. Ani-jima (also called Buckland Island and Hog Island), a rocky uninhabited island with steep cliffs along its coast line, is located between Ototo-jima and Chichi-jima. Narrow straits separate it from both. Ani-jima Strait, separating the island from Chichi-jima, is 500 yards wide and deep enough for naval vessels. The island is nearly two miles wide, four miles long (NW-SE), and its interior hills reach a maximum elevation of over 800 feet. An extensive valley widens out into Takinoura Bay on the SW coast, and there are four small inlets on the NE coast. Hayotan-jima (also called Piki Island and, erroneously, Little Goat Island) lies half a mile off the W coast of Ani-jima and comprises two flat grass-covered islets joined by a rock-fringed isthmus. On the SW side of these islets there is a curiously-shaped flat-topped rock which rises 90 feet in height. Nishi-jima (also called Yagi-shima and Little Goat Island) lies a little over one mile W of Sujiwa Point on the W coast of Ani-jima. The island, which attains an elevation or 325 feet, is bordered by cliffs and fringed with rocks. Chichi-jima (also called Peel Island), the most important and the second largest island in the Bonins, is situated at 27° 04' N, 142° 12' E, 20 miles N of Haha-jima in the Bailey group. The island is two and a half miles wide, five miles long (N-S), and has an area of eight and a half square miles. The terrain is rugged and there are many hills and valleys. There are a number of mountainous peaks, including Funami Yama, Mikazuki Yama, Chuosan, Horaisan, Shigure Yama, and Asahi Yama. The latter rises to l,050 feet, the highest elevation on the island. The plains are few but their soil is usually fertile. The island is composed generally of trap rock intermingled with amygdaloid and green stone. Basaltic dikes pass through the beds of sand, scoria, and cinders. Strata of old lava are seen where deep sections of rock are exposed. Iron pyrites abound in many places, and in the S extremity there is a bed of limestone. The coast is greatly indented, and the S and E shores are mostly precipitous, though beaches occur at some bay heads. The N coast is relatively low. Futami Bay on the W coast provides the best harbor and anchorage in the Bonins. Many trees and considerable vegetation are found along the river valleys. There are several islands, together with many islets and rocks, offshore. Higashi-jima (also called Sandy Beach Island), situated about one mile off the NE coast of Chichi-jima in the Ani-jima Strait, is a rocky uninhabited island which attains a maximum elevation of 299 feet. Minami-jima (also called Knorr Island) is a rocky island located about a half mile offshore from the extreme SW point of Chichi-jima. It reaches 195 feet in height, is bordered by steep cliffs and has many rocks fringing its coasts. Bailey Islands (also called Haha-jima Retto and Coffin Group). This is the southernmost group of islands in the Bonins proper and is located at 26° 40' N, 142° 09" E, about 18 miles S of the Beechey Islands and 82 miles NE of Kita-iwo-jima in the Volcano Islands. The group consists of one large island, five small islands, and several islets and rocks. The group extends over an area 5 miles in width, 11 miles in length (N-S). The more important of the Bailey Islands are described individually below. Haha-jima (also called Hillsboro Island and Coffin Island), the northernmost island of the group, is one and a half miles in width and nearly nine miles in length (NNW-SSE). A mountain range, which traverses the island in a NW-SE direction, rises from an elevation of l,000 feet in the N to l,500 feet in the central part but decreases to less than 500 feet in the S. This ridge lies somewhat closer to the E than to the W coast, and the E slopes are universally steeper than those on the W side. Several s-reams have carved deep valleys and formed coastal lowlands in the N portion of the island. The less rugged S portion of the island Contains most of the cultivated lands, which are more extensive than on Chichi-jima. Haha-jima is largely composed of volcanic rocks of an andesitic nature, with calcareous rocks next in abundance. The coast has many bays and inlets, and the waters offshore contain many rocks, reefs, and shoals, particularly on the NW and SW sides. The larger beach areas are to be found on the W side. Okimura Bay, on the SW coast, provides good anchorage and has an inner and outer harbor. Okimura, the principal village in the Haha-jima district, lies at the head of this harbor. From Minami Zaki, the SW point of the island, reefs and islets extend a distance of two and a half miles in a SW direction to Hira-shima. One of the se islets, Katsuotori-jima, lying 600 yards SE of Minami Zaki, is grass-covered with trees growing on its summit and steep cliffs bordering its coast. Plymouth Island (also called Muko-shima ) is a small circular island lying two and a half miles SW of Haha-jima and one mile NW of Hira-shima. Its highest peak, flattopped Yashida Yama, has an elevation of lºl,5 feet and is located at the N end of the island; its reef-fringed coast is steep, but there are occasional beaches of sand or rock. 16
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Hira-shima is a narrow and flat island at the S end of the chain of islets, rocks, and reefs which extend for a distance of two and a half miles beyond the S tip of Hahajima. The surface of this island is undulating and rises at the W end to an elevation of 196 feet. Mei-jima is a small triangular-shaped island, located nearly five miles ESE of Hira-shima. The island is rugged, rising to an elevation of 367 feet on its E side and having a steep coast except for a small beach on the W shore. Rocks, snoals, and reefs are found offshore, particularly in the N and S. The channel separating the island from Imoto-jima is 500 yards wide and deep enough for any naval vessel. Imoto-jima (also called Kelly Island) is an oval-shaped island 1,500 yards in length, situated one-half mile SW of Mei-jima. Its coast is steep, and a central peak rises to an elevation of over 700 feet. Although densely covered with trees, cultivated land has been observed on the hillsides. A few landing places occur on the W side and sea caves on the S and E coasts. Off the SW coast lies Tori-jima, a small islet 211, feet high with a tunnel extending completely through it (E to W). Ane-jima (also ca11ed Perry Island) is the southernmost island of the Bailey group. It is l,000 yards wide, one mile long (N-S), and lies one mile S of Hira-shima, from which it is separated by the Ane-jima Strait. Ridges extending para11el to the E and W shore enclose a central va11ey. Elevations attaining nearly l,00 feet occur in the S and W portions. Vegetation consists of short grass and a few trees. The island is bounded by steep cliffs and thickly fringed by rocks. At the N end, however, access may be gained to the central va11ey through Kita Ura. A small rocky grass-covered islet, Kita-tori-jima, 111 feet high, lies about 500 yards off Kita Ura on the NE coast. Close by the S extremity of the island lies another very small islet, Minami-tori-jima (not to be confused with Marcus Island, sometimes also called Minami-tori-jima). Volcano Islands (also called Kazan Retto and Sulphur Islands). This group comprises three islands, which extend a distance of 86 miles from 25° 26' N, 141° 16' E to 24° 14' N, 141° 28' E. These islands are described individually below. Kita-iwo-jima (also called San Alessandro Island) is an elliptical-shaped island situated at 25° 26' N, 141° 16' E, 82 miles SW of Ane-jima in the Bailey Islands. The island is a volcanic cone, the summit of which, instead of being a pointed peak as is frequently the case for volcanic islands, takes the form of a ridge extending in a NNW-SSE direction along the major axis of the island. The ridge reaches its highest elevation in a peak (Sakakiga Mine) in the S. Another peak (Aono Mine) near the N coast is 1,716 feet high. The lateral slopes of the ridge are deeply dissected by ravines, of which the Ishino Valley between the N and S peaks is the largest and most striking. The steep slopes of the ridge end abruptly in sea cliffs, some as high as 1,300 feet. Below, and fringing most of the coast, are reefs and rocky gravel beaches which shelve seaward gradually and without terraces. There are two small villages on the island, Ishino on the E central shore, and Nishimura on the NW shore. There are a few trees and the lower lands are under cultivation. A submarine volcano (Funka Asane) lies two and a half miles W of the island. The water in the vicinity of Funka Asane is discolored, and the odor, from the bubbles of sulphur gas which rise to the surface, can be smelled at distances ranging up to two miles. Iwo-jima (also called Naka-iwa-to, Io-shima, and Sulphur Island) is a gourdshaped island with the neck to the SW. The island is five miles long (NE-SW) and situated at 24° 48' N, 141° 18' E, 22 miles due S of Kita-iwo-jima. The island is formed by two volcanoes, Šuribachi Yaha on the sº end and Moto Yama on the NW end, which are connected by a narrow neck of lowland. Moto Yama is a flat-topped, dome-shaped hill 358 feet high, which is completely surrounded by uplifted wave-cut terraces except in the SW. These lowland terraces terminate abruptly in cliffs, but there is another series of inland terraces above the cliffs which give the island the appearance from the sea of the usual flat-topped island formed by raised coral reefs. On the SW side of Moto Yama, a conical hill rises above the surrounding ground, which gently slopes to the connecting lowland area; on the N side there are several subsidiary peaks, Furu Yama, Nidan Iwa, and Osaka Yama, all under lº?)0 feet elevation. Suribachi Yama on the SW end of the is land is an extinct volcano with a funnel-shaped crater and a truncated cone, which reaches a height of 51.6 feet. Mota Yama has more than 20 vents or fissures, some of which emit steam and sulphurous vapors visible some distance at sea. The N portion of the island attains a width of two and a half miles, and is rocky and barren, with cliffs and ledges offshore. The connecting lowland, called "Chidoriga Hara," is composed of volcanic sand dunes, bordered by beaches on both sides. The island is composed of andesitic rocks showing a distinct alkaline tendency. The soil is dry and the island is mostly barren. Minami-iwo-jima (also called San Augustino Island) is a small circular island, one mile in diameter, situated at 24° 14' N, 141° 28' E, 38 miles SSW of Iwo-jima, and 300 miles NW of Pajaros, the northernmost island of the Marianas. The summit of Minamiiwo-jima reaches an elevation of 3,181 feet. Steep-sloping sides of the island end ab- 17
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ruptly in precipitous cliffs at the coastline. There are no lowlands and the few beachlike areas are rocky. Reefs and shoals border the W, NW, and NE coast S. Marcus Island (also called Minami-tori-jima and Weeks Island). This is the easternmost Island of the Izu and Bonin group and is situated at 24° 17' N, 153° 58' E, 640 miles E of Chichi-jima. It is a small triangular-shaped coral island with a fringing reef surrounding the entire coast. There are only two boat passages through the reef, one on the central S side and the other on the NW side. Beaches line the entire coast, and the interior is heavily wooded. 114. HydrographySources. Detailed hydrographic information is contained in the "Asiatic Pilot," Volume II (H.0. 123), pages 150 to 175, and on charts 5257 and 5597 of the United States Hydrographic Office. Since these sources are widely available, no attempt will be made to restate the information here. Currents and Tides. Except near Marcus Island, the usual set of the ocean currents in this area is northeasterly, but a number of factors cause frequent deviation from this course. The islands themselves often induce current deflection. In addition, numerous eddies, characteristic of great currents like the Japan Stream which flows along the west side of the islands, are particularly active. It is consequently not unusual to encounter a current set that is opposite to the direction anticipated, especially among the northern islands. Also of particular influence on the currents are the prevailing winds, which shift frequently during the different seasons of the year and are capricious at any time (see 112). Heavy current rips occur commonly, especially near the many islands and rocks, and such rips are often mistaken for shoals. The currents in the vicinity of Marcus isiana are exceedingly variable, but in general they flow eastward. Throughout the area, the velocities of the currents range, as a rule, from one and a half to three knots, although swifter speeds sometimes prevail close to shore. The height of tides averages from two and a half to five feet. Surf is usually heavy during the cool months, particularly on the northern and western sides of the islands. Strong 'Surf beats on all sides of the reef surrounding Marcus Island, especially during the months from September to April. Natural Harbors and Anchorages. In the Izus and Bonins there are only two natural harbors worthy of mention. Habu Harbor on the southeastern coast of O-shima is a body of water l,000 feet in diameter which is connected with the ocean by so narrow a channel that it is almost landlocked. Steamships of 200 tons have been known to anchor there. Futami Harbor on Chichi-jima is protected on three sides by mountains and is large enough to provide excellent anchorage for at least eight large ships. For a description of harbor facilities, see 291. Generally the contours of most of the islands and of the ocean bottom directly offshore merely afford partially-protected anchorages and roadsteads. A summary of available information on anchorages for particular islands and island groups, listed in order from north to south, follows:
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Inland Waters. One or more 'small but permanent streams are found on each of the following islands: O-shima, Miyake-jima, Mikura-jima, Muko-jima, Ototo-jima, Chichijima, and Haha-jima. During the rainy season there are also many temporary streams on the iarger islands. Small springs are reported for Shikine-jima, Aoga-shima, Yome-jima, Chichi-jima, and Iwo-jima. There are two permanent lakes on Miyake-jima and one on Mikurajima. During the rainy season enough water collects in the extinct crater of Mizutamari near Tsubota on Miyake-jima to form a fairly sizable swamp. For further description of inland waters in the islands, see 121. 19
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12. RES0URCES121. Water SupplyNatural Sources. There are only a few natural sources of water in the Izus and Bonins, and even they are often polluted. Since the islands are for the most part small and rocky, there is little chance for surface or subsurface waters to accumulate. There are but three lakes in all the islands, and only one Contains fresh water. This lake, Dairo, occupies the southern half of a crater bottom about 1,500 feet from the southern coast of Miyake-jima. Except on the north, where grassy meadows descend gently to the water, the lake is surrounded by steep crater walls. It measures about l,000 feet in width and 1,61.0 feet in length; the water level is about 75 feet above the sea, and the water depth does not exceed 30 feet at any point. There is no surface inlet or outlet, and although the water is fresh, it has a high salt content. Another slightly smaller crater lake, Furo, is located about one mile to the west, but it is filled with brackish water that is influenced by the tides. The one other lake in the islands — on Mikurajima — is Miyoga, which also is brackish.Permanent streams furnish water in some quantity only on O-shima, Miyake-jima, Mikura-jima, Hachijo-jima, and Chichi-jima. Those at Ogiura on the latter island have particularly good and plentiful volumes of water. A few permanent streams or Brooks on Muko-jima, Ototo-jima, and Haha-jima furnish only small quantities of dirty brackish water. Temporary streams appear on all the larger islands during the rainy season, but their water supply fails very quickly during the dry season. On Kozu-shima, Miyake-jima, and Chichi-jima there are a few springs which yield moderate quantities of good water. Yome-jima has several springs, but the water is of poor quality. There are warm springs on Shikine-jima, Aoga-shima, and Iwo-jima, but the quality of the water has not been reported. Artificial Sources. A few good wells have been dug on O-shima, Nii-jima, Kozushima, Muko-jima, Chichi-jima, and Kita-iwo-jima. There are also wells on Hachijo-jima and Marcus Island, but they furnish only brackish water. For their main supply of potable water, however, the islanders throughout the are a depend upon the collection and storage of rainwater. Numerous private and small communal cisterns have been built; the latter are reported for O-shima, Nii-jima, Kozu-shima, and Miyake-jima. Various types of tanks, both concrete and metal, are becoming increasingly common throughout all the islands. Water from streams, cisterns, or tanks is sometimes conveyed into houses by means of bamboo or iron conduits. A few modest public waterworks exist, the most elaborate being located at Kozu village (see 281). Available information on the water sources (other than private rainwater catchments) and the water supply for particular islands is summarized below:
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Kita-iwo-Jima; wells at Nishi village used as chief source of drinking water. Iwo-jima: warm spring 900 yards SW of Hiraiwa Point. Marcus Island: one well located W of the settlement, furnishes brackish water. 122. SoilsExtent and Quality of Soils. Since practically all the islands are rugged and mountainous, areas having sufficient soil for cultivation are limited in the main to the craters of extinct volcanoes, the gentler mountain slopes, and the few plains and valleys. Although there are thick forests on some of the larger northern islands and on Chichi-jima, sizable regions and even some entire islands have only very thin soil that supports nothing more than grass and shrubs. In general, only the inhabited islands have relatively extensive areas of fertile soil, while, the smaller uninhabited islands are usually quite barren. As a rule, the soil on the various islands is not deep enough to retain any considerable amount of water, and seasonal rains, which wash the soil into valleys and the sea, prevent the accumulation of thick layers of topsoil except under the most favorable circumstances. Volcanic Soils. The Izu and Volcano Islands are of volcanic origin and their soils consist primarily of decomposed volcanic rock overlaid with vegetable humus. There is little specific information available as to soils in the Izu Islands, although it is reported that some of the fertile areas on To-jima, Miyake-jima, and Hachijo-jima are "clay-like" in quality. Presumably this soil is the usual sort of laterite formed by decomposition of volcanic rock, rich in oxides of iron and hydroxides of aluminum and low in silica content. Certainly it is particularly well suited to the cultivation of taro and yams. It varies in depth from one foot on the higher land to as much as four or five feet in the lowlands. The Volcano Islands are formed of tufa rock and have a thin topsoil composed predominantly of volcanic detritus. This soil, like that of the Bonins, is well suited to the production of sugar cane. Coralline-Volcanic Soils. The Bonins are also of volcanic origin but they have a more complex soil made up of a kind of andesitic lava (called "Boninite"), sedimentary agglomerate tufaceous rocks, and layers of coral limestone. Some of the smaller islands have been eroded almost to sea level and have only a very thin poor soil at best. On the larger islands, however, weathering and other natural processes have produced a predominantly red clayish laterite soil of some depth. In the rich one-half mile wide and one-mile long plain bordering Futami Bay on Chichi-jima, this laterite has mixed with dark vegetable mold, fine sand, disintegrated coral, and marine shell to produce a rich fertile layer, sometimes having a depth of five or six feet — though usually not more than two feet. This layer rests on a bed of ancient coral rock which in turn is laid on taprock. Similar soils exist elsewhere in the valleys of Chichi-jima. Coralline Soils. Marcus Island, a triangular-shaped coral atoll, has the only soil in the islands that is primarily coral line in composition. There are no specific reports on its fertility or depth, although it is known to support a fairly dense cover of vegetation. 123. MineralsPhosphates. Phosphates have been mined in small quantities on Marcus Island. Sulphur. Sulphur is found, sometimes in a free state, on Iwo-jima. It is of good quality but the deposits are relatively small. Sand, Gravel, and Stone. Golden-yellow crystals of pyroxene have been gathered on the shore at Obama Beach on Plylloutin Islanu, and fine white sand nas been gathered in the Beechey Islands. This sand was formerly exported to Tokyo for use in plaster on living-room walls, but no such export was reported in 1936, the latest year for which figures are available. Small quantities of gravel are produced in the O-shima and Ogasawara districts. Semi-precious stones, mainly chalcedony and agate, have been gathered in the Beechey Islands, although no production or export of such stones was report- 21
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ed for 1936. Other important stone products in the area include andesite (Nii-jima), tufa rock (Ogasawara district), and volcanic ash (O-shima district). For details on mining and quarrying operations, see 324. 124. Flora
Izu Islands. Although rocky and volcanic in character, the Izu Islands support a fairly heavy cover of vegetation wherever weathering has produced sufficient soil and exposure to the strong winds is not too great. Some of the islands — particularly Hachijojima in the south — though lacking in tall trees, are extensively wooded and covered with nearly impenetrable thickets of wild shrubbery. Others — like O-shima in the north — are largely barren and support very little cover other than grasses, herbs, and small shrubs on some of the plateaus and in the valleys. The Flora of the Izus comprises a mixture of both temperate and subtropical vegetation. It has not been studied and classified as fully as has the plant life of such adjacent areas as Japan proper, Formosa, the Marianas Islands, and the Bonins. Available sources indicate, however, that the genera or particular species that are most common or are of greatest economic significance are as follows:
Bonin Islands. The vegetation of the Bonins varies markedly between the luxuriant though somewhat patchy growth of the northern islands and the very sparse and Poor cover on the southern islands, especially those of the Volcano group. In the north there are densely-wooded forests, tangled thickets, and numerous climbing, hanging, and flowering plants. Even the uplands and hills, which have many exposed areas, are islgely covered with tall lush grass. Many parts of the southern islands, on the other hand are barren and desert-like, with only occasional grasslands and a few trees. In contrast to the temperate and subtropical Flora of the Izus, that of the Bonins; which lie much farther south, is in general tropical. The significant genera and species may be summarized as follows:
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As in the Izus, gelidium is economically the most important sea plant, although its collection is not as well developed as in the northern islands. Japanese botanists have extensively investigated, enumerated, and classified the land plants of the Bonins. A leading naturalist, T. Nakai, has compiled the following list of native species, which are identified by their scientific names. Additions (mainly alternative names) have been made from other sources and are shown in parentheses. Abutilon indicum G. Don. 23
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Clematis boninensis Hayata. 24
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Itysanthes veronicifolia Urbain. 25
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Portulaca oleracea Linnaeus, P. pilosa Linnaeus. 26
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125. FaunaLand Mammals. The only land mammal indigenous to the Izu and Bonin Islands is the fruit bat or "flying fox" (Pteropus pselaphon). Wild animals that have been introduced include deer (Cervus unicolor), which are now rather scarce, and mice and rats, which are numerous. Five varieties of rats, including Rattus rattus rattus, and R. rattus frugivorus of the black rat group, R. norvegicus and R. norvegicus hibernicus of the brown rat group, and R. rattus alexandrinus (the roof rat) are reported for Chichi-jima in the Bonins. Two species of mice (Mus Caroli boninensis and M. musculus momiyamai) are also present there. Only M. Caroli bominensis is said to be on Haha-jima. Although no rodents are reported for any of the other islands, presumably both rats and mice are common on most if not all of them. In very early times, cats, chickens, dogs, goats, and pigs were introduced and ran wild. Cattle, probably brought in later, are economically important, particularly in the Izus. For animal husbandry see 312.Reptiles. Reptiles are fairly numerous although the number of species is small. Venomous pit vipers of the genus Trigonocephalus are found on some of the Izus. Harmless snakes of a species not stated are reported to be present on Kozu-shima and are very numerous on Tadanae-jima. Few snakes are found south of Hachijo-jima, but two small viper-like species — a black one and a red one — have been reported from Haha-jima. A small lizard (Cryptoblepharus boutonii nigropunctata Stejneger) and a gecko (Gehyra variegata ogasawarensis Okada) are native to the Bonins, and another lizard (Eumeces latiscutatus okadae Stejneger) has been reported from the Izus. The most important reptiles in the Bonins are sea turtles, of which two species of green turtle (Chelonia mydas and C. japonica) and the hawksbill (Eretnochelys imbricata) are said to be native to the area. A fresh-water snapping turtle has also been introduced from Japan. No native amphibians are reported, although the edible frog, Rana catesbiana, has recently been brought to the Bonins from Tokyo. Insects. Information on insects and their prevalence, especially in the Izus, is not as complete as is desirable. It is known that there are many, but, in general, they appear to be considerably less numerous than in most other island areas of the western Pacific. The principal pest is a cockroach of the Blattidae family, of which three species are specifically reported (see list below). Blatta orientalis is probably also present. Other common pests are the tropical bedbug (Cimex hemipterus), which is found on most of the islands, both red and white ants, which are particularly prevalent in the Bonins, and flies. The latter are specifically reported on Hachijo-jima and from most islands in the Bonin group, but probably abound throughout the area. Those in the Bonins are said to be green in color and may be green bottle flies (Lucilia Caesar or L. sericata of the family Muscidae). The flies on the other islands have sometimes been described as large black flies; at least some are probably the common housefly (Musca domestica). Spiders, scorpions, and centipedes are not native to the islands but are occasionally found on some, where they have probably been introduced by cargo ships. A few varieties of butterflies are found on some of the Izu islands. A large species of plant louse is reported from the Bonins but is not otherwise identified. The most common insects harmful to man are mosquitoes, body and head lice, and mites. The extent to which mosquitoes are present is variously reported. It appears, however, that they are far more numerous and troublesome, both day and night, in the Bonins than in the Izus. Prior to 1912 mosquitoes were specifically reported to be absent from O-shima and To-jima, though present on Hachijo-jima, Ko-jima, Chichi-jima, and Haha-jima. The Bonins proper, the Volcano Islands, and Marcus Island were reported to be free of Anopheles. There was no information as to the presence of the anopheline mosquito in the Izus, although Anopheles Hyrcanus var. sinensis was suspected on Ko-jima because of cases of filariasis reported from that island. The existence of Culex fatigans was also suspected throughout the region. Since the outbreak of war, however, it appears highly probable that both Anopheles and Culex, as well as other genera of mosquitoes, have been introduced to many if not all of the islands. Several types of lice are found. These include the body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus, also known as P. vestimenti or P. corporis), the head louse (Pediculus humanus capitus, also known as P. capitis or P. humanus capitis), and the rat louse (Polyplax spinulosus). Mites are also prevalent in some of the islands. The most important ones are Trombidium akamushi (a chigger, sometimes called Trombidiidae akamushi) and Sarcoptes scabiei (the itch mite). The former live as ectoparasites on rats and birds and frequently are encountered on grasses, especially on cut-over land or in areas that are subject to flood. They are more common in late spring and early summer. The itch mite, which is the cause of the common skin disease, scabies, is said to be a frequent parasite on many of the inhabitants throughout the islands. Although not specifically reported, presumably both the 27
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common dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) and the tropical rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis) are present. The following is a classification, by order and family, of the insect genera found in the Bonin Islands according to reports made by the Japanese scientists T. Esaki, H. Furukawa, and T. Kano:
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Birds. The comparatively abundant bird life of the islands has been rather fully reported by Japanese scientists. . In the list which follows, the lower-case initials i, b, and v indicate the presence of a species in the Izus, Bonins proper, or Volcano IsIands, respectively; capital letters indicate that the bird breeds in the particular islands.
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Fish. The marine fauna of the Izus and Bonins, which comprises a mixture of subtropical and tropical fish, has been likened by several Japanese authorities to that of Formosa, the South Seas mandated islands, and the Hawaiian Islands. Economically, the most important fish found in waters around the Izus are the bonito, mackerel, horse mackerel, pike, flying fish, salmon trout, and shark; those in the Bonin waters, in addition to the important mammals — the whale, porpoise, and dolphin — are the tuna, bonito, and shark. Other fish specifically reported include caranx, dogfish (Squalus), dule, eel, gar, gray mullet (Mugil), pagin, parrot fish, perch, ray, salarias, and wrasse (Labrus). The poisonous puff toadfish. (Tetroden), which is found in the waters of some of the islands, is extremely dangerous to eat and can cause death. The sting ray (Trygon pastinaca), also fairly common, is both poisonous and vicious. A minnow (Gambusia patruelis) is reported to inhabit many of the fresh-water streams. There are doubtless other varieties of fresh-water fish and many hundreds of other species of coastal and deep-sea fish. For fishing, see 313. Shellfish. Shellfish are among the most important and valuable marine resources and products of the islands. Crustaceans are less numerous than molluscs and are found chiefly in the waters of the Izus. The most important crustacea reported are Carpilius, Daira, Lambrus, lobster (not otherwise identified), Plagusia, shrimp (not otherwise identified), and Thalamita. Land crabs, probably of the genus Gecarcinus, are also found. Molluscs are especially abundant in the Bonins, where they are generally found along the coastal reefs and shores in beds which extend to depths of as much as 200 meters below: the high-tide level. The flesh of most of them is edible, and their shells are often of a thickness and luster that makes them highly desirable for use as ornaments or as materials for the industrial arts. The following is a list of mollusca genera frequently found in the sea waters around the Bonins, as reported by N. Toyama.
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Land and fresh-water molluscs are also rather numerous in the Bonins proper. The following list indicates the various genera ( classified according to family) and the reported places of their occurrence.
Other Marine Fauna. Among the sea mammals, dolphins and porpoises are the most numerous. Whales of several small species are common, but are less numerous now than formerly. There are many kinds of Echinodermata, such as starfish, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers, especially in the Bonins where the principal genera reported are: Actinopyga, Colobocentrotus, Echinometra, Echinothrix, Heterocentrotus, Holothuria, Ophiocoma, and Stomopneustes. Several varieties of Coelenterata are also reported from the Bonins, including particularly Anisopamma and Fungia. Many other kinds of corals thrive in this region, but coral is not found as far north as the Izus. 126. Major Facilities
Installations. According to available information the Japanese have spent little on installations in this area. The few which have been constructed are modest and are confined mainly to the larger villages and towns, such as Motomura, Hommura, Okago, Mitsune in the Izus, and Omura in the Bonins. The principal installations other than those primarily of military nature (which are described in Army and Navy Monographs) are: fire lookout towers and buildings for the storage of fire-fighting equipment (see 231); telephone, telegraph, and cable stations (272), radio stations and installations (273); waterworks and other facilities for water storage and distribution (281); electric power plants and transmission lines (284); roads and bridges (291); breakwaters, piers, and wharves (294); coal depots, warehouses, and other storage facilities (295). For descriptions of public buildings, parks, and improvements, see 285, and for industrial plants and facilities, see 322 through 327. 32
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13. HIST0RY131. Discovery and Early ContactsIzu Islands. The Izu Islands were discovered during a period remote in Japanese history. Tjapanese legend attributes the earliest development of the islands to the sons and descendants of Mishima Myojin, a pre-historic emperor. Chinese legend records that ancient Chinese searchers after the elixir of eternal life ventured as far afield as the Izus. It is more historically probable, however, that the first discoverers and settlers were farmers and fishermen from the Izu Peninsula on Honshu. The population was subsequently augmented by considerable numbers of criminal and political prisoners who were banished from Japan to the islands in punishment for their crimes (see 132). Bonin Islands. The Bonin Islands may have been sighted by early Spanish explorers, possibly by Bernard de Torres, who discovered the Volcano Islands in 1543. A group of islands called the "Arsopispo Archipelago" appears on early Spanish maps and seems to indicate knowledge of other islands to the north as well as of the Volcano Islands. It is possible that the Hollanders Quast and Tasman sighted the Bonins in 1639. The Japanese attribute discovery of the Bonins to Sadayori Ogasawara, possibly a legendary figure. Ogasawara is supposed to have visited the islands in 1593, to have received them as a fief from the Japanese emperor, and to have established a colony which managed to survive for about 30 years. Doubtless a few Japanese sailors visited the islands when carried off their course by storm and current. One such visit is recorded for 1670 and another for 1675. Brief contact with the islands was established in 1728 by another Ogasawara. In 1785 Shihei Hayashi in his "Sankoku Tsuran" (General Survey of the Three Kingdoms) recommended establishment of an agricultural colony, but the Japanese took no action for almost a hundred years. Meanwhile, the islands enjoyed a rather colorful international history (see 132). The first authenticated Western visitors to the Bonins were American and English whalers. In 1823 the American Captain Coffin visited Haha-jima (frequently called Coffin Island thereafter) and claimed it for the United States. It is quite possible that he visited the northern islands as well and included them in his claim. American claim to the Bonins was reiterated in 1853-54, by Commodore Perry and Captain King. The English whaler Supply touched at Chichi-jima in 1825 and claimed the Bonins for Great Britain. Late in 1828 the English whaler William was wrecked in Chichi-jima Harbor; another whaler, the Timor, soon appeared and took off most of the crew, but two men remained behind and thus became the first Europeans to live on the island. Captain Beechey of the 16-gun British sloop Blossom, which had been dispatched to the Bering Strait to co-operate with the arctic expeditions of Franklin and Parry, entered Chichi-jima Harbor on June 9, 1827, and remained for six days. Captain Beechey again took possession of the islands for Great Britain; he affixed an inscribed copper plate to a tree to substantiate his claims ahd published an account of the visit in his report of his voyage. He also charted the Bonins and named the northern and southern island groups Parry and Bailey, respectively, the three principal islands of the central group Stapleton, Buckland, and Peel, and the main harbor of the latter island Port Lloyd, all after contemporary British figures. The following year the famous Russian scientific expedition under Frederick Lütke explored the islands and appraised them as promising for colonial exploitation. Although Lütke is reported to have claimed the islands for Russia, he predicted in his published report of the expedition that the British would soon establish a colony in the Bonins as a port of call for whalers and as a center for both legal and contraband trade with China. Events soon proved the prediction partially right: the founding of a British-sponsored colony in 1830 opened the Bonins to international development. Volcano Islands. The Volcano Islands, first discovered by the Spaniard Bernard de Torres in 1513, were sighted repeatedly thereafter by Pacific voyagers, including the Hollanders Quast and Tasman (1639), the English Captains King (1779) and Gore (1784), the Russian Admiral Krusenstern (1805), and a Captain Solis (1813). The islands, however, were not landed upon or explored until the Japanese arrived in the region in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Marcus Island. Marcus Island was one of the very last of the significant Pacific islauds to become known to the world, escaping discovery until 1896. The Japanese navigator Shinroku Mizutani came upon the uninhabited island in the course of an exploratory voyage to Kulaunus Island and claimed Marcus for Japan. 33
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132. Political HistoryIzu Islands. From very early times until shortly after the Meiji Restoration, the Izu Islands, T0Fshima in particular, served as a sort of penal colony and place of banishment for various Japanese criminals and discredited political figures. Most famous of the exiles was Minamoto Tametomo, leader of the Genji in the epic Hogen war (1156–58) and a man of fabulous strength and virtue. After the defeat of the Genji at the hands of the Heike, Minamoto was captured and banished to O-shima, where he later died by his own hand. Hideiye Ukita, commander-in-Chief of the western armies, which were defeated in the Battle of Sekigahara (1606), was the first and most famous of the exiles sent to Hachijo-jima. To this island alone, the government deported from 1610 to 1886 a total of l,823 persons, including the following: 4 feudal lords, 62 ministers of state, 2 court ladies, 72 other women, 221 monks, 10 priests of shrines, 315 townsmen, 281 farmers, 324 vagrants, 61 servants, 12 beggars, 6 hermits, and 3 outcasts. Although these exiles often sank into abject poverty and depression, the constant infusion of members of the upper and educated classes gave stimulus to the cultural development of the islands and in large part determined their present complex and conservative cultural pattern. Prior to and during the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603-1867), the affairs of the islands were entrusted to a chief magistrate appointed from Yedo, but in actual practice authority was exercised by local officers and village heads. After the Meiji Restoration (1868), the administration of the Izus was brought into conformity with that of Japan proper. The islands were placed in quick succession under the jurisdiction of the Nirayama Prefecture (1868), the Ashigara Prefecture (1871), the Shizuoka Prefecture (1876), and finally under the Tokyo Prefecture (1878), where they still remain. In 1881 the duties and powers of the officials of the seven inhabited islands were delimited by official regulations, and an administrative office was set up to have jurisdiction over the whole group. Establishment of police stations and a district court in subsequent years increased central control. In 1900 separate island offices were set up on O-shima and Hachijo-jima. In 1926 these island offices were reorganized as branch administrative offices of the Tokyo Prefecture. Since that time the administrative system has not changed in any important respect (see 214). Bonin Islands. In 1830 Captain Charlton, British Consul in the Sandwich Islands, encouraged and assisted a motley group of colonists to settle in the Bonin Islands. The party consisted of one Genoese who was probably a British subject, one Englishman, two Americans, one Dane, and several dozen Hawaiians. Arriving at Port Lloyd (Omura) on Peel Island (Chichi-jima), they formally raised the British flag, but for a number of years were so little concerned with the question of sovereignty that all of them, and particularly the Americans, seem to have regarded themselves still as subjects of the country of their origin and the colony as a purely independent venture. The Genoese, Matteo Mazarro, whom Captain Charlton had put in charge of the group and whom a later British Consul in 1842 "recommended" to the settlers as their head until a duly appointed British officer should arrive, exercised a vague sort of authority; but from the very first the most respected and most influential colonist was the Massachusetts-born Nathaniel Savory. Under his leadership the settlers cleared the forests and established a flourishing and very nearly self-sufficient agricultural colony. Almost immediately British and American, and sometimes French and Russian, whalers began to visit Peel Island for provisions. Often as many as 10 or 12 whalers called in a single year, and other ships occasionally put in as well — a few ships engaged in the coolie trade during the California gold rush and various ships which needed repairs and dared not risk stopping at Japanese ports. One such visit in 1849 brought near disaster to the colony. A ship variously reported as flying the British or American flag and manned by a crew of international unsavory characters, accepted the hospitality of the settlers and then repaid it with thievery and destruction. The sailors stole Nathaniel Savory's savings of several thousand American dollars, terrorized the settlers and wantonly destroyed their property, then departed from the islands after abducting several not unwilling native girls. After this unfortunate incident, as well as on several earlier and later occasions, the residents appealed both to British and American authorities for protection. Neither the British nor the Americans, however, exhibited the slightest inclination to accept responsibility for the colony until 1853, when Commodore Perry visited the islands. Commodore M. C. Perry, with his steamships Susquehanna and Saratoga, then en route from the Ryukyu Islands on their historic mission to Japan, spent June 14-18, 1853, at Port Lloyd. The visit was not accidental. Commodore Perry had formulated a bold Pacific policy of his own and was making strong recommendations to the Department of State in Washington that the United States should take immediate and forceful action to establish itself in those Pacific islands which were still unclaimed. He proposed establishment of United States naval and commercial bases in Hawaii, the Bonins, the Ryukyus, and Formosa; he proposed in addition the extension of American "friendship and protection" to 34
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Siam, Cambodia, Cochin-China, and parts of Borneo and Sumatra. Believing that a trans-Pacific steamship route between San Francisco and Shanghai was of vital necessity to American economic development, Perry cousidered that on such a route the Ryukyu and Bonin Islands would provide highly desirable locations for coaling and supply stations, which, of course, would have to be under American control. Here and elsewhere in the Pacific, he declared, the United States had need of settlements which would be "offshoots from us rather than, strictly speaking, colonies." At Naha in the Ryukyu Islands he successfully negotiated for a coal depot and proposed actually placing all of the Ryukyu Islands under the American flag. He then proceeded to Port Lloyd where, as he had been advised, he found in actual existence the sort of non-colonial, American-dominated settlement he himself proposed. He promptly took steps to confirm American control of the Bonins. Perry consulted with Nathaniel Savory, and while there is no record of their conversations, he undoubtedly led Savory to believe that the United States proposed to take a more active interest in the islands. For payment of $50 he secured title to a piece of land with 1,000 yards of frontage on the bay, favorably situated for construction of offices, warehouses, and a pier, and on his departure he appointed Savory as his agent to manage the property. He encouraged the settlers to organize a definite local government, and it is likely that he was largely responsible for the actual wording of the simple constitution for the "Colony of Peel Island" which resulted. In accordance with the terms of this charter, Nathaniel Savory was elected chief magistrate; James Motley and Thomas H. Webb were elected councilmen. These three were empowered to enact all necessary regulations, such regulations to become effective upon the approval of two-thirds of the residents. At that time, the residents were a cosmopolitan group of 3 or 4 Americans,3 or 4 British subjects, 1 Portuguese, and over 20 Hawaiian Islanders, or 31 in all. Four months after his departure from the islands, Perry ordered Captain Kelly of the Plymouth to proceed to the Bonins to take possession of the southern group for the United States. Captain Kelly performed this duty on October 30, 1893, renaming the group the Coffin Islands in honor of the American Captain who had discovered and claimed them. Perry's actions did not escape British attention and protest. Acting on instructions from the Foreign Minister in London, Sir George Bonham, Chief Superintendent of Trade in Hong Kong, called upon Commodore Perry, who was in Hong Kong at the time gathering his forces for a second visit to Japan. Bonham asked for a clarification of American policy and called attention to the "general understanding" that the Bonins belonged to England. Perry reasserted American claims to the island, declaring that British sovereignty had never been clearly established and that both on the basis of original discovery and the preponderant number and influence of American settlers, the islands were rightfully American possessions. The following year Perry ordered Captain Joel Abbot to call at Port Lloyd while en route to Manila. Captain Abbot brought gifts of seeds and agricultural implements to the settlers and, at their request, "lent" them an American flag to raise when vessels entered harbor. For a brief time it looked as though the Bonins would achieve international importance, but Britain was too busy with the Crimean War to press her claims, and the United States soon became involved in the Civil War. Furthermore, the opening of Yokohama to foreign shipping eliminated the necessity for a coaling station in the Bonins. Nevertheless, infrequent visits of foreign vessels over a period of 20 years sustained interest in the islands. Perry was not the only American naval officer to call at the Bonins during this time. An American surveying brig, the Dolphin, had stopped at the islands several years prior to Perry's visit, and the American warships the Vincennes and the Tuscarora called in 1855 and 1874 respectively. A few English naval vessels likewise paid short calls: the Enterprise in 1851, the surveying brig Serpent in 1852, and the Curlew in 1875. In 1854 a Russian naval squadron of four vessels visited Port Lloyd. The Russian man-of-war Hydmak and the German frigate Hertha made brief stops in 1876. Despite all these more than casual visits, the islanders were left largely to their own devices. Soon after Perry's departure they forgot about their experiment in formal self-government and relapsed into unorganized community life. Save for several killings and one family feud, this miscellaneous international group maintained a remarkable degree of peace, order, and prosperity until the last quarter of the nineteenth century, when a newly-awakened Japan suddenly intervened. Japanese had visited the colony as early as 1840, when a storm-driven Japanese vessel wintered at Port Lloyd and was provisioned free by the hospitable white settlers. Shipwrecked Japanese sailors visited the colony at intervals thereafter, and several actually became settlers. Very soon after Perry's visit, Japan began to realize the importance of the Bonin Islands. In 1861 Manjuro Nakahama, a whaler who was also a special envoy of the chief magistrate appointed for the Izus , began operations in the waters off the Bonins. Late in the same year the Japanese Government formally notified Townsend Harris that it intended to occupy the Bonins, which it claimed by right of discovery in 35
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the Sixteenth century. Secretary of State Seward allowed the matter to pass without comment. The Japanese dispatched Lord Chikuho Mizuno as commissioner with about 100 colonists from Hachijo-jima. The party acquired land from the foreign settlers and started an agricultural community at Ogiura, across the bay from the foreign colony. The Japanese commissioner apparently made little effort to administer the whole area, but he did take one step which aroused foreign protest. For an alleged misdemeanor he deported to the American authorities in Yokohama one George Horton, an American citizen who had left the Perry expedition to stay in the islands. The United States Minister in Tokyo made strong representations to the Japanese Government over the incident, and in 1864 the Japanese paid $l,000 indemnity to Horton, who died soon thereafter in Japan. The Commissioner's one other recorded act was to publish in English a set of harbor regulations of which the following is a sample: "Article 5. — If any person or persons come on shore from any vessel that may be come into this port who shall have pleasure hunting and waste upon the land of any inhabitants and also committed any of such he or they shall be seized and transported to the Captain of their vessel." The shogunate, which at the time was involved in great domestic difficulties, soon withdrew its support from the Japanese settlers, and the discovery that the land was not suited to rice cultivation spelled the failure of the venture. Within 15 months practically all of the colonists, including even the commissioner, had returned to Japan. The foreign settlers had seen enough of the Japanese, however, to become very much alarmed. They appealed to Washington but got no satisfaction. In 1870 Tokyo dispatched Naosuke Inouye and several other Japanese — on an American vessel — to explore the islands. In 1873 the United States Minister at Tokyo, acting on a request by an American resident of Peel Island, asked for a statement from Washington on the official attitude toward the colony. Hamilton Fish, then Secretary of State, ruled that inasmuch as the possession of the islands had never been expressly sanctioned by the American Government and the colonists had received no promise expressed or implied of American protection, the Americans in the island were to be regarded as having expatriated themselves. After Fish's ruling, the Japanese were not slow to see their advantage: in 1875 they returned to stay. Four commissioners, representing the Treasury, Navy, Home Affairs, and Foreign Affairs departments suddenly arrived in Port Lloyd and claimed the Bonins for Japan. The incident had mild international complications. The Japanese steamer, Meiji Maru, with the commissioners on board, left Yokohama at noon on November 21 and arrived at Peel Island early on the 24th. The British, who had got wind of Japan's intentions, made belated efforts to take steps of their own. The British naval vessel Curlew, carrying Russell Robinson, British Consul at Yokohama, as special envoy of Sir Harry Parkes, British Minister to Japan, left Yokohama at 10 A. M. on the 22nd. After making the voyage largely under sail, the envoy arrived at Peel Island on the 26th — too late to interfere with Japan's action. The British envoy contented himself with an investigation of insular affairs, which he undertook in behalf of both British and American interests. As a result of his findings, Great Britain decided to make no claim to the islands, and the American authorities recommended to Washington that no further steps were necessary to guarantee American interests. The Japanese Government guaranteed foreign rights. Nonetheless four American residents complained as early as 1876 that their property had been confiscated. John A. Bingham, American Minister to Japan, made appropriate representations to the Japanese Foreign Office, but he took no action since he was convinced that Japan would abide by her treaty commitments. No further diplomatic representations were made, and the foreigners in the Bonins were consequently left without recourse to any foreign power. The Japanese proceeded to re-establish their settlement at Ogiura and to bring in new colonists. The Bonins were duly annexed by Japan. In 1880 they were organized under the Ogasawara island office and placed within the jurisdiction of the Tokyo Prefectural Government. Administrative headquarters were transferred in 1882 from Ogiura to Omura, where government buildings, warehouses, and settlers' homes were soon constructed near the foreigh-style homes of the Western community. In 1926 the island office at Omura was reorganized as a branch administrative office of the Tokyo Prefecture. Soon after Japanese occupation, immigration to the Bonins was limited to Japanese citizens. Foreign residents numbered 67 in 1878 — 22 Englishmen , 9 Americans, 4 Frenchmen, 3 Germans, 9 Portuguese, 16 Spaniards, and 4 non-Bonin natives. In 1882 the foreign population consisted of 72 persons, 59 on Chichi-jima and 13 on Haha-jima. By 1912 these people and their descendants numbered 120 persons. In 1913, after the emigration to Guam of a considerable part of the population who found Japanese rule intolerable, only 79 remained. Since that time the number has remained fairly constant, though by intermarriage and constant contact the descendants of the early foreign population have blended somewhat with Japanese immigrants. Volcano Islands. After absorbing the Bonins into their empire, the Japanese continued southward. In 1887 the mayor of Tokyo, with a party of others on the steam- 36
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ship Meiji Maru, paid a visit to the Volcano Islands. In 1891 the islands were declared a part of the Japanese Empire and were placed under the supervision of the Ogasawara island office. A few permanent settlers immigrated to Iwo-shima in 1897, and both Iwo-shima and Kita-iwo-shima have experienced slow development. Minami-iwo-jima remains uninhabited and undeveloped to the present day. Marcus Island. Discovered by a Japanese navigator, Shinroku Mizutani in 1896, this island was annexed by Japan and placed under the supervision of the Ogasawara island office in 1898. 123. Economic DevelopmentEarly Trade. Since ancient times agriculture and fishing have been the primary occupations of the Izu Islanders. Before the Meiji era, the islanders produced sufficient foodstuffs for their own needs but carried on very little if any trade with Japan proper. There was some intercourse among the islands themselves but this resulted principally from the movement of fishing boats from one fishing area to another and from the movement of emigrants southward rather than from any deliberate efforts to carry on trade. According to earliest Japanese reports, the Bonin Islands produced plenteous vegetables and fruits and abounded with fish, turtles, and crabs. The first permanent settlers (see 132) brought in seeds, agricultural implements, and livestock, and had little difficulty in making a living from the land and the sea. They confined their activities largely to Peel Island (Chichi-jima ), although some established themselves on Hillsboro (Haha-jima). A little trade, principally in hides, onions, seeds, and farm implements, was carried on with the inhabitants of Guam and Hawaii. Whalers were depended upon to carry the items traded, although several of the Bonin Islanders owned ocean-going vessels. There was also considerable trade between the whalers and the settlers, mainly on a barter basis since money was little used in the islands. The principal wants of the colonists were piece goods for clothing, spirits, salt, soap, tobacco, hardware, nails, knives, tools, and ammunition. They offered the whalers in exchange turtle meat and oil, bananas, lemons, poultry, and garden produce. The earliest trade between the Bonins and Japan is reported to have occurred in 1874, when the Tori, a small schooner flying the American flag, made a few trips between Yokohama and Fort Lloyd (Omura) carrying turtle shell and oil, lemons, and other island produce to exchange for cheap Japanese-made piece goods. Development of Agriculture. The earliest food crops in the Izus were wheat, millet, and barnyard grass. Japanese taro was apparently introduced in relatively modern times; for example, it was first raised on Hachijo-jima in the early eighteenth century. Yams were introduced at about the same time. These two root crops were particularly well suited to cultivation in the islands and were brought in to end the famines which had formerly been prevalent and had harassed Hachijo-jima in particular. Vegetable production has also been developed in recent years and exports have been sent to the Tokyo market. Despite the increase in the quantity of locally-grown foodstuffs, however, the islands have become more and more dependent upon food imports from Japan proper. Yams and taro are still important items in the local diet, but they are gradually being replaced by rice, most of which is imported from Japan since it is cultivated only to a very limited extent in the islands (see 311). The early settlers in the Bonins planted sugar cane, potatoes, Indian corn, onions, tobacco, pumpkins, taro, plaintain, coconuts, watermelons, pineapples, bananas, and lemons. The variety and quality of products were improved by continued importations from the Hawaiian Islands and Guam, and by gifts from Commodore Perry, who gave seed to the settlers. Under the Japanese administration, sugar-cane cultivation, vegetable farming, and fruit growing have been developed on a commercial scale. The sugar industry was the first to receive attention. In 1889 Japanese immigrants began to arrive in some numbers. These newcomers devoted themselves to sugar cultivation with the result that annual production was valued at about ¥800,000 by 1919. Thereafter, however, declining world markets affected the industry adversely and in 1925 exports amounted to only ¥305,000. Fruit cultivation increased rapidly in the early Japanese period. Banana exports in particular were valued at ¥100,000 in 1911 and amounted to 35 per cent of the total exports of the islands in that year. In later years, however, Ogasawara bananas had to face competition of cheaper Formosa fruit, and exports dwindled to a few hundred yen annually. The first permanent settlers in the Volcano Islands were farmers who came to Iwo-jima in 1897 and undertook the cultivation of cotton. In 1902, Hiranosuke Ishino imported 44 tenant families from Niigata, Shizuoka, and Fukushima prefectures in Japan, 37
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and from Hachijo-jima, to plant cotton. Ishino switched to sugar farming in 1910, however. When World War I created a sugar boom, the new industry prospered beyond all expectations. Sugar production in 1915 amounted to 2,000 kegs valued at ¥500,000. The subsequent slump in the sugar market brought a sudden cessation of this activity, but when coca cultivation was introduced a few years later and sugar production again be came profitable, the islands' agricultural economy revived somewhat. Coconut cultivation has been introduced on Marcus Island in recent years, but the extent or value of the crop produced has not been reported. Development of the Fishing Industry. The fishing industry has been developed in the Izus with the encouragement of the Tokyo Prefectural Government, which has set up a marine products experimental station on O-shima and has promoted the export of fresh and dried fish to the Tokyo market (see 325). Formerly the profits of the industry were largely monopolized by fishermen from Kyushu on the Japan mainland, but in recent years the number of locally-owned power fishing boats has increased, and local markets have been established where the islanders can dispose of their catch directly to buyers from Tokyo. Salmon trout and horse mackerel are the most important items in the trade, but flying fish, bonito, tunny, shark, cuttlefish, and lobster are also caught. Fishing is also important in the Bonins where, in 1925, exports included ¥95,000 worth of dried bonito, ¥56,000 worth of fresh fish, and ¥49,000 worth of whale meat. Shark fishing attracted the first Japanese to the Volcano Islands, but the industry has been little developed. There is fishing for bonito in the waters near Marcus Island, but on a very small scale. Development of Animal Husbandry. The raising of cattle for meat and dairy products was introduced on O-shima in the Izus during the late Tokugawa period and soon spread to the southern islands. The wild grass of the islands is well suited to grazing, and since 1901 the local strain of cattle has been considerably improved by the introduction of Holstein breed. In 1937 there were 2,000 head of cattle on Hachijo-jima alone, 600 of them dairy cows, and the production of condensed milk and butter alone amounted to about ¥170,000. The early settlers in the Bonins hunted deer, which were plentiful in the forests, and supplemented their meat larder by raising large numbers of poultry and pigs. Commodore Perry, on one of his early visits to the group, contributed four head of cattle, five Shanghai sheep, and six goats. Although the cattle were stolen by whalers and the sheep died, the goats prospered until the islands swarmed with them. Cattle have been subsequently re-introduced and raised with considerable success. Other Economic Development. The first product of the Izus to gain any significance in Japan proper was the yellow Hachijo silk which was woven specifically for use as tribute to the Tokugawa shoguns. The dye and weave were considered of unique beauty and the formula for the dye was kept secret. Production of this type of silk has almost entirely disappeared in recent times, but ordinary, silk continues to be an important product of Hachijo-jima as well as other Izu islands (see 322). Charcoal making, long an industry of some local importance in the Izus, suddenly expanded at the time of World War I, and in the early 1930's accounted for exports from Hachijo-jima to the value of about ¥170,000 (see 324). In the Bonins, the production of the semi-precious Ogasawara coral, begun in 1915 and exploited on a commercial scale after 1921, has been of some importance. Coral production amounted to about ¥1,000,000 in 1926, but fell off to an average of about ¥200,000 in the following years (see 324). Sulphur mining has been carried on to a limited extent in the Volcano Islands. About 1895 some sulphur gatherers settled on Iwo-jima and Kita-iwo-jima to work the deposits. Although the quality of the sulphur was good, the deposits were not extensive. Transportation costs proved to be high, with the result that the venture was soon abandoned. It is reported, however, that the operation was again resumed in 1903 (see 324). In recent years, as a part of the development program of the Tokyo Prefecture, the islands, particularly the Izus, have been widely publicized in Japan as vacation resorts. Catering to the tourist trade has become economically significant on O-shima, but as yet none of the other islands have been much developed as resort centers. 121. MissionsChristian Missions. Although Christian missionaries have visited the islands from time to time and have made plans for carrying on work in the area, there is no re- 38
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port of an organized mission ever having been established in either the Izus or the Bonins. The Christian churches in the area carry on missionary work, but their primary function is to minister to those inhabitants who were already Christian before coming to the islands. Shinto and Buddhist Missions. Although Shinto and Buddhist missionaries have undoubtedly worked in the Islands, there are no available accounts of their activities and no report of any missions having been established. The majority of the population attend the numerous Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples in the area. For a discussion of religion in the islands, see 154. 39
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14. PEOPLE141. Racial CharacteristicsPhysical Appearance. Except for a few Koreans, Formosans, and "naturalized" persons, the inhabitants of the islands are of pure Japanese descent and are practically the same in appearance as the people of Japan proper. It is noteworthy, however, that they are somewhat taller than most Japanese. The women — with relatively fair complexions, glossy black hair, and jet-black eyes — especially those on O-shima, are popularly considered by the Japanese to be of singular beauty. The naturalized people, who are the descendants of an early group of British, American, Italian, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese-African, Negro, Polynesian, and Micronesian colonists (see 132), exhibit the rather complex combination of physical traits that might naturally be expected from a blending of such stocks. Since about 1900, however, there has been extensive intermarriage between these people and the Japanese, and the offspring of such unions have manifested continually increasing resemblance to their Japanese parents. It accordingly appears that within another 20 or 25 years, the descendants of the naturalized people will be entirely indistinguishable from pure Japanese. 142. LanguageStandard and Dialectic Japanese. Japanese of the Tokyo region, which has been designated as the national language for the Empire, is spoken in the Izu and Bonin Islands. However, on O-shima and Hachijo-jima at least, marked dialects of Japanese are spoken by those whose ancestors have been long resident in the islands. The dialect on Hachijo-jima resembles that of the Ryukyu Islands. A few illustrations of the differences between standard Japanese and the local dialect appear in the following table:
Foreign Languages. Foreign languages are not taught in the schools of the Izus or Bonins. Only a very few of the Japanese residents, principally recent immigrants from Japan proper and local government officials, know more than a few words of English. American English was formerly the standard language in the Bonins, but the naturalized people who spoke it have now adopted Japanese. Only three of the oldest residents (who may now be dead) are reported to be thoroughly conversant with English (see 145). Their children can speak some English but are not really proficient. The other young people in this group have been educated exclusively in Japanese schools, and while they may be able to understand simple spoken English, none of them are likely to be able to speak, read, or write the language. 143. PopulationEarly Settlement. Since very early times the Izu Islands have been settled by Japanese, both ancient and modern immigrants coming mainly from the Tokyo region. The Bonins proper were peopled first by foreign colonists then, after 1875, by Japanese immigrants mainly from the Izus. The Volcano Islands and Marcus Island have been populated since the 1890's by immigrants from the Izus and the Bonins proper. For details regarding early settlement, see 132. Total Population. The first general census made by the Japanese Government in 1920 indicated a total population of 33,106. Annual population increments thereafter 40
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were comparatively small but regular, and the total population reached 39,549 in 1935. During the next five-year period, however, the tendency toward increases ceased, and the population declined to 39,328 in 1940. The following table summarizes quinquennial census figures since 1920 for the three major island groups and Marcus Island:
* Details not available. The density of the total population in the islands in 1940 was 253.4 persons per square mile. Comparative population densities per square mile in 1937 were 482.5 for Japan proper and 43.4 for the United States. Distribution by Race. Practically all the inhabitants in the islands are Japanese. Available 1940 census figures do not contain a breakdown of the population according to race, but in 1936 the only non-Japanese reported for the area were 217 Koreans, 3 Formosans, and 5 "foreigners," located as follows:
The five foreigners were reported to be living in one household, but were not further identified. Most likely, they were true foreign nationals since the few remaining descendants of the early foreign colonists have been naturalized (see 216) and are classified as Japanese for census purposes. Distribution by Locality and Sex. About 47 per cent of the total population is concentrated on the two largest islands — O-shima and Hachijo-jima — which in i940 had population densities of 283.8 and 313.6 persons per square mile, respectively. Six other islands — Miyake-jima, Nii-jima, Chichi-jima, Kozu-shima, Haha-jima, and Iwo-jima — comprise an additional 49 per cent, and the remaining 4 per cent is widely scattered. The distribution of men and women is approximately even on all the islands except Chichi-jima and Haha-jima where the sex ratios in 1940 were respectively 159 men and 134 men to 100 women. The distribution of the population in 1940 and 1930 — by administrative districts, islands, and village (mura) areas — together with data on sex distribution in 1940 and the number of households in 1936 are presented below:
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* 1940 population figures presumably included with those for mura on nearby islands. It will be noted that the 1940 census does not indicate any inhabitants for five islands (Tori-jima, Muko-jima, Yome-jima, Ototo-jima, and Marcus Island) which were reported to be populated in 1930 and 1935. Similarly, no populations are shown for Ane-jima and Mei-jima which, according to the 1935 census, had three and five inhabitants, respectively. From other sources of information, however, it appears that many and possibly all of these islands were to some extent still inhabited in 1940. If so, their populations have possibly been included with those reported for mura (village) areas on larger adjacent islands. The mura system was reorganized and extended in 1940, and presumably many mura areas now include offshore islets as well as their assigned territories on the larger islands (see 215). Other islands for which no populations were reported in the 42
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1940 census are: Udone-jima, Jinai-jima, Haya-jima, Tadanae-jima, Ombase-jima, Onohara-jima, Zeni-su, Inamba-jima, Bayonnaise Rocks, Smith Island, Sofu-gan, Naka-no-tori-jima, Hari-no-iwa, Nakodo-jima, Mago-jima, Nishi-no-jima, Ani-jima, Nishi-jima, Higashi-jima, Minami-jima, Hitomaru-jima, Hisako-jima, Plymouth Island, Hira-shima, Imoto-jima, Katsuotori-jima, Futako-jima, Maru-jima, and Minami-iwo-jima. Most of these are presumably uninhabited since they are principaily barren rocky islets (see 111 and 113); three of them (Naka-no-tori-jima, Ani-jima and Minami-iwo-jima), however, are somewhat larger than the others in this group, and may possibly be settled by fishermen and other migrant workers during certain seasons of the year.
Distribution by Age. The following table indicates the distribution by age of the male and female inhabitants of the islands in 1935:
Migration. Statistics on migration in the Izus and Bonins are not available, but other sources of information indicate that there is considerable movement of the population, particularly from island to island and also between the islands and Japan. Sugar workers and other emigrants frequently move southward from Hachijo-jima and Aoga-shima in the Izus to various islands in the Bonins. Male laborers, from O-shima and Nii-jima especially, often migrate to the Tokyo-Yokohama industrial region, some of them merely for seasonal employment and others for permanent residence. Emigrants from Japan, mainly from the Tokyo area, have long entered the islands; such settlers, however, are usually inclined to return to Japan after a few years regardless of how they fare in their island undertakings. In general, it appears that the islands are no longer as attractive to immigrant laborers or colonists as they were in the early decades of the twentieth century. The overall migration tendency in recent years has been for islanders to leave the area to take up residence elsewhere. 144. Vital StatisticsBirths. The following table shows the number of births, stillbirths, and birth rates per thousand of population by administrative districts and islands in 1930, the latest year for which such statistics are available: 43
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* Birth rate of little significance due to very small total population. Comparative birth rates in 1930 were 32.4 for Japan proper and 28.0 for Tokyo Prefecture. The birth rate in the United States in 1932 was 17.4. Mortality. The number of deaths and the death rates per thousand of population in 1930 Were as follows:
* Death rate of little significance due to very small total population. Comparative death rates in 1930 were 18.2 for Japan proper and 14.2 for Tokyo Prefecture. The death rate in the United States in 1932 was 10.9. Population Trends. It will be noted from the above two tables that in 1930 the number of births exceeded the number of deaths by 530. This appears to indicate that the 44
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average annual increase of 430 persons in the islands during the period 1920-1935 (see 143) was due principally to natural factors rather than to immigration, which accounted for a substantial part of the population increase in previous decades. Between 1935 and 1940 the population declined slightly, apparently because emigration from the islands increased to a point where it more than offset the natural birth-death rate of increase. 145. PersonalitiesVisitors. Only a very few foreigners have visited the islands since Japan assumed effective control in the latter part of the nineteenth century. They include: a German scientist, D. O. Warburg, who visited the Izu, Bonin, and Volcano Islands in 1888; an Ornithologist, P. A. Holst, who collected specimens in the Bonin and Volcano Islands in 1889; an American botanist, E. H. Wilson, who spent two weeks in 1917 in various islands of the Bonins studying vegetation; Professor A. R. Paget of the Tokyo School of Foreign Languages, who visited O-shima for a brief period in 1918; a German, Richard Goldschmidt, who visited the Bonins for a few days in 1926 and later published a report on Chichi-jima and its foreign inhabitants; another German, W. Gundert, who made a brief vacation trip to Chichi-jima in 1930. Other persons who have visited the islands and are now residing in the United States are listed alphabetically below, together with their latest reported addresses:
Residents. Except for branch administration officials (see 214), educational personnel (see 262), and Christian clergymen (see 154), there are no reports on other persons residing in the islands in recent years. The latest available information on non-official residents is contained in two reports — one by a Japanese who visited the islands in 1916, and the other by Richard Goldschmidt who spent a few days in the Bonins in 1926. The residents mentioned in the 1916 report — comprising prominent farmers and fishermen on Hachijo-jima, leading settlers on Haha-jima and Chichi-jima, and three landlords on Iwo-jima — are listed below.
The following list, based primarily on Richard Goldschmidt's report in 1926, Summarizes the names and descriptions of the more important "naturalized people" and their 45
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descendants who were living on Chichi-jima at that time. For discussion of the naturalized people, see 132.
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15. CUST0MS151. Clothing and OrnamentationMen's Clothing. The clothing of the men in the Izus and Bonins is identical with that found in Japan proper. Conservative farmers and fishermen wear Japanese-style work clothes consisting of a long jacket and knee-length breeches made of cotton. Westerns-tyle clothes are worn by officials, the white-collar class, and not infrequently by the more modern workmen who have been influenced by the changing styles in Japan proper. The naturalized inhabitants of the Bonins and their descendants also wear Western-style clothing. During leisure hours men often exchange their work clothes for kimonos. Women's Clothing. The women of the Izu Islands wear dark-colored (usually navyblue with white dots) and close-fitting cotton kimonos, which are held in place by a one-inch obi or sash wrapped around the body twice and tied in front. When working in the fields, the women sometimes tuck their skirts under the obi to allow greater freedom. In cold weather the kimono is supplemented by an outer jacket of wadded cotton. The women of the Bonins tie the sash in back, and otherwise follow Japanese habits of dress. Because they less often engage in heavy manual labor than do the women of the Izus, their kimonos are lighter in color and gaily patterned, have fuller sleeves and skirts, and are often made of silk instead of cotton. Footgear. Children usually go barefooted, and adults not infrequently do so. Sometimes typical Japanese cotton socks, made with a separate big toe, and straw sandals are worn, but more frequently the sandals are worn without socks. Officials and the naturalized people usually wear Western-style footgear. Headgear. Although Western-style hats are sometimes worn, the most common type of headgear throughout the islands is a towel wrapped around the head like a turban. These towels, which are worn by both men and women, are said to keep perspiration from running into the eyes. Plain white towels are usually worn, but bright-colored ones are sometimes seen on the heads of women, particularly in the Bonins. Hair Styles. Although the women of the Bonins dress their hair in the same fashion as those in Japan proper, the women of the Izus have clung to a traditional method of hairdressing. Under this method, the origin of which has been variously ascribed to the influence of the exiled court ladies (see 132) and to the need for a firm foundation for carrying burdens on their head, the hair is allowed to grow — sometimes to a length of six feet — and is then combed in one long plait, knotted at the back, and held in place by a printed cotton scarf. Men throughout the islands cut their hair short in the Western manner. Cosmetics. Most island women lighten their complexions with a powder made from rice. In the Izus, the women have long been famed for the use of camellia oil. They frequently apply this oil to their hair, claiming that it increases both the length and blackness of the hair. 152. Life RoutineCalendar. The Japanese formerly used a lunar calendar, but in 1871 the Gregorian calendar of Western culture was officially adopted. Since then the seven-day week with Sunday as a holiday has set the rhythm of work and rest in government offices, schools, and modern business enterprises. Many farmers and fishermen in rural Japan, however, still abide by the lunar calendar, for the seasonal festivals and rest days reckoned by it conform more closely to mythology, religious ritual, and slack periods in the rural economic routine. Year Designation. In Japan, although years are usually designated in the chronological sequence of the Christian Era, they are often specified by reference to the time when a particular Japanese emperor began his reign. For example, the year 1944 is also called the 19th year of Showa, which means that it is the 19th year since Hirohito became emperor and directed that his reign be known as Showa ("Enlightened Peace"). The designation of years according to reigns since the Meiji Restoration is summarized below: 47
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Holidays. Although national holidays are celebrated at the official Shinto shrines and in the schools, rural Japanese people seldom pay much attention, to them other than to conspicuously display a national flag in front of their homes. In the following list, a few holidays known to be celebrated in the Izus and Bonins have been combined with more important national holidays that are presumably observed to some extent locally:
Annual Economic Cycle. There is sufficient seasonal variation in the climate of the islands to produce a cycle of economic activity. In the Izus, occasional frosts render the winter an unsuitable season for growing most crops. Spring and summer are therefore the chief growing seasons and fall the time of harvest. In the Bonins, the warmer winters and the hot dry summers make the winter better suited to the growing of vegetables. Although fishing is carried on throughout the year in both island groups, the types of fish caught vary somewhat with the season. Tunny and mackerel are caught mostly during the late fall, winter, and early spring, while bonito are caught during the summer and early fall. In the Bonins turtles are hunted during the spring and early Summer. 48
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Bathing. The islanders provide no exception to the Japanese habit of taking frequent baths. Ten public baths were reported for the islands in 1936 (see 285). The inhabitants also frequently bathe in the hot springs which are found on many of the islands (see 121). As in Japan proper, mixed bathing is customary. Diet. The diet of the inhabitants in the Izus and Bonins is varied. It is similar to that prevailing in Japan proper, although in a number of the local households, sweet potatoes and Japanese taro replace rice as the main starch item, and dairy products are consumed to a considerably greater extent. Turtles provide an important source of meat, particularly in the Bonins. Fruit and garden vegetables, which are grown in abundance, commonly appear on the menus of the islanders. Methods of cooking are presumably similar to those in Japan with the exception that camellia oil is frequently employed as a kitchen fat. Beverages. The local inhabitants drink tea, milk, soft drinks, sake, sweet potato wine, sugar wine, and rum. A small amount of tea is grown on O-shima (see 311), milk is produced in island dairies (see 312), and sizable quantities of the popular alcoholic beverages are prepared locally (see 325). In addition, considerable quantities of tea and beverages are imported from Japan, as indicated in the following statistics for 1936:
Tobacco and Narcotics. Tobacco is widely used, considerable quantities being imported from Japan for local consumption (see 345). Although a considerable amount of coca, from which cocaine is derived, is raised in the Bonins, there is no report of its use as a narcotic by the local inhabitants. 153. Sex and Marriage CustomsPremarital Sex Relations. Japanese standards of sexual conduct prevail in the Izu and Bonin Islands. After reaching puberty, boys may and usually do indulge in sexual relations without fear of parental censure. Girls, however, are expected to remain chaste and ordinarily do. As a rule only those who become prostitutes or who are of the servant class indulge in premarital sex relations. Although schools are coeducational (see 262), serious affairs seldom develop from this contact, and exchanges of romantic letters are normally the extent of such relationships. Extra-Marital Sex Relations. After marriage the double standard of morality is even more exaggerated than before. It is extremely rare for a married woman to carry on an illicit affair and nearly as unusual for a man not to visit prostitutes or to keep a concubine. When a woman does commit adultery, both she and her lover are subject to a penitentiary sentence if prosecuted by the husband, or, if caught flagrante delicto, the husband may kill both and be subject only to a light penalty. If such serious steps are not taken by the husband, he usually at least divorces the wife. The only extra-marital outlet for sexual feelings permitted women occurs during the dances at drinking parties (see 155). As the party progresses, the women indulge in all kinds of exaggerated sexual mimicry to the accompaniment of a vigorous female chorus, all of which invariably ends up in roars of laughter. Even in this indulgence a woman must not go beyond well-defined bounds of restraint or she will be considered queer and no longer permitted to attend such affairs. Prostitution. According to available information, there is no system of licensed prostitution in the islands as in Japan. In 1939 the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Board announced that brothels were to be permitted on Chichi-jima, but the number that may have been established has not been reported. In the islands, however, there are many geisha, shakufu ("barmaids"), and jokyu ("waitresses"), who frequently indulge in prostitution. In 1936 one professional panderer for girls of this type was registered on O-shima. Only one case of illegal prostitution, also on O-shima, was reported in the same year. In Japan, particularly throughout the rural areas, it is not uncommon for poor families to sell their daughters to geisha or prostitution houses. A father is not disgraced for so doing, although he usually prefers to have his daughters marry if he is 49
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financially able to permit it. Young widows and divorcees not infrequently support themselves by prostitution rather than remarrying. Presumably these same practices prevail in the islands. Marriage Negotiations. In Japanese society, marriages are almost always arranged by families. The first step consists of secret investigations carried on by a friend of the boy's parents called "naishokiki" (secret inquirer). When the naishokiki discovers a girl whom he considers suitable, he describes her to the boy's parents and then arranges for an "accidental" meeting between the boy and girl and their families. If the young man and his family approve of the girl, a careful and secret investigation of her family background is then made. The next step is to call in a nakodo (go-between) who carries on the marriage negotiations and finally arranges for the ceremony. Because of this indirect procedure and the use of intermediaries, either family can withdraw from the matchmaking at any stage without the fear of losing face. Families that have only daughters frequently negotiate for a man who is willing to marry one of their daughters and be adopted by them at the same time. Such an adopted son-in-law moves into the household and assumes the family name, which is thus kept from dying out. A young man is often willing to accept this combination of marriage and adoption, particularly if the bride's family is of a higher social or economic standing. Marriage Restrictions. In ancient times a Japanese could and frequently did marry his cousin. In modern Japan, the Western belief that such marriages are biologically harmful has been widely adopted, although the practice still prevails to some extent in rural areas. It was likewise not uncommon for a widowed person to marry a brother or sister of the deceased spouse. In 1898, however, the British code of marriage restrictions was adopted and it was made illegal to marry the sister of a deceased wife. This law is apparently not rigidly enforced in rural Japan, and such marriages still occur. The legal minimum age of marriage in Japan is 17 years for males and 15 years for females. The usual age, however, is reported to be 22 to 23 for the former and 17 to 18 for the latter. Wedding. The wedding ceremony in rural Japan consists simply of an exchange of rice between the bride and groom and a flowery pronouncement by the fathers that the bride has entered a new family. The go-between, rather than a priest, officiates during the ceremonies. Residence after Marriage. An oldest son and his bride commonly take up residence at his parents' house and continue to live there permanently. Each younger son normally moves to a house of his own, which is usually near that of his parents. An exception is reported for Hachijo-jima, where a couple generally live with the bride's parents until two children are born, after which time they establish an independent residence. An adopted son-in-law takes up residence in the home of the bride's parents. Polygamy. Although polygamy was customary in ancient Japan, it is now prohibited by law. Wealthy men, however, not infrequently have concubines who live with the family ostensibly as servants. Children by concubines are normally legitimatized by being registered as offspring of the legal wife. Marriage Statistics. In the islands a considerably higher proportion of adults are married or widowed in the O-shima and Hachijo-jima districts than in the Ogasawara district, as indicated in the following statistics for 1935:
This discrepancy is largely attributable to the considerably greater number of men than women on Chichi-jima (see 143). Divorce. In Japanese culture, divorce by mutual consent is recognized and may be made legal by simply notifying the registrar of a local court. Such divorces are much more common than divorces obtained through the courts — to which recourse may be had if formal dissolution of a marriage is desired by only one of the spouses. Ill treatment, gross insult, desertion, and adultery on the part of a wife (but not a husband) consti- 50
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tute legal grounds for divorce. A man suffers little if any loss in status when divorced, but a woman loses considerably in marriage ability. For this reason divorcees not infrequently turn to prostitution for their livelihood. Divorces occur more frequently in the islands than in Japan proper, and are particularly common in the O-shima district. The following table shows the divorce rates per thousand of population in the islands for the year 1930, as compared with the divorce rate in the city of Tokyo for the same year:
Birth Control. Although abortion and infanticide were common in ancient Japanese culture, as early as the latter part of the eighteenth century the feudal war lords attempted to prohibit these practices in order to help build up their fighting forces. Small farmers who did not wish to divide their land among numerous sons and poor families who could not afford several children, however, largely disregarded this policy. Nowadays, although the criminal code specifies that persons committing abortion or infanticide may be arrested for murder, it is reported that the practices are still prevalent in Japan, particularly in the rural areas. The knowledge of modern contraceptive devices was introduced into Japan from western European culture in fairly recent times. The practice of contraception, however, is contrary to government population policy and much official propaganda and effort has been waged against it. There is no specific information concerning abortion, infanticide, or birth control in the islands, but presumably the prevailing practices and attitudes are virtually the same as in rural areas in Japan. Pregnancy and Childbirth. Pregnancy and childbirth are regarded with considerable shame and secrecy in Japan. The process of childbearing in rural areas is surrounded by a great many superstitious beliefs and food taboos. Women are considered ritually unclean during the lying-in period, and there is a strong taboo against their crying out during labor; to do so would let others known that the "shameful" event was taking place. In former times women moved into a special birth house, but nowadays they normally deliver at home or in a hospital. There are one or more midwives in each mura (see 254) and they normally perform the functions of an obstetrician. Three days after a child is born it is named at a special ceremony which relatives attend and at which the midwife officiates. 151. Religion and Funeral Practices
Folk Religion. The religion of rural Japanese is a blend of primitive Shinto, Buddhism, and State Shinto. Neither Christianity nor Confucianism plays a large role. Primitive Shinto, a combination of ancestor worship with the notion that every natural object has a spirit associated with it, still has a firm grip on the imagination of the peasants. Buddhist myths have become a part of the folklore of the people; Buddhist festivals are high points in the rural calendar; and Buddhist priests officiate at rural funeral ceremonies. Finally, State Shinto, the cult of emperor worship, has been propagated by the Japanese State through the centralized school system and propaganda facilities. Primitive Shinto was well developed in the Izu Islands. As time passed, stories about the migration from the main islands of Japan became tales of the gods. Thus the legend grew up that the islands had been settled by the son of the reigning god of Japan, who had renounced his heritage to settle on Miyake-jima with all his family. The ancestors of each family gradually became spirits who inhabited the house and had power to affect all activities within the house. The migrants from Japan proper brought with them, moreover, a cult which called for the worship of the "spirit" of any outstanding natural object in the physical environment. The volcanoes of the Izu Islands, particularly the active ones with their subterranean fires, immediately became the habitat of gods. The islanders believed that the spirits inhabiting the volcanoes and, to a lesser extent, those inhabiting large stones, controlled all activities in the immediate neighborhood. All these beliefs in the spirit world had as a corollary the notion that the spirits must be appeased. Before commencing a major undertaking — for example, a long journey — a devout peasant called in a special "praying priest" to propitiate various wayside gods and particularly the god of the volcano whose base he would have to skirt. The priest would also be called in before the peasant planted a field or built a new house. The propitiatory rituals necessary for minor undertakings were performed by the head of the house. For this purpose, and for the paying of respects to ancestors, each family set up a small shrine either in an inner room of the house or in a small building behind the house. Many of 51
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these shrines are still in use; in 1936 it was reported that there were 86 private Shinto shrines (presumably those family shrines housed in separate buildings) in the Izu Islands. None was reported for the Bonin Islands. Buddhism. The role of Buddhism in the Izu and Bonin Islands is not clear. However, it appears that the doctrinal aspects of Buddhism — such as the central belief that a soul passes through various animal and human bodies in its struggle toward a heaven called "Nirvana" — are relatively unimportant. On the other hand, the myths about Buddha and his followers have become fused with the myths about the early gods on the main islands of Japan. Buddhist celebrations, particularly the Festival of Dead Souls, are very popular among the inhabitants. And the Shinto officials, who regard the bodies of the dead as unclean, have turned over all funeral and mourning ceremonies to the Buddhist priests. Five of the numerous Buddhist sects of the main islands of Japan are represented in the Izu and Bonin Islands: the Jodo, Soto, Shin, Nichiren, and Hokke sects. Although these sects were separated by doctrinal differences at the time they were established, today their followers, and many of the priests themselves, do not understand the differences. The number of temples and chief priests of the various sects reported for the islands in 1936 is shown in the following table:
State Shinto. State Shinto is an outgrowth of primitive Shinto. The ancestors of the family which won out in the early struggles for political power became the gods of the nation; and, as Japan's imperialistic ambitions have grown, the cult of these gods has been pressed upon the people with increasing vigor. The government has found that the most successful method of propagation is to indoctrinate the young. School children in the Izu and Bonin Islands are taught, and believe, that the Sun Goddess Amaterasu sent her grandson to Honshu to establish a lineage of divine emperors. They believe that the land of Japan, thus singled out, is sacred, that the people of Japan are sacred, and that Japan has a mission to rule the world. They are taught that the supreme virtues are obedience to the Emperor and physical courage in serving him. Further, in an effort to make formal emperor-worship a life-long habit, the school children are taken on frequent trips to the government-supported shrines. In the islands there are a total of 18 such shrines maintained by the prefectural, district, or village (mura) governments. Although they are open to worshippers at all times, they are usually deserted except on national holidays (see 152), when an official appointed by the central government performs the rites of worship. The following table classifies the shrines and officials in each district according to the branch of government contributing to their support:
Christianity. Christianity plays a very small role in the islands. The early Anglo-American settlers of Chichi-jima set up an Anglican Church there. Various Japanese Christian missionaries have attempted to make converts. In 1910, however, there were only four churches with a total following of 209 Christians in the islands. The location of these churches, their denominations, the names of their pastors, and the size of their congregations are shown below:
* Possibly reported incorrectly by the source; the pastor may still be Reverend Gonzales (see 145). 52
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In addition, there are two preaching stations on O-shima, one at Habu and one at Okada, which are said to be visited regularly by Mr. Dohi of the Motomura Methodist Church. Death and Burial. In rural Japan the "chief" village elder has charge of burial arrangements. He consults with the family concerning the coffin and other funeral paraphernalia and appoints several young men of the village to act as grave diggers and pallbearers. Meanwhile a man from each household in the village has called on the bereaved family to express sympathy, and relatives bearing rice, rice wine, and colored cloth for funeral banners have begun to assemble. After the corpse has been washed, dressed in funeral clothes, and placed in the coffin, the relatives sit down to a funeral feast at which the place of honor is occupied by a Buddhist monk. At the end of the meal the monk leads a procession to the village graveyard, goes through a brief ritual, and then, accompanied by the relatives, leaves the graveyard. The appointed pallbearers fill up the grave and erect the grave markers. As a rule each village has one graveyard, usually situated on the outskirts of the village. Except on Hachijo-jima, where the custom of building grave huts may still persist, it is believed that graves are marked by simple tombstones. Although some families may prefer cremation to burial, as is the case in Japan proper, no crematories are reported for the islands. Mourning. The day after the funeral, relatives and the bereaved family visit the grave. Memorial services, arranged by the Buddhist priest, are held on every seventh day for a period of 49 days. The first and seventh services are held at the home of the deceased, and the intervening services take place at the homes of relatives. During this period, relatives wear mourning garb and abstain from eating animal food. The seventh service marks the end of the official mourning period, although close relatives may mourn longer. 145. Art and RecreationDecorative Art. Decorative art is not highly developed in the islands. Except for temple architecture, textile designs, and a small amount of artistic handicrafts (see 321), the tools, utensils, and buildings are usually simple and unadorned. Flower arrangement is usually taught in Japanese schools and is undoubtedly taught and practiced in the islands. Decorative plants are raised in the islands for export to Japan (see 324). Music and Danging. In rural Japan, drinking parties and banquets are often occasions for the singing of folk songs and for dancing. The islanders have local versions of folk songs and probably also of folk dances. Music and dancing are also a part of the ceremony of many of the annual festivals (see 152), and singing and the playing of Japanese guitars and harps are in the regular repertoire of geisha girls. Amusements. There are a relatively large number and variety of commercial places of amusement in the islands and they are well attended. The following table indicates the number and type of amusement places reported for 1936:
A total of 501 performances of plays, movies, and concerts were given during 1936 and attended by 62,612 persons. There was a considerably higher rate of attendance in the Bonins — where 28,858 persons attended 122 performances — than in the Izus, where 33,754 persons attended 379 performances. Bullfights are reported to be held at the time of the Bon ceremony in July (see 152). Fortune tellers were established at O-shima and Hachijo-jima in 1936. Public baths are often a place of gossip and amusement (see 152). Restaurants. Nearly every village in the islands has one or more restaurants. Various types are represented, "western style" being particularly popular in O-shima. Waitresses and barmaids employed in many of the restaurants normally act as entertainers 53
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and frequently engage in prostitution (see 153). The following table indicates the number of persons engaged in the various styles of "lower-class" and "upper-class" restaurants in the three island districts; the symbol "O" indicates operators and "W" indicates waitresses and barmaids:
156. Native WarfareLocal Military Organization. The inhabitants of the Izu and Bonin Islands have never established an independent military organization and there are no reports that they have ever engaged in local warfare. For civilian defense and participation in the Japanese national military organization, see 233. 157. Attitudes and ValuesPersonality Traits. The personality traits of the Izu and Bonin islanders are those of the Japanese in general. Subservience to authority, orderliness, and personal cleanliness are the keynotes of their personality pattern. These values are stressed in the schools (see 262), and sanctioned by national Shintoism (see l54). "Face," as exemplified by the extensive use of go-betweens in marriage negotiations (see 153), is very important to most Japanese. Rural Japanese tend to be more superstitious and somewhat more independent than sophisticated urban dwellers. Attitude toward Americans. There is no indication that the attitude of the islanders toward Americans is any different from that of the inhabitants of Japan proper. Hatred and distrust, perhaps overlaid by subservience, can be expected of the civilian population. The small group of naturalized persons (see 132 and 145) may be somewhat less hostile to Americans. 158. EtiquettePoliteness. Formal politeness is of great importance in Japanese life. It includes bowing, elaborate differentiation in the form of greetings, nouns, and verbs used in speech, and ostentatious self-abasement coupled with exaggerated praise of the other person. The amount of deference shown is carefully calculated in terms of the relative status of the participants. Etiquette of Visiting. Instead of knocking at the door, a visitor usually announces his presence by calling "excuse me" (gomen nasai) or by clapping his hands. When the call is acknowledged, he removes his shoes or sandals and enters the house. He bows to his host, who returns the bow, and elaborate greetings are exchanged in the proper honorific language. If he is received by the woman of the house, she kneels and bows until her head touches the floor. If the visitor arrives unexpectedly at a time when the host or hostess is not properly dressed, formal greetings are withheld until the host or hostess has put on the proper clothes. Modesty. Japanese standards of modesty are to a large extent determined by the situation. Mixed nude bathing is considered to be quite proper, as is lounging about the house in a semi-nude state in the evenings. On more formal occasions, however, very mod- 54
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est clothing is worn, particularly by women, and to expose the body in any way at such times would cause great shame. Although Japanese freely discuss most sexual matters, they are quite prudish about pregnancy and childbirth (see 153). 159. Conduct Considered Especially OffensiveImpoliteness. Japanese are especially offended by impoliteness, particularly in the form of ignoring the deference pattern (see 158). To embarrass another person without providing a means for "saving face" is considered extremely rude conduct.Irreverence. The desecration of Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, and the Emperor's portrait, which is hung in public schools, would be considered sacrilegious. Personal uncleanliness is not only especially disgusting to most Japanese, but also is classed as a religious offense. Immorality. Sexual approaches to women other than prostitutes and unmarried servant girls are forbidden by the Japanese moral code (see 153). 55
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16. ORGANIZED GR0UPS161. Family and KinshipFamily and Household. The household is the most important social unit in Japanese culture. It is based Tupon the biological family of parents and children, but often also includes servants, the wife and children of the eldest son, orphaned younger brothers and nephews, sisters and nieces who have not married, and adopted children. The household functions as a unit in numerous communal affairs; for example, contributions to public works in a village are prorated on the basis of households rather than individuals, membership in associations is determined on a household basis (see 166), and votes are counted by households, in the election of settlement headmen (see 215). Property in land, tools, and utensils is also customarily considered to belong to households even though legally it may be owned by individuals (see 341 and 342). In 1930 there were an average of 4.4 persons per household in the islands. The number and size of households and the distribution by sex of their members in the islands in 1930 is shown in the following table:
Only 1,040 persons out of the total population of 35,116 in 1930 were not members of a household. Of these 154 lived in institutions, 233 in inns and hotels, and 653 aboard ship. Domestic Authority. Every household has an official head who is usually the eldest male. He has complete authority over all other members of the household, who must treat him with great respect and deference. He is the first to be served with food and the first to take a bath, and he has complete charge over the financial affairs of the household. In Japanese society, every male has authority over all the women in the house; even the youngest son can issue commands to his mother, who may discipline him only by virtue of temporary authority vested in her by her husband. In rural areas such as the Izus and Bonins, however, the women are of such economic importance to the household (see 334) that their status and authority are greater than the norm for Japanese women. If the head of the house dies or abdicates, he is succeeded by the eldest son even though there may be other males in the household who are senior in age. If the eldest son is not yet of age, his uncle or mother may act as his guardian until he reaches majority. An adopted male succeeds to the headship of the household just as though he were a real Son. Kinship. Japanese classify kinsmen in a manner similar to that of Western European culture, the chief differences being that there are separate terms for older and younger brother and older and younger sister, and that all kinship terms have both a humble and an honorific form. The latter is used when a younger person addresses an older relative and when a female addresses a male relative. In referring to relatives, a person uses the humble form when speaking of his own relatives, and the honorific form when speaking of the relatives of others. Adoption. Adoption is a very widespread and important practice in Japanese family life. So strong is the desire to have a male heir that a couple with no son usually adopts one. Childless couples who cannot find a suitable boy first adopt a girl and then seek for her a husband who is willing to assume the family name (see 153). Couples with sickly sons frequently adopt another boy to ensure continuance of the family line. Families having several sons are usually quite willing to allow one of the younger ones to be adopted. Although a male relative or a boy of the same or higher social class is preferred, a family may select an heir of inferior standing. As a result of the frequency of 56
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adoption, Japanese family lines and landholdings are maintained relatively constant from generation to generation. 162. ClansKin Groups. Except for the household, kin groups are far less important in Japanese, culture than in many other societies. Although overshadowed by neighborhood groups and by numerous associations (see 166), the patrilineal clan is of some importance. It consists of those households whose heads are related to one another through the male line, and who therefore have the same family name. Since it is customary for an eldest son to inherit his parents' house and for younger married sons to establish their residences closely nearby, households of various, families in a clan tend to cluster together. The clan functions primarily at funerals (see 154), in housebuilding (see 323), and at times of disaster. 163. SettlementsFarmsteads. Since the economy of the Izu and Bonin Islands is primarily agricultural, the farmstead constitutes the basic unit of practically all settlements — except for a number of fishing hamlets or villages — particularly in the Izus — and for a few of the larger villages or towns where only a little gardening is done. Conditions are everywhere rough and primitive. Farmsteads, which consist of tracts of land averaging about six and one-half acres in area, are frequently broken up into scattered and irregular plots or situated on steep and rocky inclines because of the scarcity of level and fertile ground. They are inhabited by one or more families composing a household (see 161), and are located most frequently along the few coastal roads and in the valleys, but sometimes in clearings in the woods. The farm buildings are generally few in number, small, rough, and unpainted. The dwellings and provision houses, usually built of boards and bamboo, have thatched roofs and are raised on stilts or pillars. 0utbuildings include crude barns or shelters for cattle, fowl houses, small sheds, and occasionally a strange-looking windmill. In exposed places, high stone walls or wind screens of woven reeds often surround or partially enclose the main buildings. Since stock raising is important on several of the islands, many farms have cattle pens or corrals and keep two or three cows. Most of the acreage is in dry fields. Wet rice fields are rare, although there are a few near the settlements on Hachijo-jima (see 311). Villages and Towns. All of the communities are small: even the largest (Hommura) has a population of only 3,976. None have sanitary sewage disposal systems, and night soil removal is accomplished by wagons. Public buildings, utilities, wharfage and landing facilities, and business establishments are few and primitive. Large industrial or manufacturing plants are unknown; the limited manufacturing activities that do exist are carried on mainly by hand and in small workshops in the family households. The settlements have a distinctly frontier-like air. Almost every village, however small, is equipped to accommodate transients at comparatively numerous lodging and eating establishments. Communities tend to locate along the coasts. Some stand on the beach; but more often they occupy higher ground behind a coastal cliff, down which narrow paths lead to a small landing or beaching place where there are a few scattered houses and sheds, and sometimes a warehouse. The village houses and buildings usually cluster along a single dirt or lava-surfaced road, although the larger communities have a number of narrow intersecting streets. Many of these streets are hardly more than footpaths, and even the principal ones are narrow and without continuous sidewalks. There is little vehicular traffic, except for oxcarts and bicycles, which are fairly numerous in some of the villages. Automobiles are rare and are seen only in a few larger. settlements. Most of the villages have a village office, elementary school, post office, and at least one Shinto shrine, while the larger ones usually have, in addition, a branch administration office, a telegraph and telephone office (usually combined with the post office), a police station, a Buddhist temple, sometimes a courthouse, and frequently a number of restaurants, hotels, and small business establishments. Dwellings are often built rather close together and are generally rather poor, one-story, wood-frame structures of modified Japanese style, with sliding paper panels and thatched, shingled or corrugated iron roofs. Usually they are raised about one foot off the ground. Kitchens and outhouses are separate from the main dwellings, though located close by, and the small yards frequently contain vegetable gardens, with rainwater basins or cisterns in one corner. Rough stone walls or bamboo or reed fences often enclose these homes, especially in the more exposed places. Most of the village streets and residences are clean and neat in appearance, although less so, on the whole, than in Japan proper. 57
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Although none of the community settlements of these islands have the political or legal status of cities or towns, certain of the larger ones (exceeding 3,000 in population) have some of the characteristics and importance of urban centers. Omura, on Chichi-jima, is not only of local significance but, as headquarters of the only reported "fortified zone" in the southern region and as a base on the Japan-Palau air route, it is probably the most important community in the islands. In the Izus, Motomura on O-shima, Hommura on Nii-jima, and the virtually single settlement of Okago and Mitsune on Hachijo-jima are by far the most populous and economically developed. These places as well as the other settlements in the islands, are described below. Detailed descriptions of resources, buildings, and facilities included in other sections of this handbook have not been repeated. Such details and the sections in which they may be found are: geological descriptions (see 113); anchorages and inland waters (114); sources and supply of potable water (121); fire stations and equipment (231); hospitals and medical personnel (253 and 254); schools (262); post offices (271); telephone, telegraph, and cable installations (272); radio stations (273); water systems (281); sewerage (282); electric light, and power facilities (284); roads and vehicles (291); steamship service, piers, and harbor facilities (294); houses (323); social and commercial associations 166 and 344).
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The islands in the Bonins, which are known or believed to be inhabited, are listed below in order from north to south, with information concerning their settlements or villages.
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161. Social ClassesImportance of Class. In Japanese culture, virtually all forms of intercourse are strictly regulated by official, social, and occupational class differentiations. Marriages are seldom negotiated bétween families of unequal social status (see 153), and childless couples who cannot find a socially acceptable boy for adoption usually adopt a girl in order to "attract" a suitable youth (see 161). Membership in associations is also restricted, as a rule, to persons of the same class (see 166). Official Social Class System. The social class of every Japanese is entered in the official records of the mura (village) of his birth and is copied out on his birth certificate (see 229). There are three official social classes: nobility (kazoku), gentry (shizoku), and the commoners (heimin). Only about 5 per cent of the total population of Japan belong to the first two classes, the remainder being classed as commoners. Below the official classes is a group commonly known as "eta" (defilement abundant). Although the government has tried to abolish this class and officially regards its members as commoners, such persons remain at the bottom of the social structure and are despised by all who rank above them. There is no available evidence concerning the distribution of the Izu and Bonin population by social class, but it is probable that the great majority of the inhabitants are commoners. It seems extremely doubtful that any of the nobility or gentry would live permanently in the islands, although a few may occasionally vacation there. Occupational Status. In the islands, as in rural Japan, local officials hold the positions of highest esteem in the community. The local headmen, schoolteachers, and assemblymen are all highly respected. Landed farmers form a solid upper-middle class from whose families local officials are usually chosen. Artisans, fishermen, tenant farmers, and operators of stores, restaurants, and hotels all occupy a relatively low occupational status. Occupations associated with the slaughtering of animals such as butchery, tanning, and leatherwork are considered to be particularly degrading and are usually performed by those who are classified socially as eta. Official Ranks. An elaborate system of ranks paralleling that of the military is used to classify all members of the civil-service (see 213). 165. MinoritiesEthnic Minorities. The only minority groups of any importance found in the islands are the Koreans and the "naturalized people." According to available information, neither of these groups can be regarded as presenting a real minority problem. The Koreans are the more numerous, although in 1936 there were only 217 of them. Little is known as to the degree of their assimilation by the Japanese, but it is possible that they are looked down upon by the latter and treated accordingly, as is usually the case in other parts of the Empire. The naturalized people comprise a group of some 75 descendants of the foreign colonists who settled in the Bonins in the middle part of the nineteenth century and subsequently intermarried extensively with Japanese women. They have been quite thoroughly assimilated by the Japanese, who regard them with considerable curiosity and little if any resentment. For additional details regarding these groups, see 132, 143, and 145. 65
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166. AssociationsPrevalence of Associations. One of the outstanding characteristics of the Japanese people is their remarkably strong tendency to align themselves with others for the accomplishment of certain specific purposes. The resultant organizations are exceedingly numerous and exist in practically every field of activity from the exchange of social amenities to the regulation of trade, commerce and industry, and the propagation of Japanese culture. They may be broadly classified as "sponsored" and "spontaneous." Sponsored organizations are inspired and often completely organized and managed by other institutions or groups, most frequently the government. These organizations, which in recent years have greatly increased in strength and prominence with the ever-greater regimentation of all phases of Japanese life, include such groups as the young people's associations, and the army-led Reservists' Association. Spontaneous organizations are those which are formed voluntarily by the members themselves, and include such groups as cultural and commemorative societies, economic associations, and clubs formed for purposes of conviviality alone. Membership is ordinarily a matter of individual choice, although sometimes it becomes an economic necessity for a man to join the often monopolistic guild or association of his particular craft or trade. All groups and associations are subject to police approval and surveillance. Some are required to be licensed and registered and to submit periodic business reports to the appropriate authorities, whereas others may only be obliged to obtain police permits before conducting meetings or transacting other business. The criterion used in determining whether an association must be registered has not been reported; however, it appears that all economic associations are obliged to meet this requirement, and the same probably also applies to patriotic societies and many other similar organizations. In the paragraphs which follow, descriptions of associations reported for the Izu and Bonin Islands have been combined with information on other typical organizations which are active in Japan proper and probably prevail to some extent in the islands. Young People's Associations. In recent years, the Japanese Government has strongly encouraged the formation of young men's and young women's associations (seinen-dan and joshi seinen-dan) in villages and towns throughout the Empire. The purpose of these associations is to foster further physical, mental, and moral training among young people who have finished elementary school and to enlist their cooperation on projects of benefit to the national and local community. The basic principles of the national federation of Seinen-dan are defined as follows:
The leaders of these associations are usually public schoolteachers, who are assisted by local police and administrative officials and by interested citizens, most of whom are past members of such organizations. Membership is restricted to unmarried primary school graduates between the ages of approximately 15 and 30. The members, who generally adopt distinctive uniforms and emblems, are conspicuous in local affairs and, at monthly or special interim meetings, participate in such varied and widespread activities as lectures, research, reading, debating, study tours, cooperative farming, fire-fighting, flood and earthquake relief, assistance to officials on public occasions, air-raid precautionary measures, road-repair, cleaning of roads, temples, and shrines, and athletic sports and other amusements. In view of such interests, these organizations are doubtless being utilized by thé government to the fullest possible extent in the prosecution of the present war on the home front. There is specific record of two young men's associations and one young women's association at Hommura on Nii-jima, and one young men's association and one young women's association at Tsubota on Miyake-jima. There is also a kindred young people's educational society on Hachijo-jima; with a branch at Okago village. Since associations of this nature usually flourish in rural districts, it appears extremely likely that they are found in many if not most of the other villages in the Izus and Bonins. Patriotic Societies. Patriotic organizations are very numerous throughout the Japanese Empire. In addition to the young people's associations, they include military societies of officers and servicemen, women's patriotic associations, and organizations devoted to the exhaltation of the Imperial line. The military societies are the largest and undoubtedly, the most influential at the present time. The Reservists' Association 66
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(Zaigo Gunjin-kai), a widespread national organization to which all servicemen automatically belong upon their release from active duty, has local branches at Hommura on Niijima and at Tsubota on Miyake-jima. The Imperial League of Young Officers (Kokoku Seinen Shoko Domei) was formerly very prominent and active in Japan proper, but it is not known to what extent it may be represented in the islands. Civic Associations. The Japanese also have numerous community welfare organizations. Those known to be active in the Izus are the fire-fighters' associations (shobu kumiai), and the health associations (eisei kumiai). All are voluntary groups organized on the basis of the mura or village, but are affiliated with and to a large extent controlled by the prefectural and national associations. There are fire-fighters' associations at Hommura on Nii-jima and at Tsubot a on Miyake-jima. For a discussion of the health associations in the islands, see 255. Economic Associations. Economic associations are among the most important of Japanese organizations. They are not only numerous but they also perform many diverse functions, including the extension of credit, the fixing of wage and price levels, the establishment of standards of workmanship, the regulation of industry and trade, and the enforcement of government decrees and regulations. Most of these associations are organized by the members to serve their own needs, but in recent years a good many have been formed at the direct request of the government in order to secure better development or control of certain trades and industries. The creation of funds, either by subscription or by the popular lottery system, for making small loans to members is a common characteristic of many of these organizations, most of which are now required to be licensed and registered. For details regarding the economic associations found in the islands, see 353. Social Clubs. No information is available as to the existence in the Izus or Bonins of any societies or clubs organized solely for purposes of sociability or amusement. They are, however, so common in Japanese culture that at least a few such informal groups doubtless exist in the islands. Among the more popular, generally, are clubs comprising persons who are of the same age-group or who have migrated from the same village or community, clubs of school or military classmates, and groups of women having common household interests. Most of these societies operate small, private lotteries either as their central purpose or as an incidental attraction. Each member pays in a stipulated amount (usually about one yen) to the lottery fund, and previous winners pay a small additional amount which is deemed "interest." The drawing climaxes the entertainment at meetings and the winner becomes host for the next party. Such clubs usually comprise a group of from 5 to l5 persons. 67
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21. G0VERNMENT211. Native Political InstitutionsEarly Political Organization. The village headman system which was established in very early times in the Izu Islands (see 132) still persists as an integral part of local administrative organization (see 215). Before the Meiji Restoration, when Japanese administrative control over the islands was comparatively lax, headmen chosen by the inhabitants of each village exercised paramount local authority. Even after the islands were formally incorporated into the Japanese Empire and placed under prefectural jurisdiction, the village headmen were maintained, although their powers were somewhat curtailed. The first settlers in the Bonins developed a community organization under a constitution and elected a chief magistrate and two councilmen (see 132). This government was short-lived, however, for the Japanese annexed the islands shortly thereafter and introduced the village headman system along with the branch administration form of government under prefectural jurisdiction. Headmen are chosen by the elected village assembly members, and the position is usually rotated among inhabitants of local importance. The headmen serve as intermediaries between branch government authorities and the islanders; they are responsible for the enforcement of government ordinances and regulations, and represent the inhabitants in their relations with the higher authorities. 212. Colonial PolicyEvolution of a Southward Plan. Pre-Meiji policy practically ignored the Bonin Islands and regarded the Izu Islands significant only as an isolated area for the banishment of criminals and political persona non grata. At the beginning of the Meiji era in 1868, the Japanese Government experienced a rapid awakening of interest in the islands. The policy of the government was to integrate the outlying regions of the Empire into a unified political system and to prevent foreigners from establishing bases near the mainland of Japan. Accordingly, the Japanese occupied the Bonins and proceeded to place both the Bonins and the Izus under strong centralized control. The economic potentialities of the islands were regarded as of minor consequence. Although the government purported to leave economic development to individual enterprise, it was slow to grant permission to persons who wished to begin cultivation in the Volcano Islands. World War I brought a major change in Japanese colonial policy. Acquisition of the former German possessions in the South Seas brought the Japanese to full realization of the economic and strategic possibilities of the Izus and Bonins. Colonial policy thereafter was governed by four principal considerations: (1) the islands were important links in the transportation and communication system between Japan and the South Seas; (2) they were of great strategic importance for the defense of Japan proper; (3) they offered a small but somewhat promising field for colonization and exploitation; (4) they could contribute limited but desirable quantities of produce to the Tokyo market. The Tokyo Prefectural Government, working through newly-inspired branch administrators, undertook a program of development. In 1916 the announced objectives in regard to the Bonin Islands included the following: development of communication facilities with Japan and with the South Seas Islands; protection and exploitation of natural resources; encouragement and diversification of agricultural production; development of the uninhabited islands; and effective establishment of the Japanese political system. This program was subsequently prosecuted with some energy, and the unannounced military aspects of the plan, particularly as they concerned Marcus Island, were not neglected. Similar programs have been undertaken with regard to the Izus. In recent years, therefore, the islands have received considerable attention as a result of special development programs sponsored by both the Tokyo Prefecture and the Imperial Government. 213. Central Administrative OrganizationTokyo Prefectural Administration. The Izu and Bonin Islands are under the jurisdiction of the Tokyo Prefectural Government (see 132), and are administered as an integral part of that prefecture and of Japan. Normally the prefecture stands directly between the Imperial Government and the other units of local government. In the case of the Izu and Bonin Islands, however, three branch administrations have been set up as intermediate administrative agencies between the local government units in the islands and the Tokyo Prefectural Government (see 214). 71
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A governor, appointed by the Prime Minister upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Home Affairs, is in charge of each Prefecture. In 1940 the governor of the Tokyo Prefecture was Shuzo Okada (Chokunin). The governor functions in a dual capacity, constituting the highest local administrative agent of the Imperial Government and also the head of the Prefecture as a unit of local government. He has rather broad powers: all administrative functions are vested in him and all administrative activities within the Prefecture are supervised by him, subject only to orders and directives issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs and other ministries of the Imperial Government. The governor is advised by a prefectural assembly and council. The assembly consists of members elected for a term of four years by a system of universal male suffrage. It meets annually in Tokyo for one month — beginning in November — to approve both the annual prefectural budget and the general policies of the governor. The members of the council are elected by the assembly from among its own membership, and the governor acts as its presiding officer. The male inhabitants of the Izu and Bonin Islands elect one delegate and one alternate delegate to the assembly. In May, 1942, prefectural elections were held throughout Japan, but it is not reported whether elections took place in the Izus and Bonins. At the prefectural election held in June, 1940, Minichi Kikuchi, candidate of the Minseito, was elected prefectural delegate by the islanders, with Yasuji Fujita as alternate. The administrative functions of the Tokyo Prefecture are performed by the Governor's Secretariat, the Department of General Affairs, the Department of Education, the Department of Economic Affairs, and the Department of Civil Engineering. The four departments of the Tokyo Prefectural Government and their subdivisions are listed below, together with the administrative personnel, all of Sonin rank, who were in office on August 15, 1940.
Civil-Service System. The terms for rank for the above-listed officials require some definition. In the Japanese Civil-service system there are four major classes of officials: Shinnin, Chokunin, Sonin, and Hannin, in order of rank. The Shinnin (ministerial) rank comprises cabinet ministers, privy councilors, ambassadors, governors-general, and a few other high Imperial Government officials, all of whom are nominated by the Emperor and are responsible directly to the Crown. Their annual salaries range from a maximum of ¥9,600 to a minimum of ¥5,800, plus service allowances of varying amount 72
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depending upon the position held. Chokunin (directorship) officials are principally vice-ministers, bureau directors of the various departments, and prefectural governors. They are nominated by department chiefs, usually from the rank of first-grade Sonin officials, and are confirmed in office by Imperial edict. The Chokunin rank is divided into a first and second grade, with fixed salary differentials ranging from a maximum of ¥6,200 to a minimum of ¥4,650 per year. Officials of Sonin (secretary ship) rank comprise bureau secretaries, sectional chiefs, and others of similar status. They are appointed from among graduates of the Imperial universities who have obtained the Ph.D. degree and have passed the examination for higher civil service. Sonin officials are classified into two categories, "jimukan" and "expert." Only those who have graduated from an Imperial law school may qualify as jimukan, and only officials of this category are entitled to hold executive positions. They are further classified into six grades (numbered from three to eight), each of which is subdivided into two classes. Annual salaries range from ¥900 to ¥4,050. Officials of Hannin (clerical) rank are appointed by the ministry under which they serve from among persons who have passed the examination for ordinary civil service, or who have graduated from middle school or recognized schools of similar status, or who have satisfactorily served as junior clerks or employees in the public service for over four years. In outlying regions Hannin officials are often appointed by a governor or other high official to whom such power has been delegated. Hannin officials fall into four grades, each of which is subdivided into three classes. Salaries range from ¥480 to ¥1,920 per year. Positions in the civil-service hierarchy carry with them not only precedence but power. A Sonin official, for example, must show deference to and obey the orders of an official of Chokunin rank, and in turn is empowered to command and exact respect from officials of Hannin rank. within a single rank, more over, officials of a higher grade (or class) enjoy authority over those with junior appointments. Unless due weight is given to these rigidly observed relationships of dominance and submission, the true nature of the Japanese civil-service hierarchy cannot be properly grasped. In some instances temporary rank is conferred upon an official, carrying with it all the prerogatives of the status but without the title. Thus a man who holds a responsible position may be treated as though he were Sonin, although his actual rank is Hannin. Administration by Imperial Government Departments. As already mentioned, the Ministry of Home Affairs exercises general supervision over the islands through the Tokyo Prefectural Government. Other departments of the Imperial Government, however, have direct jurisdiction over certain island affairs which fall within their particular spheres of interest. The activities which are thus administered independently of prefectural or local authorities include meteorological observation (see 112), police affairs (see 223), judicial affairs (see 226), postal affairs (see 271), and other communications operations (see 272, 273). Some departments of the central government also maintain administrative branch offices in the islands; a listing of such offices, possibly not complete, appears below:
211. District Administrative OrganizationBranch Administrations. Prefectural supervision over the islands is exercised through three branch administrations, which in turn supervise the basic units of local government. The division of the islands into political districts is as follows: the northern Izus, under the O-shima Branch Administration; the southern Izus, under the Hachijo-jima Branch Administration; and the Bonins, under the Ogasawara Branch Administration. Each branch administration is headed by a branch administrator who is directly responsible to the Governor of Tokyo Prefecture, and through him to the Minister of Home Affairs. The branch administrators were formerly appointed by the Home Affairs Department, but since the inauguration of the new local governmental system in April, 1940 (see 215), they have been elected by male residents in the islands. It appears likely that the powers of the administrators were reduced under the new system, for their offices do not exist in the usual prefectural organization in Japan. In addition, their 73
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powers are somewhat restricted by the fact that several departments of the Imperial Government exercise direct jurisdiction over island affairs which lie within their particular spheres of interest (see 213). O-shima Branch Administration. The O-shima Branch Administration has jurisdiction over all the Izus north of Hachijo-jima. The branch headquarters are located at Motomura on O-shima. In 1939 the Branch Administrator was Chiji Oyama (Sonin). He was replaced in the 1940 election by Kinji Yoshitani (Sonin). The staff of the branch office in 1939 included the following persons of Hannin rank: Yuji Tsubo, school inspector and clerk; Haruzo Shimisaki and Koichi Nakagawa, assistant experts; Tadayoshi Inone, Yoshinichi Kobayashii, Uyuki Takada, Torataro Shirai, and Hisawa Kitamura, clerks. There are two sub-branch offices, one located at Hommura on Nii-jima, and the other at Kamitsuki on Miyake-jima. In 1939 the sub-branch office on Nii-jima was headed by Jushiro Asanuma (Hannin), and that on Miyake-jima by Jenichiro Asanuma (Hannin), who was assisted by a clerk, Hiroshi Takamatsu (Hannin). Hachijo-jima Branch Administration. The southern Izus (from Hachijo-jima south to Sofu-gan) are under the jurisdiction of the Hachijo-jima Branch Administration. The branch headquarters are located at Okago on Hachijo-jima. In 1940 Eiichi Tanaka (Sonin) was elected branch administrator. The branch office staff in 1939 included the following persons of Hannin rank: Koshiro Kikuchi, school inspector and clerk at the Department of Public Works; Shinobu Endo and Toshio Kawajima, assistant experts; Kanayoshi Kikuchi and Ichikuni Tsuji, clerks. Ogasawara Branch Administration. The Ogasawara Branch Administration has jurisdiction over the Bonins (including Naka-no-tori-jima, the Volcano Islands, and Marcus). Its headquarters are located at Omura on Chichi-jima. Yoshitaro Morita (Sonin) was elected branch administrator in 1940. The office staff at the branch headquarters in 1939 included Kuniichi Nakamura, an expert of Sonin rank, as well as the following persons of Hannin rank: Yosahura Sato, an assistant expert in agriculture and forestry, employed at the Sericulture Station; Tadayoshi Noguchi, Hideo Amano, Etoshi Noguchi, Takeo Asanuma, Kiyoji Matsuo, Yushiro Clizumi, Taro Matsumoto, and Tamotsu Kobayoshi, assistant experts; Hisayoshi Watanabe, assistant expert and clerk; Miyokichi Yoshiwara, Yoshikazu Sayama, Tsuneo Njimatsu, and Morinobu Isesaki, clerks. A sub-branch office is maintained at Okimura on Haha-jima. In 1939 this office was headed by Torahito Kikuchi (Hannin), who was assisted by Akira Unino (Hannin), a clerk. 215. Local Administrative OrganizationLocal Administration. Formerly the local administrative organizations in the three political districts of the islands varied considerably. O-shima district was organized along the lines of the mura (village) system prevailing in Japan proper, while Ogasawara district had only a few minor officials on the more important islands, and Hachijo-jima district represented a combination of both systems. Since April 1, 1940, however, all three administrative organizations have been brought into practical conformity with that of the Japanese mainland, and the mura system now prevails throughout the islands. A mura, which is the smallest basic unit of local government, rather resembles the American township in that it includes both settlements and rural areas. In the Izus and Bonins, although not specifically reported, it appears that many of the mura areas include offshore islets as well as their assigned territories on the larger islands. Among the latter, the seven most heavily populated have each been divided into two or more mura areas, while four others somewhat less densely settled have each been designated as a single mura. In all, there are 28 mura areas: 15 in the O-shima district,8 in the Hachijo-jima district, and 5 in the Ogasawara district. The following table presents a listing of them according to the major islands, or portions thereof, over which they have jurisdiction:
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In the islands, the political organization of a mura usually consists of an assembly, a council, a mura headman, a treasurer, a few clerks, and a number of settlement headmen. An assembly consists of from 4 to 12 members who are elected for four-year terms by the male inhabitants over 25 years of age. Assembly representatives in turn select the mura headman and treasurer and also the council, which functions as a standing executive committee to handle matters when the assembly is not in session. The term of office for mura headmen is four years, but these officials are frequently reappointed for several consecutive terms. Clerks are appointed by the mura headmen and continue in office during satisfactory performance of duty and good behavior. Settlement headmen, who function principally as caretakers of government property and overseers of such local affairs as funerals and communal labor on road or bridge repairing, are generally elected for two-year terms by the heads of households in their respective communities. Local political authority is exercised jointly by assembly members and the mura headmen; the latter have no power to act alone on legislative or executive matters. The local affairs administered involve public health, finance (including budgets, taxes, and loans), public works and property (including roads and bridges), statistics, and education. In general, a number of important government functions are withheld from the jurisdiction of mura assemblies and headmen. Police affairs are under the control of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Board; courts and judicial matters are exclusively the concern of the Department of Justice in the Imperial Government. Other governmental agencies located in or near the mura are actually outside their control (see 213). Moreover, the actions of mura assemblies and headmen are strictly supervised by the particular branch administrations involved, and are further subject to veto by the Prefectural Governor at Tokyo. An assembly may also be dissolved by the Minister of Home Affairs. An indication of the relative proportion and average salaries of local officials and assemblymen among the mura of a branch administration may be obtained from the following data for O-shima district in 1936. Similar information for the Hachijo-jina and Ogasawara districts is omitted since their local political organizations were substantially revised in the 1940 reorganization of local government in the islands.
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* Assembly representatives other than councilmen are not paid salaries but frequently receive small sums in the form of allowances; councilmen probably also receive allowances in addition to their nominal salaries. 216. Civil RightsCitizenship and Civil Liberties. The Japanese of the islands have the same citizenship status as those living in Japan proper. The so-called "naturalized" inhabitants, who are descendants of early European and American settlers (see 132), were accorded Japanese citizenship in 1882, and are for the most part indistinguishable in status from their fellow islanders. The civil liberties of the inhabitants are as severely restricted as those of the Japanese in the homeland. The Japanese civil and criminal codes prevail in the islands (see 225), as do the censorship laws of Japan proper. The police in the islands, too, are as paternal as those of Japan and supervise innumerable details of personal life. Franchise. Male islanders over 25 years of age who have lived for a minimum period of one year in the same town or settlement and who are not otherwise disqualified under certain provisions of the Election Law (relating to criminals, bankrupts, and such) have the privilege of electing mura assembly members as well as a delegate and an alternative delegate to the Tokyo Prefectural Assembly. They also elect branch administrators (see 214) and delegates to the House of Representatives in the Imperial Diet. The number of delegates to the Diet which the islanders are entitled to elect since 1940 — when local government in the islands was substantially reorganized — has not been reported, but previously the local voters, together with those of ten other districts (presumably on the mainland), elected a total of five Diet representatives. Similarly, the number of islanders eligible to vote in national elections since 1940 is not known, but in 1937 there were 4,965 eligible voters in the O-shima district and 1,933 in the balance of the area. An indication of the extent of the local franchise and the islanders' interest in voting may be gained from the following tabulation which shows the total number of males over 25 years of age, the number of eligible voters, and the number who voted in the April 1937 national election:
The number of eligible voters was equivalent to 73.4 per cent of all males over 25 years of age; the number who voted was equivalent to 70.2 per cent of total eligible voters. 217. Political Factions and MovementsPolitical Parties. The two major parties of Japan proper, the Minseito and the Seiyukai, participated in the June, 1940, elections. The Minseito was successful in obtaining the election of its nominee, Minichi Kikuuchi, as delegate to the Tokyo Prefectural Assembly. Later in the same year, however, all non-governmental political organizations were disbanded and replaced by the Taisei Yokusankai (Imperial Rule Assistance Association), a government-sponsored organization constructed along Fascist party lines. Although no specific information is available, it is presumed that this new organization has branches in all of the villages and is playing an important role in activities connected with the Japanese war effort. Dissident Elements. There are no reports of the existence of any dissident elements in the islands. Since the inhabitants are almost exclusively Japanese, support of the Empire's war effort is presumably no less rigorous in the islands than in Japan proper. 76
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22. LAW AND JUSTICE221. Native Legal InstitutionsEarly Administration. No legal institutions developed in the islands prior to their formal incorporation into the Japanese Empire. The only political or legal regulations affecting the early inhabitants were occasional administrative orders issued by a chief magistrate and village headmen in the Izus, and by a short-lived elected council on Chichi-jima in the Bonins (see 132). 222. Crime StatisticsPrevalence of Crime. According to official Japanese statistics, grave crimes are rare in the Izus and Bonins, and other offenses are not numerous. The most frequent crimes committed in 1936 were as follows: theft and robbery, 127 cases; fraud, 25 cases; assault, 14 cases; gambling, 10 cases; violations of traffic regulations, 7 cases; sexual offenses, 6 cases; embezzlement, 5 cases. For the most part, even the crimes affecting property involved only small amounts: the 127 cases of theft and robbery involved a total of ¥2,227, the 25 cases of fraud, ¥274 and the 5 cases of embezzlement, ¥225 — a grand total of only ¥2,726. A classification of the property affected is given in the following table, the figures in columns representing value in yen and those in parentheses representing number of items or quantity:
Approximately 45 per cent of the total misappropriated property value was recovered. Arrests. A classification of the persons reported to have been arrested for committing crimes or violating special regulations in 1936 is given in the following table:
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Bookings. Persons apprehended by the Japanese police for minor breaches of peace and order are often not formally arrested. Instead, the incidents are merely recorded at a police station and the offenders are detained for a "cooling off" period and, occasionally, for further investigation. Sometimes the offenders are given some form of welfare aid (see 244). In 1936, 957 persons were booked at police stations in the Izus and Bonins and were held for an average of 19.4 hours each, as detailed in the following tabulation:
The unusually high number of attempted suicides on O-shima is largely accounted for by the fact that many Japanese proceed from the mainland to this island (via the daily steamers from Tokyo) for the express purpose of ending their lives. Of the total number of attempted suicides, over 75 per cent were committed by men. In a large number of the cases, attempts were made by the local police or private organization to rehabilitate the despondent persons. Surveillance. Under the Japanese penal system juvenile delinquents, ex-convicts, "thought" offenders, and others are placed under surveillance or protective custody when released from imprisonment, upon receiving a suspended sentence, or for other reasons. Frequently such persons are entrusted to the custody of a religious, charitable, or welfare organization, and sometimes they are placed under the guardianship of a relative. The movements of these persons are more or less restricted depending upon the circumstances of the individual case, and police surveillance is maintained either by personal supervision of the offender or by requiring him to report periodically. The number of persons under police surveillance in the islands, classified according to type and sex, was reported in 1936 as follows:
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Summary Punishments. Local police officers are authorized to render summary decisions in respect to certain minor offenses (see 228). The punishments meted out to persons involved in cases of summary decision in 1936 were as follows:
223. Police OrganizationPrefectural Administration. The police organization of the Izu and Bonin Islands is an integral part of the Tokyo prefectural police system which is administered by the Metropolitan Police Board at Tokyo. The Board is independent of all prefectural and local authorities. In charge of the Board is a superintendent-general, who is directly responsible to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The position of superintendent-general is political; actual police operations are managed by a chief of police. The Metropolitan Police Board comprises an Inspectorate General and Secretariat and eight departments: Police Affairs, Police Training, Special Higher Section Police, Criminal Affairs, Peace Preservation, Health and Sanitation, Fire Prevention, and Fire Training. There is also a special Censorship and Inspection staff which functions under the direct supervision of the Superintendent-General. In 1936 its personnel included 3 inspectors and 12 other administrative aides. The Inspectorate General and Secretariat is headed by a secretary-general who has two assistants — a superintendent and an inspector — in charge of the Secretariat and Intelligence sections, respectively. In 1936 a total of 246 persons was employed in these two sections, the functions of which may be summarized as follows:
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The Police Affairs Department is directed by a chief, who is assisted by three superintendents, in charge of the Police Affairs, Guard Duties, and Special Guard Details sections, respectively. A total of 540 administrative personnel was employed in 1936. The Department is concerned with the following:
The Police Training Department, headed by a chief with 21 administrative assistants, is concerned with the recruitment, training, examination, and discipline of police cadets and special police students. The Special Higher Section Police Department (secret service) is headed by a chief who is assisted by six section superintendents and one executive in charge of arbitration. In 1936 the personnel of this Department totaled 381. The Department is concerned with the following:
The Criminal Affairs Department is directed by a chief who is assisted by six section heads — three superintendents, and three inspectors. A total of 331 administrative personnel was employed by this Department in 1936. The functions handled are as follows:
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The Peace Preservation Department is under the direction of a chief who is assisted by five section heads — two superintendents, two administrators, and one building technician. In 1936 there was a total of 572 administrative personnel. The Department is concerned with the following:
The Health and Sanitation Department is directed by a chief who is assisted by six section heads — two health directors, three technical experts and one expert. A total of 404 administrative personnel was employed in 1936. The Department is concerned with:
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The Fire Prevention Department is under the direction of a chief who is assisted by three section heads — a fire chief, a deputy fire chief, and a machine Captain. The Department, which employed a total of 119 administrative personnel in 1936, is concerned with:
The Fire Training Department, headed by a chief with seven administrative assistants, is concerned with the training and discipline of prospective or newly-recruited fire-fighting personnel. Local Police Organization. Police matters in the Izu and Bonin Islands are handled by local police units, each headed by a police lieutenant who is under the direct supervision of the Metropolitan Police Board at Tokyo and entirely independent of all local authorities. There are four such units: two in the O-shima district (one for the island of O-shima and the other for Nii-jima and adjacent islands), and one each in the Hachijo-jima and Ogasawara districts. Police Personnel. In 1939 the officer personnel of the police units in the islands comprised four lieutenants, six assistant lieutenants, and three sanitation specialists, all of Hannin rank, as listed below:
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The number of sergeants and policemen attached to the police units in the islands in 1939 has not been reported. An indication of the relative proportion between such personnel and the officer complement in each of the local units may be obtained, however, from the following statistics for 1936:
Police Stations. In 1936 there were 24 police substations, 5 police boxes, and one private-duty police post in the islands. Three of the substations serve as headquarters for police affairs in each of the branch administrative districts and are located at Motomura on O-shima, Okago on Hachijo-jima, and Omura on Chichi-jima. Five substations are located in the following settlements: Hommura on Nii-jima, Kozu-shima village on Kozu-shima, Kamitsuki on Miyake-jima, Okimura on Haha-jima, and Ishino on Kita-iwo-jima. The locations of the 16 other substations have not been reported, but they are presumably maintained in the other more important villages of the islands (see 163). The kempei (military police) maintain an office at Omura on Chichi-jima. The number and types of police stations in each administrative district in 1936 is presented in the following table:
Police Functions. Policemen are classified according to function as policemen for indoor service, those for outdoor service, those for special service, those for secret service, detectives, wardens, and policemen in training. The special service police maintain order at court, handle the quarantine and inspection of ships, control harbors and piers, inspect motor vehicles, and perform other assigned tasks. The secret service police are charged with the gathering of information, with the investigation and control of meetings and assemblies, with the assessing of political movements, and with the handling of foreign police matters. Detectives investigate crimes, arrest criminals, execute warrants, and investigate persons under surveillance. Wardens have the duty of escorting persons accused or suspected of crime and those sentenced to punishment, of guarding those in prison or under arrest, and of attending to all matters connected with prisons and jails. Special Service Incentives. Local police in the islands who have performed conscientious or meritorious service are eligible for special recognition under an incentive plan which is maintained by the Metropolitan Police Board at Tokyo. This recognition takes the form of oral commendation or monetary compensation in small amounts, usually of ¥l, ¥3, ¥4 ¥6, or ¥8, but ranging as high as ¥25 in some cases. In 1936, 5 oral commendations and 40 extra compensation awards totaling ¥173 were made to policemen in the islands, as detailed in the following tabulation: 83
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221. Law EnforcementPolice Supervision. Except for informal social control, and such supervision as the village headmen may exercise (see 211, 221), law enforcement is almost exclusively in the hands of the police (see 223). 225. Civil and Criminal LawJapanese Laws in Force. Since the islands are administered as an integral part of the Tokyo Prefecture, the laws of Japan are in force, although it is possible that modifications or special provisions have been adopted to meet conditions peculiar to the islands. According to Japanese constitutional theory, the Emperor alone has the authority to exercise legislative power, subject to the consent of the Imperial Diet. In practice, however, the legislative power is wielded jointly by the Cabinet, the Bureaucracy, and the Diet. While the latter formally enacts all laws, its actual legislative powers are limited and controlled by a number of constitutional and practical political devices. The role of the Diet as a legislative body is also limited by the extensive rights held by cabinet members, department heads, and other administrative officials to issue ordinances which have the full force and effect of law. Ordinance Power. The Japanese Constitution vests the Emperor with authority to issue ordinances not in contravention of existing laws and also, in case of emergency, to issue ordinances even though they may displace or alter existing laws. Ordinances of the latter category, to continue valid and in effect, must be approved by the Diet at its next session following their issuance. Even this limitation may be largely circumvented through use of the powers vested in the Emperor to prorogue the Diet and to dissolve the House of Representatives. Infringement of any Imperial ordinance is punishable by sentences of imprisonment not exceeding one year, or penal servitude, or a fine not exceeding ¥200. The ordinance power of the Emperor may be delegated, and this has given rise to the issuance of ordinances by the Prime Minister, cabinet members, department heads, prefectural governors, and by other high administrative officials, including possibly the branch administrators in the Izus and Bonins. Theoretically only Imperial ordinances, i.e., those issued in the name of the Emperor, are law-making ordinances, and all other ordinances are confined to administrative matters which appertain to the execution of existing law. In practice, however, ordinances of the latter type frequently are purely legislative in content and supplement or supplant existing laws. The result of this peculiarity of the Japanese political system is the existence of a very substantial body of laws in the form of ordinances that have been promulgated by various ministries and a host of other administrative officials. Infringements of ordinances issued by the Cabinet or by any of the ministries may be made punishable by sentences of penal servitude up to three-months' duration, imprisonment, or fines not exceeding ¥100. Ordinances issued by prefectural governors may specify, as penalty against infringement, detention or the imposition of fines not in excess of ¥50. Basic Laws. Largely because of admiration for the progress of Western nations and an intense desire to be rid of extraterritoriality, the Japanese hastily adopted 84
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Western codes of law during the latter part of the nineteenth century. The codes were adopted in part from the French, and in part from the German. For example, the commercial code was taken essentially from German law. The civil code was likewise adopted from German law, except for a few modifications which were made in order to accommodate certain individual, family, and property relationships peculiar to Japan. Similarly, both the criminal and criminal procedure codes were based primarily upon French law, while the law of trusts was drawn up by simply restating the principles of English law which govern fiduciary relationships. Many of the legal principles embodied in these first codes eventually proved difficult of application to Japanese cultural conditions. Moreover, Japan's rapidly developing industrialization continually called for increased Westernization of business operating methods. The result has been almost constant revision of the basic laws in order to adapt their provisions more adequately to the Japanese culture and to keep them abreast of the demands made by a changing industrial society. Thus, in 1882 a criminal code, based upon the Code of Napoleon and drafted with the aid of an eminent French jurist, was promulgated. In 1908 this code was superseded by a revised criminal code, and in 1926 work upon a third revision was begun. By 1931 the first complete draft of the new code had been completed, and it was still being studied for feasibility of promulgation just prior to the outbreak of war. A similar process of original adoption, eventual amendment, and then complete revision was followed in the case of the civil, civil procedure, commercial, and criminal procedure codes. The task of adapting the basic laws to conditions in twentieth-century Japan was by no means completed at the outbreak of war in the Pacific. Criminal Code. The criminal code is the basic law which defines crimes and prescribes punishments for their commission. Unlike the original code promulgated in 1882 and general American practice, the revised criminal code makes no distinction between felonies and misdemeanors, all unlawful acts being known merely as "crimes." Crimes, however, may be "repeated" or "concurrent," classifications upon which more stress is placed than is the case in Western codes. A "repeated" crime is defined as one committed within five years from the day that sentence for the original crime was executed. "Concurrent" crimes are a number of entirely distinct crimes that are committed by the same person and grouped together for purposes of imposing punishment; the aim is to relieve the offender of undergoing, separate penalties in full. Punishments are limited to capital punishment (by hanging), penal servitude, imprisonment, detention, fines, and confiscation of articles used to perpetrate crime and those acquired by crime. The code places large powers of discretion with the courts. Careful provision is made for first offenders through suspended sentence, parole, and the mitigation or remission of punishment when extenuating circumstances exist. On the other hand, provision is made for increased sentences for repeated crimes. The family system is protected and fostered by waiver of punishment in certain crimes when kinship exists between the offender and the victim. Minute definitions of crime are generally avoided, with the result that many of the technical pitfalls so frequently found in Western criminal practice are seldom met in Japanese criminal procedure. The scope of the code has been broadened constantly by the promulgation of special laws and ordinances of a supplementary nature. Some of the more important of these have been the following: Peace Preservation Law (1925), Peace Preservation Ordinance (1928), Ordinance for the Punishment of Police Offenses (1922), Law Relating to the Punishment of Acts of Violence (1922), Juvenile Criminal Law (1922), Thief Prevention Law (1930), Burglary Prevention Law (1930), Criminal Compensation Law (1931), and the Protection and Surveillance Law (1936). The Protection and Surveillance Law is designed to encourage "thought" offenders (those who violate the Peace Preservation Law or its supplementary ordinance) to change their minds and to assist those who have so changed their minds to secure a living. A protection and surveillance commission, together with 22 protection and surveillance stations located throughout Japan, carries out the program in the following manner. When a thought offender is granted a reprieve in indictment or a stay of execution of sentence, is released on bail, or has completed the serving of sentence and has been released, all protection and surveillance stations are notified. An extensive investigation is then made into the personal history of the offender to determine whether he has "changed" his mind and the degree to which he has done so. The commission then decides upon the necessity for taking the person under protection and surveillance. If it is decided to do so, the offender is placed under the surveillance of the relevant station officials, and is entrusted to a specially selected guardian or is placed in the custody of some religious, charitable, or welfare organization. The period of surveillance ordinarily lasts two years, but it may be shortened or prolonged. During this time various restrictions as to abode, intercourse, and correspondence are placed upon the offender, and he is encouraged to "master the Japanese spirit" and to secure his own means of livelihood. 85
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Civil and Commercial Codes. The civil code embodies the legal principles that govern such matters as the legal competency of individuals, domicile, agency, contracts, assignment, real and personal property, mortgages, marriage and domestic relations, wills, and certain classes of associations or corporations. The commercial code covers such matters as the incorporation, powers, duties, and liquidation of commercial companies or corporations, trade names, bailments and carriers, insurance, sales, bills of exchange, and maritime commercial law. Miscellaneous Laws. In addition to the above codes and several others, such as those on prisons, elections, and local self-government, there are innumerable statutes and ordinances on miscellaneous subjects. Among the more important of these may be cited several which deal with the submission of certain classes of disputes to arbitration and mediation: Law for the Arbitration of Disputes Concerning Leased Land and Rented Houses (1922), Law for the Arbitration of Tenancy Disputes (1926), Law for the Arbitration of Commercial Disputes (1926), Law for the Arbitration of Domestic Disputes (1939), and the Provisional Law for Arbitration Concerning Monetary Obligations. These laws are of especial importance because of the Japanese tendency to effect settlement of disputes by means of arbitration (see 227). Many laws have been enacted for the promotion of health and the prevention of disease. Among these are: the Vaccination Law, the Seaport Quarantine Law, and the laws for the prevention of epidemics, tuberculosis, trachoma, parasites, and venereal diseases. As in many other countries, industrialization has called for legislative intervention, and the Factory Law, Mine Law, and Labor Accident Prevention Law are typical of such legislation. There is also an Alien Land Law (1926) under which the Izu and Bonin Islands are described as an area in which foreigners may not acquire possessory or ownership rights in land except upon permission of the Ministers of War and the Navy, which must be obtained through the Governor of the Tokyo Prefecture. 226. Judicial OrganizationCourts of Justice. In judicial matters the Izu and Bonin Islands are under the jurisdiction of the Tokyo Local Court. This court has both criminal jurisdiction and civil jurisdiction over lawsuits involving less than ¥l,000 and over bankruptcy, domestic relations, and citizenship cases. It does not have jurisdiction over actions against the State; such actions are presented to and heard by a special administrative court in Tokyo, the Court of Administrative Litigation. Lawsuits involving more than ¥l,000 and appeals from the decisions of the Tokyo Local Court go to the Tokyo District Court. Further appeals carry a case to the Tokyo Appellate Court and finally to the Supreme Court of Japan. The courts of Japan are staffed by judges and procurators appointed from a civil-service list by the Minister of Justice. They are under his direct supervision and are frequently shifted from one court to another, but they hold office during good behavior. They are split into several ranks, to each of which a fixed salary and well-established prerogatives are attached. In 1939 the Tokyo Local Court was staffed by l33 judges and by 74 procurators. Although the procurators have some judicial functions, their principal duty is to act as district attorneys. They conduct preliminary investigations, prosecute criminal cases, supervise the execution of sentences, and represent the public in cases involving the public interest. Eight branch offices (shutcho-jo) of the Tokyo Local Court, each of them staffed by a clerk of Hannin rank, have been established in the Izu and Bonin Islands. The exact nature of the duties of these clerks is not known. Originally their chief function was to act as registrars. Recent legislation has made it possible for the Tokyo Local Court to delegate to them the power of making binding decisions in cases submitted to it for arbitration (see 227). And it is possible that, in view of the distance of many of the islands from Tokyo, they have received additional judicial powers. The following table gives the location of the branch offices, the names of the clerks who were in charge in 1939, and the islands over which their jurisdiction extends. Where there are two branch offices on an island, the village (mura) areas within the jurisdiction of each are shown in parentheses.
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Summary Judicial Powers. In the Japanese system of law enforcement, police officers are vested with summary jurisdiction over certain offenses punishable by limited periods of imprisonment or minor fines. Such offenses generally include vagrancy, begging, indecent display, prostitution, intimidation, and traffic violations (see 228). Repeated efforts to deprive the police of such jurisdiction and to vest it in the local courts have failed. Consequently police courts, continue to handle a considerable portion of the judicial work in the islands. It is possible that the branch administrators are also vested with summary judicial powers, since such delegation of power is not infrequent under the Japanese judicial system. 227. Judicial ProcedureCourt Procedure. In accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of Japan trials are conducted publicly except when they may be prejudicial to the maintenance of peace and order or public morality. In such instances the trials are conducted in secret. The official participants in a trial wear black caps and gowns, those of the judges and procurators being embroidered in purple and those of counsel in white. Proceedings of the local courts are usually conducted in small rooms and tend to be quite informal. In the higher courts, however, considerable formality is observed. Civil Procedure. Civil suits are started by the filing of a complaint petition to which revenue stamps are attached to cover the court costs prescribed for the particular action. If the person bringing the action wins the case, he is in effect reimbursed for the revenue stamps since the court costs are included in the judgment against the defendant. This procedure has the salutary effect of decreasing the number of frivolous suits brought to court and of limiting claims made to amounts which litigants may actually expect to substantiate. As in our own legal system, service of papers is usually required on the party against whom suit is instituted, and the latter is given an opportunity to file an answer. In the local courts, however, the parties may appear without previous service. In 1929 provision was made for a preliminary examination in civil cases similar to that employed in criminal procedure. Civil actions are likely to continue over long periods of time, often lasting from six months to a year. Postponement of a trial, however, may be avoided if the parties mutually agree to press the case to a conclusion, in which circumstance postponement by the courts is prohibited. Questioning and cross-examination of witnesses is conducted by the judge, to whom the attorneys may submit questions to be asked of the witnesses. The judge may put a question to witnesses in the exact form submitted to him; he may ask a question in 87
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modified form; or he may refuse to ask a question. All persons must testify except where the law specifies otherwise, and immunity from testifying is much more restricted than under our American judicial system. Arbitration Procedure. The civil code sanctions agreements to submit disputes to arbitration and accords an arbitral award the same validity as a final and conclusive judgment of a court. Special laws provide for the arbitration of disputes concerning commercial matters, monetary obligations, domestic affairs, leased lands and rented houses, and tenancy (see 225). The arbitral procedure under each of these laws is not identical but is basically similar, and is widely resorted to. Arbitration is instituted by a written or verbal application to the proper local court. In any pending suit, a local court may also refer the case to arbitration when such procedure seems desirable. An arbitration committee consisting of a chief arbitrator and two additional members is selected. If the agreement to arbitrate does not name the arbitrators, each party designates one or more. Should a party fail to designate arbitrators, the court, upon proper application, will proceed to do so. The proceedings are conducted in secret, although such persons may be admitted as the court deems proper. All decisions are by majority vote of the arbitrators, and a copy of the award is forwarded to the parties and to the court. If a party fails to object within one month after receiving notice of the award, he is deemed to have assented to it. The court may not disapprove the award unless it is found to be markedly unfair. The arbitrators are paid a daily allowance which is fixed by the court and which may not exceed ¥8.00 per diem, plus traveling and lodging expenses. Criminal Procedure. Criminal actions are started with the filing of a complaint, after which an investigation is conducted by the procurator. In this connection, the latter fills the position of a grand jury in the American judicial system, deciding which matters to prosecute and which to dismiss. About one-third of all cases customarily end with the procurator's decision to dispense with prosecution. Even when the accused is guilty, he is often permitted to expiate his offense in some agreed manner and thereby avoid a court trial and public disgrace. During the investigation, the accused is confined without recourse to habeas corpus or any other method for securing temporary release. In serious offenses a preliminary hearing is conducted by the court, and the accused is denied the benefit of counsel. Confinement pending indictment for a crime may be lengthy, although the accused person may be released temporarily in the care of his friends and relatives until the decision is made as to whether or not there shall be a prosecution. As in civil cases, the judge plays a prominent part in the proceedings, and conducts the examination of the accused and the witnesses. 0aths are not administered, and the defendant is not amenable to perjury. The accused does not have the right as in American jurisprudence to refuse to testify, and there are few rules of evidence. Trial by jury is not popular and is mandatory only in cases where the penalty for the offense is death, life imprisonment, or perpetual penal servitude. Even in such instances, the accused may waive the right of trial by jury. The methods followed in prosecuting criminal cases still savor of practices dating back to the Tokugawa era in that they are reportedly often brutal, unreasonable, short sighted, and frequently senseless. As in feudal times, prosecution is still based primarily on confessions wrung from the accused by means of harsh treatment and severe grilling during long periods of detention which may last for many months and even years. Instances of torture are occasionally brought to light, but in almost every case strong denials are made by the authorities concerned, and the matter is invariably dropped without further investigation or publicity. Judicial Fees. The Japanese Government has prescribed in considerable detail the fees to be paid in all judicial matters. In civil actions, revenue stamps must be attached to the petition in amounts which vary with the value of the subject matter in litigation. For instituting a civil action on subject matter of any value up to ¥500, revenue stamps in amount of ¥12 must be affixed to the petition; on values up to ¥750, ¥15, up to ¥1,000, ¥18; up to ¥2,500, ¥25; up to ¥5,000, ¥30; and for values over ¥5,000, ¥30 plus ¥3 for each ¥1,000 of additional value. The costs of appealing such actions in any appellate court below the Supreme Court follow the same schedule, except that a 50 per cent surcharge is added; costs for appeal in the Supreme Court are exactly double those exacted of the original petition which started the civil action. The code of civil procedure provides that these costs and any additional costs, other than attorney fees, incurred in civil litigation shall be assessed against the defeated party. It further vests the courts with additional powers relative to the payment of costs, including the right to assess all or part of the costs against a party 88
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who delays the proceedings; to apportion costs when both parties are only partially successful in substantiating their claims; and to apportion costs in cases of compromise agreement, when the agreement fails to specify disposition of such costs. Sundry additional fees varying from 5 sen to ¥10 are prescribed by the Law Relative to the Costs of Civil Actions and other laws relating to such matters as incidental petitions and statements, allowances for parties, witnesses, expert witnesses, interpreters, copies of papers, and similar matters. In many instances such costs are determinable by the courts within certain fixed minimum and maximum amounts. Applications for the arbitration of disputes involving leased lands or rented houses call for the following schedule of fees: when the value of the subject matter is not more than ¥5, the fee is 15 sen; on values up to ¥10, 25 sen; up to ¥20, 50 sen; up to ¥50, ¥1.20; up to ¥75, ¥1.70; up to ¥100, ¥2.50; up to ¥250, ¥5; up to ¥500, ¥8; up to ¥750, ¥10; up to ¥1,000, ¥12; up to ¥2,500, ¥17; up to ¥5,000, ¥20; and for values over ¥5,000, ¥20 plus ¥2 for each ¥1,000 of additional value. When it is impractical to determine the value of the subject matter, it is deemed to amount to ¥100, and a fee of ¥2.50 is charged. Applications for the arbitration of disputes concerning commercial obligations must be accompanied by the following fees: when the value of the subject matter is not more than ¥5, the fee is 20 sen; on values up to ¥10, 30 sen; up to ¥20, 60 sen; up to ¥50, ¥1.50; up to ¥75, ¥2; up to ¥100, ¥3; up to ¥250, ¥6; up to ¥500, ¥10; up to ¥750, ¥13; up to ¥1,000, ¥16; up to ¥2,500, ¥23; up to ¥5,000, ¥28; and for values over ¥5,000, ¥28 plus ¥2 for each ¥1,000 of additional value. When it is impractical to determine the value of the subject matter, a fee of ¥10 is charged. 228. Offenses and SanctionsMajor Crimes. The criminal code of Japan applies to the Izu and Bonin Islands, and major crimes, such as murder, manslaughter, arson, rape, mayhem, and assault, are punished in accordance with Japanese law (see 225). Police Offenses. Police officers, and perhaps the branch administrators, are vested with summary jurisdiction over police offenses. The latter include a wide variety of acts which are punishable by detention for a period not exceeding 20 days or the imposition of a fine of less than ¥20. The following offenses are punishable by detention for a period not exceeding 20 days:
The following offenses are punishable by detention for a period not in excess of 20 days or by a fine of less than ¥20:
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The following offenses are punishable by the imposition of a fine of less than ¥20:
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229. RecordsOfficial Records. The Japanese are noted for the completeness of their official records. In Tokyo sets of records on the Izu and Bonin Islands are maintained by the interested departments of the Tokyo Prefectural Government, that is, by the Governor's Secretariat (which handles confidential records), and by the Departments of General Affairs, Education, Economic Affairs, and Civil Engineering. For the organization and personnel of these departments, see 213. Within the islands the chief centers for records are the branch and sub-branch administrative offices of the Tokyo Prefectural Government (see 214). In each mura (village) office (see 215 and 163) there are detailed dossiers on every individual living in the mura area; included in these records are such data as family background, date of birth, relation to present head of the household, occupation, and marital status. Duplicates of these dossiers, together with such additional information as the police think important, are kept at the various police stations (see 223). Copies are also kept at the eight branch offices of the Tokyo Local Court which are located in the islands. These branch judicial offices also register rights in land and other property (see 226). Additional specialized records will be found at such government establishments as the meteorological observatories (see 112), local branch offices of Imperial Government departments (213), hospitals (253), schools (262), post offices (271), water works (281), and power plants (284). Private Records. Records of employment (see 331) and business transactions (32 and 35) are "probably available at the main and branch offices of commercial and financial firms. Presumably the various associations (166 and 353) and welfare agencies (244) likewise keep private records of their own. 91
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23. PUBLIC SAFETY231. Fire Prevention and ControlPrevalence of Fires. Substantially all the buildings in the islands are made of wood (see 323). Even the very few of more fireproof construction contain mats and other furnishings of a highly inflammable nature. For these reasons, and because the supply of water on many islands is inadequate, fires are relatively frequent and property damage extensive, particularly in the Izus. In 1936 total property damage was estimated as amounting to ¥15,535. The following table indicates the amount of damage according to major property classifications:
Fire Control. Responsibility for fire control in the Tokyo Prefecture lies with the Fire Prevention Department of the Metropolitan Police Board. The administrative and technical personnel in this Department, together with that of the supplemental Fire Training Department, carry on the planning and supervisory functions enumerated in section 223. Beneath them is a well-knit organization. For the more densely populated areas there are fire control units of full-time fire fighters who are paid by the state and furnished with modern equipment. In 1936 in the Izu and Bonin Islands there were 27 such units, some of which maintained branch stations. As a supplement to the paid fighters in the town, and as the sole fire-fighting organization in outlying settlements, volunteer brigades have been organized. In general their equipment is far more inadequate than that of the paid fighters, particularly in outlying settlements where they must rely on local contributions. Personnel. In 1936 there were a total of 248 paid firemen and 2,083 volunteers in the islands, distributed as follows:
Equipment. Although no detailed information is available, hand pumps and buckets constitute the principal equipment. Fire engines and mechanical pumps, which are scarce even in Japan proper, are presumably even scarcer in the islands. The following information on the building and water supply facilities available to those fighting fires was reported for 1936:
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232. EmergenciesCalamities. Fires, volcanic eruptions, and storms are the major emergencies in the Izu and Bonin Islands. Many of the volcanoes are active, and violent eruptions have occurred in the recent past; in 1939, for instance, the volcano on Tori-jima erupted and forced the inhabitants to leave. Heavy windstorms are common, and typhoons occur from time to time, though not with great frequency (see 112). Such typhoons may cause heavy property damage and at times they are accompanied by large tidal waves which have been known to completely destroy littoral settlements. Earthquakes are frequent on many of the islands, but are rarely severe enough to create an emergency. No serious epidemics have been reported. However, present health conditions are such that contagious diseases could easily reach epidemic proportions (see 251). Emergency Control. Fires are taken care of by the fire brigade, if there is one available. Other calamities, with the exception of epidemics, are handled by the fire brigade under supervision of the police. Epidemics are dealt with by the medical authorities under police supervision. 233. Defense Organization.Fortifications and Bases. Information on military installations in the islands is found in Army and Navy publications of a higher classification than the present volume. Military Training. Prior to 1937 the Japanese Army held annual examinations of all men twenty years old. Those who passed the thorough physical examination and the "mental" test (in reality, more a civics and patriotic attitude test) were conscripted. The recruits, usually about one third of the men in the age group, were shipped off for a year in which they underwent rigorous training. Except for the occasional soldier who went to Manchuria to fight "bandits," all were returned home at the end of this basic training, but automatically became members of the Reservists' Association. This association provided a ready-organized reserve for the Army and an auxiliary police force. It also performed such functions as the welcoming of returning soldiers, the holding of memorial services for the dead, and the assisting of Army officials at annual examinations. Although branches of this association have been specifically reported only for the towns of Hommura on Nii-jima and Tsubota on Miyake-jima, they undoubtedly exist at other large centers of population in the islands. Civilian Defense. Although the War, Navy, Communications, Agriculture and Forestry, and Education Ministries all take part in major civilian defense decisions, prime responsibility was centered in the Home Affairs Ministry by the Air Defense Law of April, 1937. On a local level the policemen, who are under the Home Affairs Minister, supervise the activities of the Keibo Dantai, a civilian defense organization started in 1938 with members of the volunteer fire brigades (see 231) as its nuclei. All members of the Keibo Dantai have been given a limited course in defense against fire, and some of the key men have been sent through the complete course of full-time firemen. In October, 1941 the Home Ministry was given power to designate those cities, towns, and villages in which air defense measures were necessary. In designated areas the government relieves the Keibo Dantai of the burden of supplying water tanks and other major items of equipment. Moreover, each household in such areas must be equipped with a rope, ladder, pole, shovel, buckets, nets, and sand. It is presumed that the Home Affairs Ministry has included at least the more important towns of the Izu and Bonin Islands in this category. 93
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24. PUBLIC WELFARE241. Standard of LivingJapanese. Judged by European standards, the inhabitants of the Izu and Bonin Islands have a relatively low standard of living. However, the Japanese in the islands have a slightly higher standard of living than those in many of the rural areas of Japan proper. Although the islanders lack many of the modern conveniences known to the population of the mainland, they enjoy a more varied diet (see 182) and a larger per capita holding of land (see 342) than the majority of Japanese peasants. Moreover, there are no sharp class distinctions, by far the greater part of the population being made up of ordinary farming and fishing folk whose needs and wants are simple. The disadvantages which the Japanese in the islands experience are for the most part those characteristic of a backward rural area. Educational opportunities are very limited (see 262), houses are poorly built and maintained (see 323), medical services are inadequate and living conditions are unsanitary (see 25), opportunities for profitable employment or for commercial enterprise are few (see 32 and 33), amusement and recreation facilities are limited (see 155), and relatively few manufactured goods are available for daily use. "Naturalized People." The standard of living among the naturalized people of the Bonins corresponds very closely to that of the Japanese. The settlers enjoyed a considerably higher standard before the Japanese took over the islands. The more industrious of them operated farms and traded briskly with visiting whalers. Since Japanese occupation, however, the settlers have lost most of their land, have had to compete on unfavorable terms with Japanese immigrants, and have dropped approximately to the level of the Japanese, with whom they have intermarried and whose ways they have largely adopted. 242. Poverty and DependencyRural Self-sufficiency. The islanders are relatively self-sufficient. Although the land is not rich and the fisheries are not unusually productive, those who are able to work make a reasonable living. Those who cannot work are supported by their families. There are cases of destitution, but in general the problem is no more serious than on Japan proper, where in 1936 four per cent of the people received charitable aid, and only one-tenth of such people were utterly destitute. 243. Private ReliefInformal Relief. The Japanese clan system (see 162) functions as an unemployment and general welfare agency through which relief is afforded informally to members who require it. The system is operative in the islands to at least as great an extent as in Japan proper. It has now received legal sanction and reinforcement, for according to the terms of the Poor Relief Law, primary responsibility for alleviation of want is placed upon relatives and neighbors. Various informal or semi-formal community organizations — particularly the kumi, which are survivals of the five-man groups through which government was carried on in Japan in ancient times, and the buraku, the next larger unit within the village — come to the aid of families and individuals in case of emergencies such as death, disease, fire, and flood. These groups perform services such as are offered by neighbors and rural neighborhood groups in America. Private Agencies. Except for the semi-official district committees (see 244), no private agencies devoted primarily to relief are reported for the islands. Some of the credit associations, cooperatives, and industrial guilds (see 166 and 353), however, carry on incidental relief activities. 244. Welfare AgenciesWelfare Legislation. Japanese laws provide for the distribution of relief to the aged poor (over 63), the mentally and physically handicapped, helpless children (under 13), and impoverished women who are pregnant or nursing infants. Other relief is rendered as the occasion necessitates. Expenses are distributed among local, prefectural, and national governments. 94
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District Committees. In recent years district or settlement committees (homeniin), which consist of private persons appointed by prefectural governors or responsible agencies, have been assigned preponderant legal and extra-legal responsibility for relief and welfare work. In 1934 such committees operated in more than two thirds of the cities, towns, and villages of Japan and they have expanded rapidly since that time. With the cooperation of local officials, they investigate and administer large numbers of relief cases. In 1936 these amounted to five per cent of the urban and two and one-half per cent of the rural population of Japan. Such committees very probably operate in the Izus and Bonins. Police. The police are an active agency in welfare work in Japan. They take charge in cases of emergency and are in general responsible for the welfare of the people. Apparently the police serve also as a semi-official consultative agency, offering advice and perhaps persuasion in various minor problems which arise. Police records for the Izus and Bonins in 1936 indicate that 587 persons (466 males and 121 females) were so advised. The cases were almost equally divided among domestic and marital troubles, employment problems, business difficulties, and land and building disputes. Bureau of Social Affairs. Various social improvement activities undertaken by official and private groups in Japan are supervised by the recently reorganized Bureau of Social Affairs of the Department of Public Health and Welfare. In particular it has formulated a program of protection for mothers and children and of relief for men injured in military service and their families. Prefectural Relief Fund. In Tokyo Prefecture, as in other prefectures in Japan, there exists a relief fund to be used in case of calamity such as earthquake, volcanic eruption, and flood. There is no record, however, of any outlay from this fund in the islands. Japanese Red Cross. The Japanese Red Cross, which is affiliated with the International Red Cross, carries on considerable welfare work in Japan and presumably in the islands. The Red Cross offers aid particularly in time of war and natural disaster. Reformatory and Orphan Home. The O-shima Farm of Rokutoen apparently functions as an educational institution for wayward and orphan boys, and other male children whose parents are destitute. In 1936 the number of students totaled 19, of whom 11 were between the ages of 14 and 16, 6 were between 16 and 18, and 2 were over 18. A total of 15 boys had graduated from the school and all were successfully engaged in some occupation. Institution for Defectives. The Fujikura Gakuen was established at Motomura on O-shima in June, 1918 for the education of mental defectives. In 1937 it operated with a staff of ten persons, and cared for a total of 69 registrants. Cost of its operations in 1938 amounted to ¥20,235, and its assets totaled ¥307,818 in the same year. 245, Social InsurancePensions. Japanese government officials in the islands as in Japan proper receive pension and retirement allowances. No statistics are available to show how many persons receive such pensions or what sums are paid out. Death, Sickness, and Accident Insurance. Since July 1, 1958, the Insurance Board of the Department of Public Health and WeIfare has instituted a program of health insurance for the villages of Japan. It is very unlikely, however, that the program has as yet been applied to the out-of-the-way villages of the Izus and Bonins. Existing legislation concerning industrial insurance does not apply to the islands since none of the local industries are large enough to come within the scope of the law. Similarly, it is believed that the workers' and salaried employees' compensation and retirement allowance laws are not operative in the islands because of the small scale of commercial enterprise. 246. ConservationFishing Regulations and Aquiculture. Island fisheries come under the administrative authority of the Governor of the Tokyo Prefecture, who is empowered to formulate orders regarding restriction or prohibition of fishing, the number of boats and fishermen who may engage in the industry, and so on. Regulation of the industry, however, has 95
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apparently been none too successful. In 1932 the waters around the northern Izus were reported to be almost exhausted of bonito and several other varieties of fish. Fishermen from the neighboring prefectures had exploited the waters to such an extent that there was demand for stringent control to prevent the complete exhaustion of these valuable fishing grounds. In 1934, a sum of ¥25,000 was set aside in the budget of the Tokyo Prefecture Marine Experiment Station for the construction of a ship of 30 tons and 70 horsepower to direct and control coastal fishing in the Izus. In the Bonins, fisheries have been developed and protected in accordance with several short-term plans, the first being a seven-year fishing industry plan undertaken by the Ministry of Interior in 1906. Other plans were adopted in succeeding years, and the prefectural and island authorities have entered into various programs of conservation and development. In particular they have protected, and bred and released the valuable sea-turtle for which the islands are famous. Despite these efforts, however, sea-turtles have conspicuously decreased in numbers and fish are not as plentiful as they were in former years. Soil Conservation and Afforestation. The Japanese government has concerned itself extensively with soil conservation and rehabilitation in the islands. The Bureau of Agriculture has encouraged the extension of cultivated areas; it reported in 1936, for example, that about 140 acres of new land had been brought under cultivation in Senzu village on O-shima at a total cost of ¥89,300. Considerable quantities of fertilizer have been imported into the islands in recent years (see 311). In an effort to reduce erosion and build up the soil, as well as to increase the products of the islands, the government has encouraged the planting of fruit and forest trees and has established tree nurseries in both the Izus and the Bonins. In 1936 it was reported that some 700 million afforestation seedlings were planted in the Izus and Bonins. Further, the government has designated certain forest areas as "restricted" or "protected." By proclamation on May 3, 1941, for instance, six parcels of land on O–shima totaling over 525 acres were restricted and the owners were forbidden to operate in them without express permission from the government. In the Bonins, all land covered with natural forest is maintained as a government preserve and has not yet been opened to commercial exploitation. On O-shima, the islanders have developed on their own initiative a program of crop and forest rotation. Trees are planted where soil exhaustion appears imminent. When the trees have matured some 15 years later, they are cut down, the area is cleared, and crops are replanted. Rationing. No information is available in regard to rationing in the islands, but presumably the same regulations are in force as in Japan proper. If so, the quantity and price of goods traded are subject to rigorous control. 96
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25. HEALTH AND SANITATION251. Diseases and Dietary DeficienciesGeneral Health. A number of factors combine to keep the health of most Izu and Bonin islanders at a low level. These factors include ineffective sanitary inspection of food and dairy products, inadequate sewage disposal, the prevalence of disease-bearing insects and animals, and, on some of the islands, undernourishment caused by an insufficiency of locally-produced foodstuffs. There is, moreover, little to mitigate these conditions, for public health, hospital, and medical facilities are for the most part inadequate (see 253 and 254). Skin Diseases. Tinea (ringworm) infections and impetigo commonly occur. Leprosy is reported, but information regarding its prevalence is lacking. Scabies is doubtless widespread, for the itch mite which causes this common skin disease is a frequent parasite on many of the inhabitants throughout the islands. Respiratory Diseases. Tuberculosis is specifically reported to be present in many forms, including bone, glandular, intestinal, joint, pulmonary, rectal, and skin. Factors contributing to the high incidence of the disease are the characteristic Japanese tendencies to live under over-crowded conditions and to spit promiscuously. In 1936, 44 patients were treated at the Kozu-shima clinic for tuberculosis. Diphtheria is widespread: in 1936 there were 12 cases with 2 deaths in the O-shima district, 2 cases with 1 death in the Hachijo-jima district, and 19 cases with 4 deaths in the Ogasawara district. Smallpox is apparently rare or absent. The inhabitants are systematically vaccinated against this disease; in 1936, for instance, more than 2,000 persons were given initial vaccinations and approximately 250 persons received follow-up vaccinations. Venereal Diseases. Gonorrhea, syphilis, chancroid, lymphogranuloma inguinale, and granuloma venereum are reported, but figures on their incidence are not available. Intestinal Diseases. In 1936 there were 56 cases of dysentery with 5 deaths in the O-shima district, 5 cases with 3 deaths in the Hachijo-jima district, and 5 cases with 1 death in the Ogasawara district. The type of dysentery is not reported, but it is probable that both amoebic and bacillary dysentery occur. Other enteric diseases specifically reported for the islands are typhoid, which is fairly common, and paratyphoid. Fluke infestations, which largely result from eating raw fish and crustaceans and using untreated water for drinking and bathing purposes, are doubtless common among the inhabitants. Since the cercariae which spread the fluke diseases live for the most part in fresh water, such infestations will be more commonly found on O-shima, Miyake-jima, Mikura-jima, Muko-jima, Ototo-jima, Chichi-jima, and Haha-jima than on other islands in the area. The following trematode infections are those most likely present: schistosomiasis, caused by the Schistosoma japonicum; clonorchiasis, caused by the Clonorchis sinensis (a liver fluke); paragonimiasis, caused by the Paragonimus ringeri or P. westermani (lung flukes); metagonimiasis, caused by the Metagonimus yokogawi (an intestinal fluke); and, possibly, fasciolopsiasis buski, caused by Fasciolopsis buski (an intestinal fluke). Helminthiasis is particularly widespread throughout the islands and it is estimated that at least 90 per cent of the inhabitants are afflicted with some worm disease. Many of them are infested with Ascaris lumbricoides (round worm). Cases of hookworm are quite common and are responsible for much malnutrition and secondary anemia; both Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale are reported. Oxyuris vermicularis (pinworm) and Trichuris trichiuria (whipworm) occur. Three types of tapeworm, which infest persons who eat raw or under cooked meat, are present: Diphyllobothrium latum (fish tapeworm), Taenia saginata (beef tapeworm), and Taenia solium (pork tapeworm). Insect-borne Diseases. Dengue fever is not reported and its mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti, has not been identified in the islands. It is possible, however, that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes have been introduced since the outbreak of war and that dengue fever now occasionally occurs. Filariasis has been reported from the village of Toriuchi on Ko-jima. It is of the Wuchereria bancrofti type, the chief vectors of which are the Culex quinque fasciatus Say (fatigans) and Anopheles hyrcanus var. sinensis mosquitoes. Although not specifically reported for the other islands, it is likely that the disease will be encountered throughout the Izus and Bonins. 97
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Malaria is not reported for the islands. Prior to 1942 the Bonins proper, the Volcano Islands, and Marcus Island were reported to be free of Anopheles, but it is quite possible that anophelene mosquitoes will now be found on most if not all the islands. Anopheles hyrcanus, the most important malaria vector in Japan, is particularly likely to be present. It breeds in clear running water, swamps, rice fields, and irrigation canals, and after feeding, it remains in houses and cowsheds. Plague has never been reported from this area but is endemic in southern Japan. The tropical rat flea (Xenopsylla cheopis), the principal plague vector which transmits Bacillus pestis from rat to man, is believed to be present in the islands. Relapsing fever, caused by the spirochete Borrelia Recurrentis, has been reported, and body lice, the vectors of the disease, are known to commonly infest the inhabitants. Trench fever is not reported, but human lice which often carry Rickettsia quintana, the causative organism of this disease, are plentiful. Typhus is present in the Bonins and probably also occurs in the Izus. The type may be either epidemic typhus, endemic typhus, or the so-called Japanese river fever (tsutsugamushi-byo). The body louse (Pediculus humanus humanus), the vector of the epidemic form caused by Rickettsia prowazeki, is widespread. The tropical rat flea, which is capable of transmitting endemic typhus, probably infest the rats of the islands. The mite Trombidiidae akamushi, which is the principal vector of Rickettsia orientalis, the causative agent of Japanese river fever, is reported to be a common ectoparasite of the rats and birds in the area and to be commonly encountered on tall grasses in river valleys subject to flood. Yellow fever has never been reported from these islands or from the Orient. Its introduction will depend upon the importation of infected Aedes mosquitoes from Africa. Miscellaneous Diseases. Beriberi occurs; and is most frequent among the rice-eating middle and upper classes in the Izu Islands. Trachoma is quite prevalent and is the ceuse of many cases of poor vision and blindness. Gonorrheal ophthalmitis is also a cause of blindness. Although no reports concerning the occurrence of tetanus have been found, it is likely that the disease is present. Rabies is not reported, but it may occasionally occur. Rat-bite fever, caused by Spirillum minus and transmitted by the bite of rats, may occur. Weil's disease, which is caused by the spirochete Leptospira icterohaemorrhagica, occurs. This disease is spread by the ingestion of food or water which has been contaminated by the urine and feces of infested rats. Health Hazards. Since sewage disposal is primitive and since night soil is universally used for fertilizer, the water from springs, streams, and wells must be boiled or treated, and both fruits and vegetables must be cooked before eating. Raw or undercooked beef, pork, and fish or crustaceans should not be eaten since they may contain the cercariae or pleroceroid larvae which cause fluke and tapeworm infestations. Screening from flies is important. Bathing in untreated fresh water is to be avoided since fluke infestation can be contracted in this manner. Since hookworm is prevalent, walking barefoot is hazardous. Numerous poison fish are to be found in the waters off some of the islands. The most important of these is the puff toadfish, and the poison contained in its ovaries and testes is deadly whether ingested raw or cooked. Ray fish of the Trygon pastinaca type are also reported. The sting ray is armed with a long flexible and pointed tail which can inflict a deep laceration. Although poisonous scorpions, spiders, and centipedes are not indigenous to the islands, many have been introduced and are plentiful on some of the islands. 252. Native MedicineTheory of Disease. As a nation the Japanese have adopted Western medical theory and modern hygienic principles are widely taught. Nevertheless, the theory that most illness is of supernatural origin, which played a large part in traditional Japanese medicine, is still widely believed. Many of the Izu and Bonin islanders are said to hold to the opinion that dog and other animal spirits can either of their own volition or on the instigation of another person take possession of the human mind and body, and that such spirits can cause both mental and physical derangement. Therapy. The practice of exorcising evil spirits is traditional in Japan and is still employed by priests and by others who have local reputation for spiritual powers. Massage, moxicautery, and acupuncture — all of which were derived from China — still survive in Japan with official sanction, and there are several practitioners of these healing arts in the islands (see 254). Massage is administered in the public baths as a 98
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general body tonic and is also utilized for therapeutic purposes by traveling practitioners, called ammas, who combine massage with shampooing. Moxicautery is the practice of burning mugwort blossoms (mogusa) against the flesh of the body — generally the back, arms, or legs — in order to prevent or cure disease, or to relieve pain by setting up a counter-irritant. Acupuncture is the sometimes highly developed and complex art of piercing the skin and tissues with slender gold, silver, or steel needles in order to relieve pain and to draw off supposedly harmful body fluids. 253. Government Medical ServicesPublic Health Program. Public health in the islands is the joint responsibility of the Governor of the Tokyo Prefecture and of the Metropolitan Police Board. The Governor exercises supervisory powers and undertakes to carry out in the islands the appropriate parts of the national public health program as formulated by the Department of Welfare. Some local responsibility devolves upon the village headmen, but the local police are the primary agency for the enforcement of health regulations. Attached to the local police force in 1939 were three "sanitation specialists," one for each of the administrative districts. These specialists are responsible for a large part of the public health program, which concerns such matters as the inspection of food, drink, and drugs, examination of prostitutes and other persons, maintenance of records on contagious diseases, and presumably some little work in preventive medicine. Other activities probably engaged in to some degree by the local specialists are enumerated in the paragraphs relating to the Health and Sanitation Department of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Board in section 223. For a discussion of hygienic work carried on in the schools, see 262. Hospitals. According to official Japanese statistics, in 1936 there were eleven small contagious disease and isolation hospital in the islands. Seven of these reported for the O-shima district had a total admitting capacity of 63 patients, and the four others, in the Hachijo-jima district, had a total admitting capacity of 37 patients. The exact location of the hospitals was not listed, but it is known that there is one at Hommura on Nii-jima and another at Okago on Hachijo-jima. Although no hospitals were reported for the Ogasawara district, it is believed that there is at least one at Omura on Chichi-jima. Detailed information is available only in regard to the hospital at Okago, which is probably typical. In 1936 this institution was staffed by a single physician and had a capacity of 14 beds. During the year 35 persons (2 of whom died) were admitted as in-patients, 1,408 were treated as out-patients, and a total of 13,901 consultations were given. A public "medical examination station" located in the village of Kozu-shima may have hospital facilities. This institution had a staff of 3 in 1938 and cared for 1,731 patients. 251. Private Medical PracticePrivate Physicians. According to the Japanese Medical Yearbook for 1939, there were 44 physicians in the Izu and Bonin Islands. Although not specifically reported, presumably most of these physicians were engaged in private medical, practice, but doubtless a few were attached to the public hospitals in the islands (see 253). A listing of the physicians according to their location by islands and villages follows:
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Most of these physicians are college or university graduates, and the others are experienced practitioners who have been certified by examination. Private Dentists. In 1936, 14 dentists were reported for the islands. Nine were engaged in private dental practice and five were apparently connected with public institutions. Of the private dentists, five were located in the O-shima district, two were in the Hachijo-jima district, and two were in the Ogasawara district. About half the total number of dentists were graduates of approved dental schools, and the others were experienced practitioners certified by examination. Other Practitioners. There were thirty-nine midwives in the islands in 1936, of which 23 practiced in the O-shina, district, 7 in the Hachijo-jima district, and 9 in the Ogasawara district. Exact locations of these midwives were not reported, but incomplete data for 1934 and other available information indicates that midwives are found in nearly all the larger villages. Only six of the midwives were graduates of officially designated training schools. In the same year there were a total of 17 nurses and two pharmacists in the area. There were also eight veterinarians: six on O-shima and two on other islands in the O-shima district. Practitioners of "healing arts" reported for the islands in 1936 were as follows: three blind ammas (two males and one female), two on O-shima and one on Hachijo-jima; two blind practitioners of moxicautery and acupuncture (one male and one female), both on O-shima; and one male part-time acupuncturist whose location was not stated. For details regarding the activities of these practitioners, see 252. 100
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255. Control of Communicable DiseasesEpidemic Prevention. In the Izu and Bonin Islands there is a sanitation specialist attached to the police force in each of the three administrative districts. Under the supervision of these specialists efforts are made to arrest and control communicable diseases by means of quarantine, medical inspections, and other preventive medical activities (see 253). Cases of contagious disease must be reported to the police, who impose quarantines whenever possible, presumably even in the sparsely settled island areas. In accordance with Japanese policy throughout the Empire, strict quarantine is doubtless imposed on all incoming vessels. In the more populated areas at least, medical inspections are made in an effort to detect disease carriers. In the O-shima district in 1936, for instance, 1,550 examinations were made for typhoid, an equal number for paratyphoid, and about half this number for dysentery. Although not specifically reported, presumably the eleven public hospitals in the islands and the public medical station at Kozu-shima village engage in preventive medical activities under police supervision. Smallpox vaccination is reported to be common and may be compulsory for all islanders. Health Associations. Local health associations (Eisei Kumiai), which are voluntary groups organized on a village basis but are affiliated with and to a large extent controlled by prefectural and national associations, are reported for Habu on O-shima and Tsubota on Miyake-jima. The functions of these associations include the dissemination of information relating to public health, sanitation, and personal hygiene, and the training of individuals in simple first aid procedures and disease prevention. 256. Disposal of Sewage and WasteSewage. There are no public water-borne sewer systems in the islands. Although not specifically reported, it is believed that a few homes of the more prosperous inhabitants are equipped with septic tanks. Most of the other households have poorly constructed wooden outhouses which are generally located separate from, though close by, the main dwelling. Night soil is collected in wagons, stored in crude cisterns, and used to fertilize gardens. Other sewage is dumped directly into streams or the ocean. Garbage. No specific information is available concerning methods used in the islands to dispose of garbage. 257. Regulation of Food and WaterRegulation of Foods. In the Izus and Bonins, it is a police offense to adulterate, food or drink, in order to make a profit, to sell or utilize for profit any fruit, meat, food, or drink which is injurious to health, or to display for sale without proper cover any, food or, drink which is intended for immediate consumption without further preparation (see 228). Despite these regulations, surveillance over foodstuffs is lax, and the inspection of agricultural and dairy products is reported to be wholly ineffective and inadequate. In 1936, for example, there were only three instances of food inspection reported for O-shima. Regulation of the Water Supply. The police are also charged with surveillance of the water supply. They have made it a police offense to defile drinking water or the vicinity where it is obtained. Many of the sources of water in the islands are polluted (see 121), and, although the widespread practice of boiling water for use in making tea serves to mitigate this situation, the problem is difficult from an over-all public health standpoint. All sources of drinking water are supposed to be examined periodically by the police sanitation inspectors. In actual fact, however, such inspections appear to be rare, for 1936 statistics indicate that only three sources of water supply were tested on O-shima in that year. Of these sources, two were found to be contaminated. 258. Regulation of Drugs and AlcoholDrug and Narcotic Control. The regulation of medicines and drugs, as well as persons who manufacture and distribute them, is a police responsibility (see 223). The extent of drug addiction among the local inhabitants is not reported. The coca plant, 101
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from which cocaine is derived, is grown on Iwo-jima (see 311). The product, however, is apparently exported to Japan for medical purposes and not used as a drug by the islanders see 152). Liquor Control. According to one report, it is forbidden to import sake from Japan into any islands of the Ogasawara district except Chichi-jima. Otherwise it appears that liquor consumption in the islands is not subject to regulation. Considerable quantities of alcoholic beverages are produced locally (see 325), and are for the most part consumed by the islanders (see 152 and 345). 102
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26. EDUCATION AND PROPAGANIDA261. Family TrainingInformal Education. In their treatment of children, Japanese parents manifest a curious blend of indulgence and severity. They pamper very young children, giving them almost unlimited attention. As a result, children come to expect and to demand immediate and gratifying response to every outcry. Nevertheless, parents begin to train even very young children in certain patterns of behavior to which they must conform on pain of physical punishment or, what soon becomes even more to be feared, disapproval and mockery. From the second half of their first year children are taught to sit very quietly; at the same age they begin to receive instruction in bowing and other formal courtesies. They are severely restricted in physical movement so that they will not damage the fragile structure and furnishings of Japanese homes or injure themselves by contact with the braziers or other dangerous objects. But by far the most drastic aspect of child-training concerns cleanliness. After four months the child is expected to exercise control over physical functions; thereafter, soiling is treated with disgust and occasions severe punishment. At about the age of four, girls and boys begin to receive differential treatment. A girl's conduct is rigidly prescribed by convention and, although she is not reproved for moderate expressions of emotion, she is required to repress any tendencies toward aggressiveness and individualism. She learns to defer humbly to any male no matter what his age, to obey and serve all older females, and to help care for all younger children. A boy has a more complex adjustment to make. He continues to be pampered by the female members of his family, and learns that by aggressive conduct he can make them meet his demands, no matter how unreasonable. At the same time he discovers that in the male world, which is the world of school and work and all important achievement, he must show absolute obedience and compliance to all males superior to him in age or status, and that any lapse from decorum will be met with severe physical punishment or devastating mockery. He learns to suppress any outward manifestation of emotion, and to accept all situations with stoical composure. 262. Educational SystemEducational Program. The educational program of the Izu and Bonin Islands is an integral part of the program for Japan proper. The local schools are controlled by the national Department of Education which acts through the Tokyo Prefectural Education Office. Courses and methods of instruction and general administrative procedure are all strictly regulated by the central authorities and conform to standard practice throughout the Empire. The program in the islands is confined almost exclusively to two types of schools: elementary schools, which offer a lower and a higher course to children between six and fourteen years of age, and "young people's" schools which continue the basic educational program with vocational emphasis. The Japanese educational system has as its single, unified goal the production of loyal citizens. School books and school courses are all designed to inculcate national, ideals. Considerable emphasis is placed upon the teaching of "shushin" or morals, which is designed to produce "Japanese subjects of unquestioning loyalty to the Emperor, conscious of their duties of citizenship and their obligations to one another, frugal, virtuous and obedient and sufficiently informed to be able to fulfill their functions in a modern civilized State." Shushin is the direct application of the famous Meiji Imperial Rescript on education, the document upon which the present Japanese school system is based. This document, which every Japanese child of ten must know by heart, is cited here in official translation as an expression of the principles by which Japanese educators are guided: "Know ye, Our Subjects! 103
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Each school is required by law to have photographs of the Imperial Family; these photographs must be kept in a secure place and safeguarded at the cost of life itself. Japanese students repeatedly hear stories of heroic teachers or students who have rescued the portraits from fire, often sacrificing their own lives, or conversely, of persons who have committed hara-kiri after bringing great disgrace upon themselves and their schools by permitting the portraits to be destroyed or damaged. The portraits are exhibited on appropriate occasions, and students and teachers bow stiffly before them. Even when the portraits are not on display, students and teachers bow in the direction of their repository upon entering or leaving the school grounds. Personal hygiene and physical education loom large in the program of all Japanese schools. The government has manifested great concern about the physical development and well-being of students, particularly in regard to the strain on eyesight imposed by the necessity of learning Chinese characters, the dangers to health from poorly-built schools, and the deficiencies of the Japanese diet. The Department of Education requires a report on the sanitary conditions and water supply of all new schools, but it is uncertain how much control it exercises over schools once they are in operation. School physicians, dentists, and nurses are commonly employed in the institutions of the Tokyo Prefecture, physical examinations are required for students and teachers, measures are taken for prevention of contagious diseases, and school premises are regularly inspected; it is not clear, however, how far these provisions actually apply to the island districts. Physical drill, often of a semi-military nature for even the younger students, is conducted in all the schools. The school day begins with ten minutes of calisthenics which are directed by radio from Tokyo. This period is considered an occasion of some solemnity as the school children of all Japan are then engaged in a joint activity. Competitive sports are encouraged and athletic meets are held at least once a year. Practically every student is required to enter at least one event; some face-saving provision is commonly made whereby all contestants receive either a prize or honorable mention. Although the basic six-year lower elementary course is nominally compulsory for children between the ages of six and fourteen years, measures are not actually taken against parents or guardians who do not send their children to school or who keep them out for long periods. As a rule, however, unless a family is quite poor and the children must work to help support it, parents are eager that their girls and particularly their boys have the advantage of all educational facilities offered. A large number of both boys and girls complete the lower as well as the higher courses at the elementary schools and go on to the advanced young people's schools. Promotion from year to year is virtually automatic, since failure to achieve promotion would involve almost intolerable loss of face for both child and parent. All students wear uniforms, generally heavy blue ill-fitting military-style jackets and trousers for boys, middy blouses and skirts for girls. Light-weight gray uniforms are permitted in warmer months and heavy kimonos can be worn over the uniforms in winter. Schools are in session every day except Sundays, a few of the national holidays, and during school vacation periods. Actual class hours average six per day, starting at about 8 A.M. Practice and study hours are additional. In places where facilities are restricted, classes may be held in two different shifts, morning and afternoon. The school year is divided into three terms, running respectively from April 1 to August 31, September 1 to December 31, and January 1 to March 31. School holidays vary in different regions, but there is ordinarily a summer vacation of about one month, a New Year's vacation of two weeks, and a three weeks' vacation at the end of the school year. There are in addition some ten public holidays during the year, one of the most important of which is the Kigensetsu (February ll), the anniversary of the ascension to the throne of Jimmu Tenno, traditional founder of the Empire (see 152). Students frequently participate in public ceremonies, particularly on the occasion of national holidays when school or village commemorative ceremonies are held. They pay formal, supervised visits to Shinto shrines and otherwise engage in activities designed to demonstrate the unity of the educational and the nationalistic program. 104
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Elementary Schools. In 1939, there were 31 elementary schools in the islands, 17 in the O-shima district, 8 in the Hachijo-jima district, and 6 in the Ogasawara district. Twenty-seven of these schools offered both the six-year lower elementary course and a two-year higher elementary course; the remaining four, two on Ko-jima, one on Aoga-shima, and one on Kita-iwo-jima, all very small schools, offered only lower elementary training. The location of the elementary schools by islands and villages is shown below:
Elementary school property is conspicuous in all the villages. In 1936 the floor space of elementary school buildings covered a total area equivalent to four and one-half acres. Land adjoining school buildings amounted to 45 acres. The total value of land, buildings, and equipment was ¥596,630. In addition, the schools held endowments to the value of ¥126,630, mainly in land, which totaled 335 acres. In 1936 the elementary schools were taught by 210 teachers, an average of one teacher for every 35 pupils. Of the total number of teachers, 153, or 75 per cent, were "regular" teachers who had either completed normal school or had passed the standard teacher-certification examinations. The remainder of the teaching staff in the islands — 12 "assistant" and 45 "substitute" teachers — were employed even though they lacked the usual credentials. By contrast, out of 15,702 elementary teachers in Tokyo City, there were only 6 assistant teachers and l47 substitute teachers. A classified summary of the number of elementary school teachers in the islands is shown below:
* Principally manual training courses. One teacher in each elementary school acts as principal and is responsible for the administration of the school in accordance with the regulations of the Department of Education. The principal is required to make a regular report to his superior officials. Held accountable for the maintenance of discipline in the school, he generally relies upon repri- 105
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mand, detention, suspension, and expulsion, rather than physical punishment. The 1939 roster of elementary school principals (of Hannin rank unless otherwise indicated) follows:
In 1936 there were 7,343 elementary school pupils in the islands. Of these,5,852 were enrolled in the lower divisions and 1,491 in the higher divisions. Boys outnumbered girls by 200. According to the official school statistics for the same year, of all the children of school age (6 to l4), only 24 were not attending classes: 13 of them merely delaying enrollment and ll being exempt. Daily attendance was said to have averaged 97 per cent. Detailed figures for elementary school enrollment in 1936 are shown below:
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Japanese language, the main subject of study, accounts for from 9 to 12 of the 21 to 30 scheduled hours of instruction per week in the lower elementary school divisions and for 6 of the 29 to 30 hours in the higher divisions. The required memorization of one to three thousand Chinese characters makes the mere achievement of literacy a feat of some magnitude. In total hours of instruction, arithmetic rates second to Japanese language; the emphasis is placed upon use of the abacus, which students come to rely upon for even the simplest calculations. Actually, however, the subject which receives the greatest emphasis in Japanese elementary schools is "morals"; although it apparently occupies only two hours per week, in reality it pervades the whole school program. A summary of the number of hours per week devoted to each subject in the lower and higher divisions of the elementary schools in 1936 is shown below:
The total cost of elementary school education in the islands in 1935 amounted to ¥189,430, of which ¥107,728 (approximately 57 per cent) was expended in the O-shima district. A summary of the expenditures, classified by items and districts, is shown below:
Teachers', salaries, while constituting by far the largest single item of expenditure, are actually rather low. The average monthly salary for male teachers in the higher elementary divisions in 1935 amounted to only ¥77, and teachers (both male and female) in other categories received still less, as shown in the following table: 107
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* One teacher with a monthly salary of less than ¥35. Individual monthly salaries ranged from a minimum of about ¥25 to a maximum of about ¥130. A total of 25 persons were paid under ¥40 each and 34 persons (31 males,3 females) were paid more than ¥80 each. The majority of the teachers thus came within a salary range of from ¥10 to ¥80 per month. In addition to their salary, 144 teachers were provided with living quarters or a modest rental allowance. Elementary school income from all reported sources in 1935 totaled ¥109,044, leaving a difference between expenditures and revenues of ¥80,386. How this deficit was made up has not been reported. Of the total income, grants from the national treasury and the Tokyo prefectural treasury accounted for ¥96,762 and ¥1,137, respectively. Although elementary education is theoretically free in the Japanese school system, in the islands two of the lower and ten of the higher elementary schools charge a modest tuition fee. In 1935,771 students paid a total of ¥2,325 in tuition, or about 17 sen per pupil per month. A summary of the total income in 1935, classified by items and districts, is presented below:
Young People's Schools. The government maintains 30 young people's schools (seinen gakko), which admit young men and women who have graduated from elementary schools. The purpose of these schools, as officially stated, is "to give necessary physical and moral training to young men and women, and to foster their virtues, as well as to impart general and technical knowledge so as to increase their qualifications for good citizenship." The curriculum is much the same as that in the elementary schools although greater attention is given to vocational subjects. The period of study in such schools is from two to five years in Japan proper, but a three-year period is standard in the Izu and Bonin Islands. In 1936, there were a total of 1,949 pupils enrolled in the young people's schools in the islands: 963 in 19 schools which specialize in agricultural training and 986 in ll more generalized institutions. A summary of the number of schools, teachers, principals, and students is given in the following table:
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Other Educational Institutions. In 1936 there were no normal schools, middle schools, or colleges in the islands. In 1916 a Tokyo prefectural boys' reformatory at Suzaki on Chichi-jima cared for 60 incorrigibly delinquent boys from Japan proper. It appears that this reformatory has since been closed. On O-shima there are two educational institutions: one for wayward and orphan boys, and the other for mental defectives (see 211,). One day nursery is reported from the islands, operated in connection with the elementary school at Okada. One public library with 4,253 Japanese and 68 foreign volumes is maintained at Mitsune village on Hachijo-jima. The library is apparently seldom used; according to official reports, it was open only 12 days in 1936 and attracted a total of only 20 readers. Educational Associations. There are no reports of any associations devoted primarily to the promotion of public education in the islands. For a discussion of the young men's and young women's associations, which sponsor physical, mental, and moral education as a part of their programs, see 166. Literacy. In Japan proper 5.6 per cent of the males and ll.0 per cent of the females over ten years of age are classed as illiterate. The figures may be somewhat higher in the islands, but there is not likely to be any great discrepancy. Most of the islanders have attended the elementary schools and have had what corresponds to a grammar school education in this country. They can read simple Japanese, particularly if the more complex Chinese characters are accompanied by kana transcription. In 1936 English was taught in one of the higher elementary schools on O-shima. There is no indication how many students were studying the language, but it is unlikely that they attained any considerable degree of proficiency. No other foreign language was taught in the islands. Effective knowledge of English and other foreign language, therefore, is probably limited to a few persons who have studied on the mainland, principally island officials and teachers, and to a few of the "naturalized people" of the Bonins who have retained elements of their native culture (see l32 and l45). 263. Propaganda and Public RelationsPropaganda Policy. The official Japanese propaganda policy for the Izu and Bonin Islands is the same as that for the rest of the Empire, emphasizing national over local loyalties and engendering belief in and support of the "Japanese Spirit," the "National Polity," and the "Imperial Way." Japanese Spirit (Nippon Shugi) is the ideal of ancient Japan, the way of the samurai who were loyal to their lords even to death, unswerving in purpose, unmoved by any emotional appeal which would divert them from their goal. National Polity (Kokutai) is the concept of an eternal Japanese state which rests on the unchanging loyalty of a divine people to their divine Emperor. Imperial Way (Kodo) is the world mission of Japan to spread the benevolent rule of the Emperor to less enlightened nations. Propaganda in the Schools. The Japanese Government takes every advantage of the centrally controlled schools and the almost universal attendance to make the educational system a primary agency of official propaganda. The program in the elementary schools is particularly successful, since the students are young and impressionable and since the curriculum is practically monopolized by subjects which lend themselves directly to propaganda emphasis. The education offered is almost altogether Japan-centered; the students have not yet reached the age where they are likely to engage in any of the "dangerous thoughts" which the Ministry of Education takes active measures to suppress elsewhere. The inhabitants of the islands receive enough education to become thoroughly indoctrinated with Japan's concept of world supremacy and not enough to become aware of any particular incongruity between that concept and actual fact. After completing school, they still remain under the influence of the government propagandists who operate through the young people's associations and similar organizations (see 166). 109
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Use of the Channels of Communication. Motion pictures, newspapers, periodicals pamphlets, and posters prepared in Japan are distributed in the islands (see 274 and 275) and are used to further the Japanese propaganda program. Radio is of little use as a propaganda vehicle in the islands; there are no known local stations broadcasting public programs and the potential effectiveness of mainland broadcasts is minimized by the fact that few islanders own receiving sets (see 273). 261. CensorshipPostal and Telegraphic Censorship. The same degree of censorship is exercised over postal and telegraphic communications in the islands as elsewhere in Japan, which means that communications are subject to official interception and examination at any point in the Empire. Censorship of the Press. So far as is known, no newspapers or magazines are published in the islands, although Tokyo and other Japanese newspapers are sent in by mail (see 275). These papers, naturally, have had to conform to Japanese censorship regulations, which prohibit publication of anything which is "injurious to public peace or good morals," an all-inclusive pair of categories. Surveillance of Visitors. Foreign visitors to the islands have long been subject to police surveillance. Such visitors have been very few in number (see l45), but it is not known that the Japanese Government ever actually interfered with foreign travel into the region. The same procedure has been applied as elsewhere in Japan, foreign visitors being required to register with the police and to answer detailed questions in regard to their profession, family, and itinerary. On some occasions, police have been assigned to accompany foreign visitors as they toured the islands; in virtually all cases, the visitor's every movement was closely observed by plain-clothes men. 110
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27. C0MMUNICATIONS271. Postal ServicePost Offices. In 1939 there were 23 post offices in the Izu and Bonin Islands, located as follows:
In the same year there were also 32 postal substations, but their locations have not been reported. Postal Business. The postal business handled by the 23 regular post offices is classified as ordinary and registered mail, ordinary and registered parcel post, collection ("cash on delivery") post, postal money orders, and postal savings. The post offices also act as agent for the national and prefectural treasuries in receiving taxes and in making payments on pensions and annuities. In addition, many of the post offices operate telephone and telegraph facilities (see 272). The principal and perhaps sole function of the postal substations is the sale of stamps. Mail Centers. Of the total number of post offices, only l2 maintain regular collection and delivery routes. They also serve as centers for handling interisland mail and mail exchanged with Japan. These post offices and the areas which they serve (in approximate north to south order) are indicated in the table below; where there are two mail centers on an island, the mura (village) areas served by each are shown in parentheses:
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Mail for Marcus Island is handled directly by the post office for the Joto ward in Tokyo. Although not specifically reported, it appears that the Omura post office also exercises some supervisory functions over all postal and other communications activities in the Ogasawara district. It is the only post office in the islands designated as "second-class" (the others are all "third class"), and, as indicated below, its official personnel is the largest reported for any of the island post offices. Postal Personnel. The official personnel, all of Hannin rank, in 19 of the 23 post offices in 1939 is listed below:
The official personnel for the Kita, Nomase, Sashikiji, and Sueyoshi post offices is not reported in any available source. It is possible that the activities of these offices are supervised by postmasters located in nearby villages; if so, these post offices would presumably be administered as follows:
Mails. Throughout the islands the postal service depends upon the steamship lines. The frequency of service ranges from daily service in the northern Izu Islands to monthly service for most of the islands in the Bonin group (see 294). The development of air transportation or military communication may have increased the frequency of postal services. 112
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The number of letters and parcels handled by the post offices in 1936 is given in the following table:
Included in the above totals were a number of letters and parcels handled on a cash on delivery basis. Details of the postal matter so handled are shown below:
For details regarding postal money orders and postal savings, see 353. Postage. The standard postal rate for letters to any part of the Japanese Empire is three sen; letters to other countries require a postage of twenty sen. 272. Telephone, Telegraph, and CableTelephone. On several of the larger islands there are local telephone systems. These are primarily for the benefit of the military or the police, and even when open to the public the number of subscribers is small. Telephone exchanges are located in post office buildings (see 271). Specific information on telephone facilities available to the public is summarized below:
Telegraph. In 1936, all but two of the 23 post offices in the islands (see 271) were equipped to handle telegraph messages. Although not specifically reported, presumably the post offices not so equipped were the ones on the islands of Kozu-shima and Mikura-jima, which have no cable connections. The number of messages handled in the same year is detailed below:
A total revenue of ¥30,471 was received from the 73,873 paid telegrams dispatched. The messages handled without charge were doubtless official government communications. Relayed messages are handled principally by the Chichi-jima office; their exact nature is not reported but many of them may represent communications received by cable from the mainland and relayed by wireless to the South Seas mandated islands. Cables. Four islands in the Izus and two in the Bonins are linked by interisland cable lines or have cable connections with points on Japan proper, as detailed below:
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273. RadioRadio Stations. There are a number of radio stations in the Izus and Bonins which can communicate with each other, with Japan proper, with some of the South Seas mandated islands, and with ships at sea. These stations are especially important to such islands as Kozu-shima, Mikura-jima, and Marcus Island, where there are no cables and radio is accordingly the sole means of rapid communication. Due to the strategic position of the islands, all communication facilities are undoubtedly controlled by the military; but before the war at least certain of the facilities were open to use by the public at hours when the messages sent by the military and the police were at a minimum. Details of radio facilities reported for the area are summarized below:
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Receiving Sets. The number of radio receiving sets in private homes in the islands is not reported but is known to be quite small. It is believed that all police stations are equipped with receiving sets. Many of the larger fishing boats have receiving sets, and a few of them may have transmitters as well. 274. Motion PicturesMotion-Picture Theaters. Although a motion-picture theater is reported for Hommura on Nii-jima, it is believed that throughout the Izu and Bonin Islands there are no regular theaters and that the films shown are exhibited either in the largest building of a settlement (usually the schoolhouse) or outdoors. According to police statistics, in 1936 a total of 318 motion-picture performances were held at l23 different locations and were attended by a total of 37,483 persons, as detailed in the following table:
275. Newspapers and PeriodicalsNewspapers. So far as is known, no newspapers are published in the Izu and Bonin Islands. ewspapers from the mainland of Japan, particularly from Tokyo, are probably mailed to the islands. Although such papers would arrive in O-shima only one day late, they would arrive in the Bonins as much as three weeks after publication. Periodicals. According to available information, it appears that no periodicals are published in the islands. 115
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28. PUBLIC UTILITIES281. Water SystemWaterworks. In a majority of the mura (village) areas in the Izu and Bonin Islands, the major source of water is the rain catchment, which is supplemented where possible by water drawn by hand from wells and streams (see 121). In nine of the mura areas, however, more elaborate water systems have been set up. Omura on Chichi-jima draws water from a reservoir constructed in Byobu Valley by the Great Japan Ice Manufacturing Company. The reservoir, which is equipped with a filter, is connected by iron pipes to several of the residences and to the inn of Omura. A summary of information reported on the water systems in Senzu and Sashikiji on O-shima, Kozu-shima village on Kozu-shima, and Kashidate and Nakanogo on Hachijo-jima appears below:
Water systems are also reported for Okada on O-shima and for Okago and Mitsune on Hachijojima, but details concerning them are not available. 282. SewerageSewers. There are no known sewer systems in the islands. With the exception of night soil, which is collected, and used as fertilizer, sewage is dumped directly into streams and the ocean (see 256). 283. Gas WorksIlluminating Gas. Illuminating gas is not used in the islands. No gas works are reported. 284. Electric Light and Power FacilitiesElectric Lights. Electricity is used for lighting on some of the more important 116
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islands. On O-shima a generator at Motomura supplies power for the electric lights of the six main villages of the island. It is believed that electric lights have been in use on Miyake-jima since 1940. On Hachijo-jima electric lights have been installed in the more important buildings. At Omura on Chichi-jima electric lighting is used by several commercial enterprises, and in the government buildings, the inn, and the larger residences. Power Plants and Generators. In the Izus and Bonins there is only one establishment devoted exclusively to the commercial production of electricity, the power plant at Motomura. The rest of the electricity used is apparently produced by generators devoted primarily to other purposes such as the manufacture of ice or the production of power for communication facilities. Presumably most of the radio stations have their own generators (see 272). In 1936 the value of electricity produced in the islands totaled ¥122,703, distributed as follows: O-shima district, ¥80,804; Hachijo-jima district, ¥27,289; Ogasawara district, ¥14,610. Available information on local power facilities (excluding radio station apparatus) is summarized by islands in the following table:
285. Public Buildings, Parks, and ImprovementsGovernment Buildings. In addition to the buildings of the three branch administrative offices and the three sub-branch offices (see 214), there are numerous village offices (215), eight branch offices of the Tokyo Local Court (226), 24 police substations (223), 42 buildings housing fire equipment (231), 22 post offices (271), 31 schoolhouses (262), and numerous buildings housing specialized technical or administrative units such as the meteorological observatories (112) or the forest control office (213). For an enumeration of the government buildings to be found in any particular community, see 163. Parks. No public parks are reported for the islands. However, there doubtless are small parks attached to many of the shrines and temples (see 184). Public Improvements. A number of public baths have been constructed. In 1936 ten public baths were reported for the islands: six on O-shima, two on Nii-jima, and two on Hachijo-jima. 117
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29. TRANSP0RTATION291. Road TransportPaths and Trails. In the Izus and Bonins, narrow footpaths or trails connecting settlements with one another form the sole means of land communication on the emaller islands. On the larger islands, trails generally supplement the road systems and serve the inaccessible parts of the islands. Roads. There are relatively few roads in the islands. The mountainous terrain makes road construction very expensive; and since a majority of the population lives along the shores of the islands, coastal shipping is by far the easiest means of transportation and communication. The main roads on the larger islands are from 9 to 12 feet in width and are commonly surfaced with pressed lava ash; the other more important roads are simply dirt trails that have been scraped and leveled somewhat and widened to distances of from 6 to 9 feet. There are few bridges, and most of these are for foot traffic only. There is one tunnel, on Hachijo-jima. Available information regarding the roads and more important trails on the principal islands in the Izus and Bonins is summarized below:
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Streets. Some of the larger villages in the islands have a number of narrow intersecting streets, which are sometimes laid out in a fairly regular grid pattern. The more important streets in such communities are often paved with cobblestones or surfaced with pressed lava ash. Many of the streets, however, are hardly more than footpaths, and even the main streets rarely have continuous sidewalks for any appreciable distance. For a description of the streets reported for a few of the larger settlements like Motomura on O-shima and Omura on Chichi-jima, see 163. Vehicles. With the exception of bicycles and hand-drawn carts, vehicles are scarce in the Izu and Bonin Islands. In 1936 the police reported the following vehicles:
In addition there were an undetermined number of motor vehicles. In 1932 a few automobiles of ancient model were in operation on Chichi-jima. Automobiles have also been reported for O-shima, Nii-jima, and Hachijo-jima (particularly for the settlement of Nakanogo). In the 1936 police statistics on persons engaged in the transportation business, it was reported that there were 34 persons maintaining passenger automobile rental services (l4 on O-shima, 2 on Nii-jima, and 18 on Hachijo-jima) and 15 persons maintaining freight automobile rental services (4 on O-shima, 1 on Nii-jima, and l0 on Hachijo-jima). In the same year two busses were reported: one of these was used on O-shima, probably for the two and one-half mile distance between Habu and Sashikiji on the S coast, and the other was used on Hachijo-jima to shuttle passengers the two miles between Okago and Mitsune. In 1936 only two traffic accidents were reported, both on Hachijo-jima. Three persons were injured. 292. Rail TransportRailroads. No railways or rolling stock have been reported for any of the islands except Nii-jima. In the southern part of the latter island, a special railroad or tramway with a total trackage of less than three miles terminates at or near the breakwaterpier of Hommura. 293. Air TransportAir Lines. There is no commercial aviation in the Izu or Bonin Islands although it is probable that Futami Bay on Chichi-jima is used as an emergency anchorage by seaplanes on the Tokyo–Saipan-Palau air route. Ordinance number 28, article 5 of "Military Secrets Protection Law Enforcement Regulations" (for the Navy), expressly prohibits civil aerial navigation over the Izu, Bonin, and Volcano Islands and over the surface of the sea within three nautical miles of these islands. 120
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Air Bases. The defenses of the Izu and Bonin Islands include a number of military and naval air bases. The location and facilities of the various airfields and seaplane bases in the area are described in the pertinent Army and Navy monographs. 291. Water TransportNative Craft. A dugout canoe,30 or more feet in length and steadied by a single outrigger, is still used in the Bonins for coastal and interisland communication. Although similar to native craft throughout the South Seas, the canoe is of Hawaiian origin and was introduced by the Hawaiian companions of the American and English colonists who settled on Chichi-jima in 1830 (see 132). As the population of the Bonins increased and as interisland travel became more frequent, the craft came into wider use. In 1930 it was even reported that it had been introduced to Hachijo-jima in the Izu Islands. The Hull is hollowed out of the trunk of the banyan or of the Hernandia peltata. The bow and stern are interchangeable and are almost identical in construction: sharp and curved, they are capped by short pointed triangular pieces of wood which continue the upward curve of the Hull. Adjoining each of these triangular pieces is a short and slightly arched deck. The outrigger, consisting of two spars and a float, is of simple construction. The inboard ends of the spars lie athwart the gunwales and are lashed to two thwarts which cross the Hull amidships and two inches below the gunwales. The spars themselves are eight to ten feet in length and curve downward from the high gunwales to a hollow wooden float which is shaped like the Hull of the canoe and is lz to 15 feet in length. The canoes are comparatively light and can readily be propelled by one or two paddlers. Ordinarily a Japanese sculling-type paddle with a cross handle, long shaft, and long narrow blade is used. Frequently a mast rigged with a spritsail is stepped immediately abaft the fore thwart, to which it is strongly lashed. The canoes are very sturdy and can put to sea in almost any kind of weather. As recently as lº26 they were said to constitute the most important means of intersettlement and interisland communication in the Bonins. Harbor and Fishing Craft. Harbor craft are few in number and, with but one or two exceptions,Tare limited to small lighters, water barges, launches, and rowboats. The number of fishing boats is far greater; in 1936,825 fishing boats were registered as having their home port in the Izu and Bonin Islands. Except for one power boat in the Bonins, all of the fishing vessels were under 20 tons. Roughly two-thirds were motorless boats of less than five tons. The following table classifies the boats according to type, condition, and district in which they were registered:
During the fishing season this fleet is augmented by additional boats, most of them powerdriven, from the main islands of Japan. Specific information regarding the harbor and fishing craft based on the Izu and Bonin Islands is summarized below:
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Ferries. There are three ferry services which shuttle passengers back and forth between points on the same island. The first of these is on O-shima: in 1936, l,5,357 passengers paid a total of ¥1,875 for this service. The second is on Gàichi-jimé: once every two hours during the daytime a launch leaves Omura for Ogiura, which lies across Futami Harbor. The third service is provided on Haha-jima, where a small motorship links Okimura with Kita village at the northern tip of the island and with Minami Cape at the southern end. The ¥figures on transportation by ferry in the Ogasawara district (presumably these include the Haha-jima ferry as well as that on Chiohi-jima ) show that a revenue of ¥3,579 was received from 25,300 passengers. Shipping Services. Steamship connections in the Izu Islands are maintained by the Tokyo-wan Kisen Kaisha (Tokyo Bay Steamship Company). Before the war this company was subsidized by the Department of Communications to run five lines from Tokyo to the Izus: the O-shima, Kozu-shima, Miyake-jima, Mikura-jima, and Hachijo-jima Lines. Five ships were employed: the Tachibana Maru of 2,400 tons and the Aoi Maru, Akaume Maru, Kibu Maru, and Sakura Maru of unknown tonnage. The following table details the outbound routes from Tokyo and the minimum number of trips which the steamship company was required to make each month:
Information on the actual number of trips made is not available. However, in some cases it was far above the minimum required; for instance, the company maintained daily steam- 122
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er connections between Tokyo and O-shima and is reported to have maintained daily connections between Tokyo and To-jima, Nii-jima, Shikine-jima, and Kozu-shima. Shipping service between Honshu and the Bonins is furnished mainly by the Kinkai Yusen Kaisha (Neighboring Seas Mail Steamship Company). Before the war this company was subsidized by the Department of Communications to make at least 22 trips annually. Reports indicate that the Chefoo Maru, the steamship of 2,000 tons used on this line before the war, actually made an average of 16 round trips a year. On 10 of these trips the terminus was Okimura on Haha-jima; on 6 of the trips the terminus was Iwo-jima. The Chefoo Maru called regularly at Hachijo-jima in the southern Izus and at Chichi-jima; it visited Aoga-shima four times a year, Tori-jima four times a year, and Minami-iwo-jima once a year. In addition, Omura on ênioni-jima is visited once a month by the ships of the Nippon Yusen Kaisha (Japan Mail Steamship Company) which ply between Kobe and Saipan in the Mandated Marianas, and once a month during the winter by a special steamer which picks up vegetables for the Tokyo-Yokohama market. The Department of Communications also subsidized the activities of four small lines which furnished interisland communication within the Bonins. These lines were maintained by small sailing craft equipped with auxiliary engines and ranging in size from 3 to 12 tons. The following table gives the name of the line, the name of its owner, the minimum number of trips required per month, and the ports of call on the outbound route:
A sailing vessel calls four or five times a year at Marcus Island. Piers and Wharves. The piers and wharves of the Izu and Bonin Islands are adapted to the transportation demands of pre-war days when the cargoes to be loaded or unloaded were small and the passengers few. On many of the more important islands there were no piers capable of accommodating even the small interisland steamers, and lighters and motor launches, were employed to ferry goods and passengers ashore. Spécific information available on pier facilities in the islands is detailed below:
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Harbors and Ports. The islands are lacking in good harbors, and for the most part interisland stearners must use ill-sheltered anchorages or open roadsteads (see lll,). The only good harbors are Habu Harbor on the SE coast of O-shima in the Izus and Futami Harbor on the W coast of Chichi-jima in the Bonins. Habu Harbor is approximately l,000 feet in diameter, is almost landlocked, and can reportedly accommodate steamships up to 200 tons. Futami Harbor, 1 mile wide and 13 miles long, has anchorage available for at least eight large ships. The harbor is surrounded by mountains on the N, E, and S sides and is rough only in winter, when the winds blow from the NW. Little money or effort has been spent on harbor improvement or construction. Okada and Habu Harbors on O-shima and Futami Harbor on Chichi-jima have been improved by dredging. A few breakwaters have been constructed. Only preliminary steps have been taken on a project to construct a "junction harbor" at Hachijo-jima which would facilitate communications and trade between Japan and the South Seas Mandated Islands. 295. Storage FacilitiesWarehouses. According to available information, warehousing facilities in the Izus and TBonins are extremely limited. One or two warehouses are reported at Okubo on Miyake-jima. There are three warehouses on Hachijo-jima located at the hamlets near Kaminato Landing, Borawazawa Landing, and Aigae Bay. The latter is a relatively large building with a galvanized iron roof. A straw-thatched warehouse stands on the beach of Mikono Cove on Aoga-shima. The two warehouses on Tori-jima were destroyed by the volcanic eruption of l939. At Omura on Chichi-jima there are several warehouses owned by the shipping company and located behind the "U"-shaped jetty. The office of the whaling company at Omura is also used for storing supplies. A mail ship warehouse stands on the beach S of Minami village on Iwo-jima. Coal Depots. A station for coaling steamers, located at Kiyose on Futami Harbor of Chichi-jima, is the only coal depot reported for the islands. Fuel Storage. There are tanks for storing gasoline at the naval landing field on Hachijo-jima. There are oil storage tanks (both above and below ground) and small tanks for storing gasoline used in launches at Futami Harbor on Chichi-jima. 0il storage tanks are reported for Marcus Island. 296. TravelVolume of Travel. There is a substantial amount of travel by Japanese between the mainland and the Izu Islands, particularly on the daily steamers which connect Tokyo with O-shima. Vacationists visit O-shima, and O-shima male adults journey to the mainland to seek seasonal employment. Although there are fewer travellers to and from the Bonins, people flow in and out as the sugar industry waxes and wanes. For further discussion of migration in the islands, see l43. Foreigners who have visited the islands are exceedingly few (see l45). 124
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Hotels. There are no western-style hotels, and travellers must put up at small inns or lodginghouses. According to police statistics for 1936, 95 persons in the Izu and Bonin Islands were engaged in keeping inns or lodginghouses, as detailed in the following table:
In the same year the inns and lodginghouses operated by these persons were patronized by a total of 25,556 transients and 817 lodgers. The following table classifies these patrons by district and by sex:
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31. FOOD PRODUCTION311. AgricultureAgricultural Population. Agriculture is the principal occupation of the inhabitants of the Izu and Bonin Islands. In 1936, the number of persons engaged primarily or partially in this occupation was 27, l-57, which was equivalent to about 67 per cent of the total population in that year. Of 8,928 households reported for the islands in the same year,5,587 were engaged to some extent in agriculture. Official Japanese Government statistics on the agricultural population in the islands in 1936 are summarized in the following table:
Land under Cultivation. Of the total land area of the Izu and Bonin Islands, which amounts to approximately 100,000 acres (156 square miles), in 1936 about eight per cent was under cultivation exclusive of groves of fruit trees and of land devoted to a few special crops. The amount of arable land available, however, amounted to 17,801 acres, or about 18 per cent of the total land area. The average size of farms in the Bonins is said to be 6.5 acres, and in 1935 there were reported to be l-50 individual farms in this archipelago. Comparable information for the Izu Islands is not available. Tenancy predominates in the Bonin group, where more than 70 per cent of the land under cultivation is worked by tenant farmers. In the Izu Islands, however, less than 20 per cent of the cultivated land is worked by tenants, the great majority of farms being operated by their owners. The distribution of lands under cultivation by owners and by tenants, as officially reported in 1936, is summarized according to individual islands in the following table:
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Since there is very little level land, most fields are on sloping ground, often on steep hillsides. Methods of cultivation are not intensive. Irrigation is rare; only 182 acres, 181 of them on Hachijo-jima, are devoted to wet rice cultivation. Fertilizers have not been widely used, although in recent years they have been imported in increasing quantities. In 1936, for example, fertilizers to the value of ¥93,944 were imported, as detailed below:
The major crops of the Izu Islands differ from those of the Bonins. In the former group they include rice, barley, wheat, and, other grains, forage crops, sweet potatoes, taro, and other root crops, and mulberry groves for silkworm cultivation. Garden vegetables — principally pumpkins, tomatoes, and cucumbers — are the principal crop of the Bonin Islands, although sugar cane and coca are also important. Root Crops. In 1936,3,573 acres in the Izu Islands and 119 acres in the Bonins were devoted to root crops, the total yield from which was officially valued at ¥387,232. Sweet potatoes, the most important single crop of the Izus, accounted for more than half of this total; the yield of 9,185 tons, produced on 2,533 acres of land, was valued at ¥224,818, including ¥20,000 of seed potatoes. Also of considerable importance are Japanese taro, daikon or Japanese radishes, Irish potatoes, and onions. In addition, small quantities of carrots, edible lilies, ginger, ginseng, leeks, peanuts, turnips, and yams are raised. Most root crops are consumed locally, although ¥68,130 of sweet potatoes were exported to Japan in 1936. Garden Vegetables. Of vegetables other than root crops, the most important are pumpkins and squash, melons, cucumbers, and tomatoes. These vegetables are the leading product of the Bonin Islands, where they were cultivated on 418 acres in 1936, and they are also grown in the Izu Islands (163 acres in 1936). The total yield in 1936 was officially valued at ¥476,617. These vegetables are shipped in large quantities to Japan, especially from the Bonins; in 1936, for example, they constituted the bulk of the ¥425,876 of miscellaneous vegetables exported from the Ogasawara district. The yield from all other vegetables in 1936 amounted to ¥57,229. Of these, beans and peas, produced mainly in the O-shima district, accounted for ¥17,140; cabbage, eggp1ant, and spinach, a1so 1arge1y from the northern Izus, for ¥17,195; and misce11aneous vegetab1es, principa11y from the Ogasawara district, for ¥22,891. Cerea1s. Cereal grasses, though little grown in the Bonins, are among the leading agricultural products of the Izu Islands. The principal grains raised are rice, barley, and wheat, although rye, millet, maize, oats, and durra are also cultivated to a limited extent. In 1936,717 acres were devoted to rice, the total yield of which was officially valued at ¥75,881. The acreage devoted to barley and wheat in 1936 has not been reported, but in 1937, 1,304 acres planted with barley yielded a value of ¥46,932, and 804 acres planted with wheat yielded ¥28,089. Land devoted to the other cereal crops grown in the islands is comparatively insignificant, amounting to around 400 acres, with a total yield valued at about ¥17,000. Most of the production is consumed locally, the total value of grain exported in 1936 amounting to only ¥2,735. With the exception of wet rice, which is confined almost exclusively to the island of Hachijo-jima, all grains are grown on dry fields. Forage Crops. Hay and other fodder, crops are important, especially in the Izu Islands, as an adjunct to animal husbandry (see 312). The total area devoted to these crops in 1936 was 1,371 acres, from which 1,750 tons of fodder, valued at ¥127,170, were produced. The principal forage crop is a native grass (probably Lulalia japonica), called "Hachijo hay." This grows wild, but is also cultivated. In 1936, 1,155 tons of Hachijo hay, valued at ¥108,495, were produced from 1,176 acres of land. Forage crops are grown for local consumption rather than for export. Sericulture. The raising of silkworms for the production of raw silk, which is an important industry of the Izu Islands, requires the cultivation of mulberry trees, on the leaves of which the worms feed. The total area planted to mulberries in 1936 was 218 acres, including 173 acres in the O-shima district,32 in the Hachijo-jima district, and 3 in the Ogasawara district. The cocoons produced in the same year were valued at ¥89,091. For further details on sericulture and the silk industry, see 322. Sugar Cane. In past years the principal industry of the Bonin Islands was the cultivation of sugar cane and the manufacture of sugar. Sugar production began in 1889 130
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and developed rapidly, being largely responsibls for the heavy Japanese immigration into the Bonins. The peak of the development came in 1919, when the production of sugar reached a total value of ¥800,000. Thereafter a depression set in. By 1929 the annual production had dropped to ¥300,000, and by 1937 to ¥78,363. Whereas in earlier years most of the arable land in the Bonin Islands had been dévoted to cane production, in 1936 sugar cane was raised on only 818 acres or 28 per cent of the cultivated land of these islands. In the same year the cane crop was valued at only ¥8,570. For the manufacture of sugar, see 325; for sugar exports, see 345. Arboriculture. The cultivation of fruit trees is of distinctly subsidiary importance throughout the area. The total fruit crop in 1936 amounted to only ¥25,332, including ¥9,306 of peaches, pears, and plums, ¥5,103 of citrus fruits, ¥4,664 of bananas and pineapples, and ¥6,259 of persimmons, figs, and other fruits. Except for bananas and pineapples, fruit growing is confined largely to the Izu Islands. Banana raising for export was formerly an important industry in the Bonins. In 1911, for example, the crop exceeded ¥100,000 in value. In recent years, however, competition from Formosa has practically put an end to banana production in the Bonins. Miscellaneous Crops. A moderately important recent, development in the Bonin Islands, especially on Iwo-jima, is the cultivation of coca. In 1936,251 acres were devoted to this crop, yielding 204 tons of leaves valued at ¥33,977. Coca is cultivated like tea. The leaves are picked several times a year, dried, powdered, and shipped to Japan, where they are used in the manufacture of cocaine. The development of coca production has helped to relieve the depression caused by the decline in the sugar industry. Of some importance throughout the area is the cultivation of medicinal and other herbs, of which ¥40,593 were produced in 1936. Small amounts of the following crops are also grown: tea, Derris (useful as a fish poison and insecticide), cotton, and a very little coffee, tobacco, and indigo. Crop Statistics. Exclusive of barley, rye, wheat, and oats — for which 1936 figures are not available — and of silkworm cocoons, the total value of agricultural production in the islands in 1936 was ¥1,289,960. Production of barley, rye, wheat, and oats in 1937 amounted to ¥82,924 and in 1936 silkworm cocoons were valued at ¥89,091. The following table lists the individual crops produced in 1936 (and where indicated, in 1937), with the number of acres under cultivation, the quantity produced, and the production value of each. The areas under cultivation for individual crops, compiled from different sources than that used for the preceding table, are slightly at variance with the total cultivated area reported for the islands.
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* Includes seeds or seedlings. Government Encouragement. The government has attempted to foster agricultural development in various ways. In 1922, when the Central Experimental Station at Tokyo was placed under the direct supervision of the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, a subsidiary station was established at Kiyose on Futami Bay in Chichi-jima. Its primary purpose is the conducting of experimental research on tropical plants. In 1930, a branch office of the Tokyo Prefecture Sericulture Control Office was established on Hachijo-jima for the promotion of mulberry and silkworm culture. In 1936, the Bureau of Agriculture of the Ministry of Forestry and Agriculture expended ¥89,300 on an agricultural experimental project of ll;0 acres at Senzu villages on O-shima. 312. Hunting and Animal HusbandryHunting. The early settlers of the Bonins hunted deer and domestic animals which had run wild, but game is scarce today. There is doubtless, however, a certain amount of fowling. An official report on the issuance of hunting licenses in 1936 provides the 132
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only recent information. In that year 37 licenses were issued at O-shima, l? at Nii-jima, 1 at Hachijo-jima, and 1 in the Ogasawara district. Poultry Farming. Nearly every household in the islands raises poultry. There are a few ducks — 283 were reported for the entire area in 1936 — but chickens are nearly universal. The statistics on chicken raising in 1936 are presented in the following table:
Animal Husbandry. Pigs and cattle are numerous in both the Izu and Bonin Islands. There are also a few horses and sheep in the O-shima district and a moderate number of goats in the Ogasawara district. The following table shows the number of domestic animals reported in 1936:
* Including 1,361 milk cows. Cattle are used as draft animals and as a source of meat, hides, and dairy products. Bullocks of the old Shantung breed are still used as draft animals on Hachijojima and elsewhere, but since 1901 foreign bulls have been introduced to improve the stock, and today the Holstein breed predominates, especially in the dairying regions of the Izu Islands. In 1936, 1,163 households in the O-shima district, 848 in the Hachijo-jima district, and l77 in the Ogasawara district had from one to four head of cattle; herds of five or more animals were kept by 31 households in the O-shima district, 47 in the Hachijo-jima district, and 7 in the Ogasawara district. Pigs were raised by 1,567 households in the O-shima district, 378 in the Hachijo-jima district, and 282 in the Ogasawara district. The calves produced in 1936 were valued at ¥42,266; the young pigs, at ¥24,367. In the same year, ¥92,825 of cattle and ¥4l,665 of pigs were exported, as well as ¥3,835 of hides. Meat Production. The total number of animals slaughtered in the islands in 1936 is detailed below:
The quantity and value of meat produced in the same year are shown below: 133
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For the most part, the meat products of the islands are consumed locally. Dairying. Dairying is a leading industry in the Izu Islands. The native Hachijo hay (see ¥provides excellent fodder. The principal products of the O-shima district are raw milk, butter, cheese, and casein. In the Hachijo-jima district, however, the chief product is condensed milk. The Hachijo Rennyu Kaisha (Hachijo Condensed Milk Company), organized in 1923, operates a condensed milk cannery at the village of Okago on Hachijo-jima. The following table shows the quantity and value of dairy products in 1936, according to official reports:
The official statistics on exports for the same year would seem to indicate that the above figures are understated. Thus exports of condensed milk were reported to amount to ¥171,475, and exports of cheese and casein, both presumably included under "other dairy products" in the foregoing table, were said to total ¥82,980 and ¥6,562 respectively. It is probable, therefore, that the total dairy production in the Izu Islands was somewhat in excess of ¥500,000. 313. FishingImportance of Fishing. Fishing is of great significance to the inhabitants of the Izus and Bonins — not only as the source of a very important item in the local diet, but also as a valuable means of livelihood, for commercial fishing, together with the processing of fish, seaweed, and other marine products (see 325), is the leading industry in the islands. It is estimated that fully one-quarter of the total population engage in subsistence or commercial fishing. For a discussion of the many species of fish, shellfish, and sea mammals that abound throughout the area, see 125. Commercial Fishing. In 1936, the total commercial catch of fish, shellfish, and sea mammals was officially valued at ¥876,500. Of this amount, ¥529,348 was derived from fishing operations classified as "offshore" (predominantly in the Izus) and ¥347,152 from-fishing classified as "deep-sea" (almost entirely in the Bonins). Of the fish and shellfish caught offshore, the most economically important are the flying fish, horse mackerel, takabe, mackerel pike, and lobster. The principal products of deep-sea fishing are whales and bonito. A sizable amount of the latter is also obtained in offshore operations. The quantity and value of the total catch in the islands for 1936, classified by type of fishing operation and by districts, is summarized in the following table:
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* Quantity not reported. The official statistics on exports for the same year would seem to indicate that the above figures are understated. Thus exports of fresh fish were reported to amount to ¥l, l,05,812, and exports of dried fish and miscellaneous sea foods were said to total ¥370,628 and ¥181,853, respectively. Even after making allowance for processing, transportation, and other handling costs and profits, it seems likely that the total commercial catch in 1936 more nearly approximated ¥1,000,000 than the figure reported. Although the island waters are fished throughout the year, horse mackerel and mackerel are most plentiful from September through February, bonito from June to September, tuna from November to February, and whale from November to April. Fishing is largely done with modern gear. About 825 fishing craft, nearly one-third of them powered with motors, were reported for 1936 (see 294). Tuna and bonito are caught with rods from motor boats of up to 20 tons. Fish which are exported fresh are packed in refrigerator ships and transported direct to Japan. In 1937, three cold storage ships were reported to be operating in the Ogasawara district: the Takunan Maru, the Ebesu Maru, and the Urajima Maru, all of the 200 ton class. According to official statistics, in 1936 there were 2,382 persons in the islands whose principal occupation was commercial fishing. Of these,2,079 were in the O-shima district, ll.2 in the Hachijo-jima district, and lól in the Ogasawara district. In the same year,3,556 additional persons (principally in the O-shima district) were reported to engage in commercial fishing on a part-time basis. Large numbers of fishermen from other parts of the Japanese Empire also visit the area. In 1937, between l,500 and l,600 fishing craft from various prefectures were observed fishing in the waters adjacent to the Izu Islands. Government. Encouragement. Since 1886 the Japanese Government has continuously encouraged the development of fishing in the Izus and the Bonins. In recent years the Department of Agriculture and Forestry has sponsored the investigation of marine resources and has taken a particularly keen interest in increasing fisheries production. A fish hatchery has been established in the Bonins for the breeding of sea turtles and alligators. In 1938 the Department obtained the enactment of a series of laws which removed the tax from crude oil used in fishing, and provided financial assistance to boat owners who wished to install motor engines and refrigeration facilities in their fishing craft. Fishing Regulations. The Governor of Tokyo Prefecture is empowered to formulate orders regarding the regulation of fishing and fishermen in the islands; regulation of 135
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the industry, however, has apparently been neither strict nor successful. For further discussion of fishing regulations, see 246. Fishermen's Associations. Fishermen throughout the Japanese Empire are organized into fishery societies (suisankai), fishery guilds (suisankumiai), and fishermen's associations (gyogyo-kumiai). In addition to providing protection to fishermen and to the producers of sea foods, these societies and associations conduct extensive investigations into marine resources, fishing methods, and the manufacture of marine products. For a discussion of the associations found in the islands, see 353. 311. Food SuppliesStocks of Food. Presumably the chief stocks of food in the Izu and Bonin Islands will be found among the supplies of the Japanese armed forces. However, in the Bonins there may be stockpiles of the products of the food industries such as sugar, alcoholic beverages, fish, and vegetables. In the Izus there may be stocks of fish and dairy products. Limited supplies of food may perhaps be found at some of the hotels and restaurants and at the abattoirs and butcher shops. For details regarding foodstuffs and their preparation in the islands, see 152,311,312,313, and 325. For a listing of eating places, markets, and food processing concerns by villages, see 162. 136
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32. INDUSTRY321. HandicraftsModern Crafts. The principal handicrafts are house construction (see 323), silk dyeing and weaving (see 322), and the production of utensils, tools, and fishing gear. In addition, there is some plaiting of fans, baskets and hats, lathe-work in mulberry wood, and fine carving in coral. For the most part, however, the needs of the islanders for clothing, tools, and utensils are met by importation from Japan (see 345). 322. Textile and Clothing ManufactureSilk Industry. The production of silk cocoons and the manufacture of silk goods constitute one of the principal industries in the Izu Islands. The silkworms feed on the leaves of mulberry trees, which are extensively cultivated in the area (see 311). The quantity and value of cocoons produced in 1936, together with the number of households engaged in this activity, are shown in the following table:
A very high proportion of the cocoons produced nowadays are exported directly to Japan; in 1936 such exports totaled ¥79,267 (¥47,248 from the Hachijo-jima district and ¥32,019 from the O-shima district). In former years, however, most of the cocoons produced were used locally for the manufacture of "Hachijo-jima" silk, which was famous for its strength and unusual coloring throughout Japan. The silk weaving industry had its inception under the Tokugawa shoguns, when the tribute of Hachijo-jima was paid in silk. Silk production reached its peak about the beginning of the 20th century, but thereafter exhibited a declining trend. In 1930 a branch of the Tokyo Sericulture Control Office was established on Hachijo-jima for the purpose of introducing improved methods, and within a few years the industry showed a moderate recovery. In 1936 the total value of silk production amounted to ¥45,667, as detailed in the following table:
Silk weaving is a household industry; hand looms alone are used, and the work is performed almost entirely by women. In 1936 there were 368 weavers in the islands: 4 women in the O-shima district and 363 women and one man in the Hachijo-jima district. The principal product is still yellow Hachijo-jima silk, most of which is exported to Japan. In 1936, total exports of woven silk were valued at ¥24,077. Miscellaneous Textile Products. Sacks, bags, and rope are produced to a limited extent, particularly in the O-shima district. A small quantity of baskets, fans, hats, and similar products are plaited from reeds, pandanus leaves, and fibers. A very small amount of thread is made from the cotton grown in the Ogasawara district. The following table shows the values of such miscellaneous textile products in 1936: 137
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323. Housing and ConstructionDwellings. Except for a few houses of European style which may still be found in the Bonins, the dwellings in the islands conform closely in general style to the small light-frame one-story dwellings in Japan proper. The interior of the house generally consists of two rather large rooms; one of these serves as the bedroom, although retiring quarters are occasionally located in a separate building. Rooms are sometimes subdivided by sliding paper panels. Glass windows are rare. The wooden framework of the house is usually unpainted. Although the more modern dwellings have tile or galvanized iron roofs, thatch or wooden shingles are still used extensively as roofing materials. The roofs are steeply sloped, particularly in the Izus where an incline of 50 degrees is not unusual. Dwellings are frequently built on piles so that the flooring is a foot or two above the ground. Most dwellings have underground cellars in which sweet potatoes and other tubers are stored. A high hedge or stone wall which serves as a windbreak usually encircles the dwelling grounds. Within the windbreak and adjacent to the house, there are often smaller buildings: storehouses, sheds, barns, outhouses, and occasionally a dwelling for aged parents. Furniture. The furniture is extremely simple and similar to that found in Japan. It consists of mats, a low table or two, mat-bedding, and the usual paraphermalia of utensils and containers. Among the naturalized people in the Bonins, beds, chairs, and tables::::: * retained, and to some extent the Japanese in that area have also adopted such articles. Building Statistics. According to official Japanese statistics, in 1936 there were 15,839 buildings in the Izu and Bonin Islands. Of this number, only about three per cent were constructed of stone, concrete, or brick, and the remainder were predominantly one-story wooden structures. A classification of the buildings by construction material and number of stories in the three island districts follows:
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321. Mine and Forest ProductionMining. Since the Izu and Bonin Islands are poor in mineral resources (see 123), mining operations are negligible. The principal products are sulphur and phosphates. Sulphur is easily available on Iwo-jima. It is of good quality, but the deposits are relatively small, and are accordingly mined in only moderate quantities, Total exports or sulphur in 1936 were valued at ¥18,409. Phosphates have been mined in small amounts on Marcus Island by settlers employed by the Minami-tori-shima Kaisha (Marcus Island Company) and the Zenkoku Hiryo Kaisha (National Fertilizer Company), but operations had practically ceased by 1940. Mine taxes collected in 1936 totaled only ¥306: ¥29 was collected on an area of 194 square yards from one "business" mine, and ¥277 on an area of 902 square yards from another mine, which was classed as "experimental." Quarrying. The quarrying of andesite is one of the major industries of Niijima. Two companies operate quarrying and stone-cutting plants at Hommura, the principal settlement on this island. The total production in 1936 was 8,309 cubic meters, valued at ¥179,141. Exports of building stone in the same year totaled ¥77,514. In the Bonin Islands, small quantities of tufa are quarried, and a few semi-precious stones, especially chalcedony and agate, are obtained. On the shores of Plymouth Island in the Bailey group a yellow or golden nightingale sand, composed of glittering bits of weathered pyroxene crystal, is collected. In past years, quantities of this sand were shipped to Tokyo for use in plastering the walls of alcoves and living rooms, but no such export was reported in 1936. The value of total production from quarrying operations in 1936, exclusive of sand and semi-precious stones, is shown in the following table:
Coral Gathering. The gathering of semi-precious "Ogasawara" coral was for a number of years an important industry of the Bonin Islands. A reef containing coral of various shades of red, peach, and white was discovered near Chichi-jima around 1915 and exploited on a commercial scale after 1921. Production exceeded ¥100,000 in 1922, but declined thereafter until 1925, when an even more valuable reef was located. During the collecting season (April to September) in 1926 and 1927 more than ¥l,000,000 of coral are said to have been collected. As the source became exhausted, production declined. It amounted to ¥201,942 in 1928 and to ¥82,822 in 1929, but by 1937 it had dropped to 60 pounds valued at less than ¥160. In its more prosperous years the industry engaged the services of about 350 persons, who used as many as 80 boats. Operations usually included fishing as well as coral gathering. A percentage of all coral gathered was paid as fees to the local fishermen's guild (gyogyo kumiai) and to the local branch of the Suisankai, the great fisheries association of Japan. The balance after these fees were paid was usually divided into two shares, 40 per cent going to the fishermen and crew as wages, while the owner of the boat received 60 per cent, out of which he paid for fuel, equipment, supplies, and repairs. Lumbering. Approximately half of the land surface of the Izu and Bonin Islands is covered with forest. The acreage and distribution of forests in 1936 are shown in the following table:
The distribution of types of forest cover in the Izu Islands was reported for the same year as follows: 139
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The timber resources of the Bonin Islands have scarcely been touched as yet; the total value of all forest products in this area in 1936 was only ¥3,124. In the Izu Islands, on the other hand, the forests are exploited to a considerable extent. Although fuel is the principal product, a certain amount of lumber is produced. There are said to be six lumber mills in this area — one each at Motomura, Nomase, and Sashikiji on O-shima, one on Mikura-jima, one at Tsubota on Miyake-jima, and the sixth presumably on Hachijo-jima. The principal product is cedar. Boxwood, noted for its hardness and fine grain, was formerly an important export of Mikura-jima and Miyake-jima, but is produced today only in small quantities. The amount of lumber produced in 1936 and its value are shown in the following table:
The total value of lumber exported in 1936 amounted to ¥60,245. A branch of the Tokyo Forestry Experimental Station, which is administered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, is located near Omura on Chichi-jima. It maintains an experimental nursery and has engaged in afforestation. For forest conservation, see 246. Fuel Production. The principal use of the forests is as a source of fuel. Firewood is cut primarily for local consumption, and charcoal is prepared in large quantities, mostly for export. All the larger islands in the Izus produce charcoal, but that from the village of Sasnikiji on O-shima is especially in demand in Japan. In 1936, a total of 8,592 tons of charcoal were produced in the area (5,547 tons in the O-shima district, and 3,045 tons in the Hachijo-jima district). The total value of fuel production in the same year is shown in the following table:
The exports of charcoal in 1936 totaled ¥297,091, of which ¥182,123 came from the O-shima district and ¥ll4,968 from the Hachijo-jima district. Total exports of firewood in the same year amounted to ¥l,200. Miscellaneous Forest Products. In addition to lumber and fuel, the forests of the Izu Islands yield a number of other products of some economic importance. Camellia nuts are gathered in considerable quantity for the production of camellia oil (see 326). The trees grow abundantly in the natural forests, but they are also commonly planted as windbreaks in the villages and are sometimes grown in small cultivated stands. A number of ornamental trees, shrubs, and plants are exported, especially from the Hachijo-jima district. Most important among them is Eurya ochnacca, a sacred tree whose branches are used as offerings to the gods in Shinto shrines. The quantities and values of miscellanedus forest products in 1936 are shown in the following table: 140
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In 1936, ¥31,011 of camellia nuts and ¥57,184 of decorative plants were exported from the Izu Islands. In addition, ¥91,366 of decorative plants were reported to have been exported from the Bonin Islands in the same year. 325. Food IndustriesSugar Industry. Sugar cane was first grown commercially in the Bonin Islands, in 1889 (see 311), and the production of sugar rapidly developed into the leading industry of this archipelago. However, since 1919, when sugar production reached its all-time peak of ¥800,000, the industry has declined severely under competition from Formosa. The total production in the Bonins amounted to only ¥82,515 in 1935, ¥115,l41 in 1936, and ¥78,363 in 1937. There are no large-scale sugar mills in the islands. Instead, the cane is ground almost exclusively in primitive presses, the capstans of which are rotated by oxen. It is reported, however, that diesel machinery has recently been installed in a small sugar factory on Iwo-jima. Small refineries are located on the islands of Chichi-jima, Haha-jima, and Iwo-jima. The products, consisting principally of white and brown sugar, are partly exported to Japan and partly used locally for the manufacture of alocholic liquors. Exports of sugar in 1936 were valued at ¥102,653. Liquor Manufacture. Two alcoholic beverages are manufactured in the Bonin Islands as a by-product of the sugar industry: "awashu," which is fermented from the foam produced by reboiling unrefined white sugar, and "mitsuzake," which is fermented from molasses mixed with tepid water. A distilled liquor can be produced from either. In the Izu Islands, "sake" is prepared by the fermentation of rice flour and "shochu" is distilled from sweet potatoes. Awashu and mitsuzake are produced at the sugar refineries on Chichi-jima, Haha-jima, and Iwo-jima; sake and shochu are manufactured at five breweries and distilleries in the Izu Islands, located respectively in the villages of Kashidate, Mitsune, and Okago on Hachijo-jima, at Tsubota on Miyake-jima, and at Hommura on Nii-jima. Details of total alcoholic liquor production in the islands are nowhere directly reported; 1936 statistics, however, do indicate that excise taxes totaling ¥22,741 were levied in that year against an assessed production of 24,518 gallons of sake and 55,286 gallons of unclassified distilled spirits. Most of the liquor and spirits produced are consumed locally, exports in 1936 (all from O-shima district) amounting to only ¥4,400. Processing of Sea Foods. A considerable portion of the catch of fish, shellfish, and sea mammals in the islands (see 313) is processed for food purposes. Bonito, tunny, and other fish are dried on wooden frames and provide an important export to Japan (see 345). Dried bonito is particularly in demand as an ingredient for flavoring soup stock. Mackerel, horse mackerel, and flying fish are preserved by salting. A small amount of sea food is canned; there are small canneries on O-shima, Hachijo-jima, and Chichi-jima. The latter specializes in canned turtle meat and oysters. The quantity and value of processed sea foods in 1936 are detailed in the following table:
* Quantity not reported. 141
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Seaweed Production. The collection and processing of seaweed, largely for food but also for industrial purposes, is an exceedingly important economic activity in the islands. In 1936 the total production of dried seaweed was officially valued at ¥434,100: 532.0 metric tons in the O-shima district, valued at ¥278,802; 151.8 tons in the Hachijo-jima district, valued at ¥154,525; and 3.8 tons in the Ogasawara district, valued at ¥773. The most important seaweed product is gelidium. It is dried and exported to Japan, where much of it is used to prepare agar agar (kanten or Japanese isinglass). Agar agar is used extensively as a food, particularly in the preparation of soups and jelliés, and also for a number of other purposes, including bacteriological culture. Other seaweed varieties are dried, frequently pressed into sheets, and for the most part used in a crumbled form to sprinkle on food. An indication of the types of seaweed processed in the islands may be obtained from the following table, which presents details on the total value of seaweed collected in the three island districts in 1936:
Miscellaneous Food Industries. Small quantities of vegetables and other foods are canned in the islands. The value of canned vegetables produced in the O-shima district during 1936 amounted to ¥l,295. There is a condensed milk cannery in the village of Okago on Hachijo-jima (see 312). Tea is grown to a limited extent, and dried tea leaves form a minor export. In 1936, 226 households in the O-shima district were engaged in tea culture. The value of tea produced in the same year amounted to ¥2,199. 326. Miscellaneous IndustriesCamellia 0il Production. An oil is extracted from camellia nuts, which are gathered in late September in the forests of the Izu Islands (see 324). Like olive oil in the Mediterranean area, camellia oil is used both in cooking and for hairdressing. It is much used locally and finds a ready market in Japan. Shikine-jima is the most important center of production, although the oil is also produced on O-shima, Nii-jima, Kozu-shima, Miyake-jima, Mikura-jima, and to a limited extent on Hachijo-jima. On most of the islands the methods of extraction are primitive. A factory at Motomura on O-shima, however, is reported to use water-power machinery. In 1936 the value of camellia oil production in the Izu Islands amounted to ¥139,963. Exports for the same year included ¥47,982 of camellia oil and ¥4,458 of camellia oil meal. Wood Products. In 1936, wood products (principally boxes) valued at ¥66,761 were produced in the islands: ¥47,686 in the Ogasawara district, ¥12,042 in the Hachijo-jima district, and ¥7,033 in the O-shima district. Fertilizers and Fish Oils. A small amount of fertilizer is manufactured in the islands, principally from whale and fish meat but also from animal flesh. Whale and fish oil are also produced in small quantities. The value of these fertilizer and fish oil products in 1936 is summarized by districts in the following table:
Ice Manufacture. The importance of commercial fishing in the islands has given impetus to the development of ice manufacture. Fish are packed for shipment to Japan in 142
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cold storage ships refrigerated with locally-produced ice. There are ice manufacturing plants at Hommura on Nii-jima, at Mitsune and Yaene on Hachijo-jima, and on Chichi-jima. The value of ice production in 1936 was reported to be ¥8,361 in the Hachijo-jima district and ¥6,271 in the Ogasawara district. Drug. Manufacture. In 1936,276,088 kilograms of coca leaves, valued at ¥33,977, were produced in the Ogasawara district. The leaves are dried and are shipped to Japan, where they are used primarily to make cocaine. 327. Business and Industrial EnterprisesCorporate Organization. According to Japanese corporation law, business organizations are classified into three categories: l) "kabushiki Kaisha," joint-stock companies, usually with limited liability and with widely distributed shares; (2) "goshi Kaisha," partnerships with limited liability, in which the shares are usually closely held; and (3) "gomei Kaisha," general partnerships with unlimited liability, usually comprised of a few related individuals. Companies. Several large Japanese companies have interests or subsidiary establishments in the islands. Notable among the se are the Greater Japan Ice Manufacturing Company, which has a branch at Omura on Chichi-jima, and the Tokyo Bay Steamship Company and Neighboring Seas Mail Ship Company, which have docking facilities and warehouses on several of the islands. Even some of the companies whose interests are centered in the islands such as the Hachijo Industrial Company at Okago have their main offices in Tokyo. 3. largest company in the islands is the Iwo-jima Colonization and Sugar Manufacturing Ompany. In 1936, there were 32 companies and partnerships in the islands, summarized according to geographic location in the following table:
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Small Entrepreneurs. An indication of the number and distribution of small businesses in the islands is given by the official enumeration of those subject to police supervision in 1936, as listed below:
For further details regarding amusement establishments, restaurants, and innkeepers, see 155 and 296. 144
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33. LAB0R331. Labor Supply and EmploymentSupply of Labor. The total labor supply can be estimated from the population of the islands (see 143). In 1935, there were 21,075 persons in the la–59 age group, ll,214 males and 9,861 females. Since the population decreased slightly from 1935 to 1940, it is unlikely that the labor supply has increased in recent years except for the importation of laborers to construct military installations. Relatively few persons are accustomed to working regularly for hire. Most of the inhabitants are engaged in independent or semi-independent farming or fishing. Others work independently in commerce and small home industries. There is no sizable reservoir of workers in the islands other than farmers and fishermen, who in normal times occasionally supplement the ir regular income by performing casual labor. Skilled Labor. The supply of skilled and semi-skilled labor is limited primarily to the small percentage of the population employed in the small-scale island industries and utilities, and to those persons who have at some time been employed in the largescale industries of the Tokyo-Yokohama area. On each of the larger islands there are doubtless a few men who are capable of operating and repairing simple machinery such as is used in workshops and fishing boats, but many persons who are classed as industrial employees actually have very little acquaintance with machinery or specialized skills. 332. Labor Legislation and Working ConditionsLabor Legislation. Labor legislation is still very limited in Japan. It pertains mainly to the protection of women and children and to the establishment of health and accident insurance in large factories and dangerous trades. Such legislation scarcely applies at all to the islands, where undertakings involve either individuals or small groups only. Factories and workshops are subject to police inspection, but it is unlikely that any particular action is taken beyond submission of a report on "satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory" conditions. Hours of Work. Since most of the inhabitants are farmers or fishermen, hours of work are fixed by the number of daylight hours. Here as elsewhere in Japan, such persons are accustomed to working from sunrise to sunset seven days a week, provided that weather permits. Other independent workers keep correspondingly long hours. The few office workers probably observe an approximate ten-hour day, and industrial workers probably average about twelve hours a day. Fishing Agreements. Fishing constitutes a special type of , semi-independent, industry in ¥certain practices are accepted. A large amount of subsistence fishing is still done by individuals or by independent groups which divide the catch among themselves, the owners of the boats and equipment naturally taking a larger share than the others. Commercial deep-sea fishing (see 313) is now dependent largely upon power boats, and the common practice is for boat owners and crew to divide the proceeds according to a standard scale. Fifteen years ago the general practice was to deduct fees for the rental of nets and for membership in the fishery guilds from the total value of the catch before any further division was made. The share of the boat owner varied with the kind of fishing; in bonito fishing he took 40 per cent of the catch, in tunny fishing he took 60 per cent of the catch. The crew diyided the rest, the skipper and engineer taking double shares; however, the crew supplied its own food. Whale fisheries were controlled altogether by the Oriental Whaling Company, which possibly made, some such arrangements as those made by the owners of the bonito and tunny fishing boats. 333. Wages and Other Incentives to LaborAttitude toward Work. Most of the inhabitants are industrious, frugal, and inured to hard Two FKT and small Treturns. Work is a necessary and integral part of the daily routine; the incentive to labor is the desire to survive and, if possible, to prosper. Wage Scale. In 1930 fishermen in the Bonins were reported to earn between ¥40 and x 60 per month during the fishing season. Specific information on the wage Scale for laborers in various occupations in the islands is lacking. Some indication of the wages paid may be obtained from the following table which gives the average daily wage (in yen) paid in Tokyo in 1936. Wage levels are lower in the islands but the relationship between 145
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occupation and wage is presumably quite similar to that prevailing in Tokyo.
The prevailing salary rates are low, judged by American standards. The salaries of Japanese officials of Hannin rank range from a minimum of ¥480 to a maximum of ¥1,920 per year. Mura headmen receive an average annual salary of ¥580, treasurers ¥520, and clerks ¥450. Policemen in the service of the Metropolitan Police Board receive a salary of from ¥40 to ¥70 per month plus a petty allowance of less than ¥7. The average monthly salary of schoolteachers in the islands in 1936 was ¥77 for men and ¥58 for women (see 262). Cooperative Labor. The islanders are accustomed to work cooperatively in fishing, road building, and housebuilding. Activities of this sort are common to all relatively self-sufficient rural communities in Japan, where neighbors must depend upon each other in enterprises which require a large amount of labor. 334. SpecializationDivision of Labor by Sex. Traditionally, the men of the Izus are fishermen and the women are agriculturalists. Women farmers still outnumber men farmers in the Izu Islands, except on Hachijo-jima, where in 1930 there were only one third as many women engaged in farming as men. On Hachijo-jima women have for several centuries engaged in sericulture and in the weaving of the famous Hachijo tribute silk. Since the revival of the industry in modern times, it has continued to be almost exclusively an occupation for women (see 322). The pressing of camellia oil is also women's work. Care of livestock is often left to women, or even more often to children and old people. On O-shima, in particular, farming and the milking of cows are chores of the women. Within the household all housework is done exclusively by the women; their essential duties are cooking, fetching water and firewood, and housecleaning. Occupational Specialization. The latest complete information on occupational specialization in the Izus and Bonins is contained in the official statistics for 1930. While there has since been a small increase in population (see 143), and while there have doubtless been some shifts in occupational distribution, the 1930 figures do give an indication of the nature of specialization in the islands. At that time 16,464 persons, or 47 per cent of the total population, were reported to be gainfully employed, the percentage being somewhat higher than for the Tokyo Prefecture as a whole. Of those employed, 58 per cent were engaged in agriculture and 13 per cent in fishing. The next largest group of workers, 1,692 persons or 10 per cent of the employed population, were engaged in "manufacturing industries," a classification which included small home enterprises as well as a few somewhat larger workshops and factories. A total of 1,343 persons, or 8 per cent of the workers, were engaged in commerce, a category which included the proprietors of small shops, restaurants, and lodginghouses and inns. A total of 750 persons, or about 5 per cent of those with occupations, were officials or private professional people; 137 were domestic servants, and 96 were miners. The following table, shows the number of persons gainfully employed in 1930 according to the major employment categories: 146
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Data on other specific occupations reported in the census of 1930 and included above under "Other Occupations" is summarized in the following table: 147
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Figures, on the distribution of population by occupation for 1936 are incomplete. However, comparison of the available figures with those for 1930 reveals an increase in the number of persons engaged in agriculture throughout the area and particularly in the Hachijo-jima, and Ogasawara districts. The following table presents the number of full-time and part-time agricultural workers for each district in 1936:
The 1936 statistics also include the number of households engaged in tea and silk production, animal husbandry, and poultry raising. These are given in the table beiow:
Other detailed information regarding employment in the islands in 1936 is presented in the table below:
* Distribution by sex not reported. 335. Labor OrganizationsLabor Unions. In 1934 there was one labor organization at Okado on O-shima, but it has probably been disbanded by now. Since 1936 the Japanese Government has taken increasingly severe measures against labor unions, almost all of which have been replaced by the government-sponsored Patriotic Industrial Association. It is not known whether this association has extended its operations to the islands. Industrial guilds are considered in section 353. 148
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34. PROPERTY AND EXCHANGE341. Land TenureDistribution of Land Holdings. Official Japanese Government statistics show in detail the distribution of lands owned by the government and by private persons. In the Izu Islands, private holdings are greatly in excess of government lands, whereas in the Bonin Islands the situation is reversed, more than 75 per cent of all land being government-owned. The official statistics account for all the land in the Bonin Islands, but leave more than 40 per cent of the land area of the Izu Islands unaccounted for. It is possible that this unexplained balance consists, at least in part, of the communal holdings of the mura (village) administrations (see below). The following table shows the distribution of land holdings (in acres) by district and island as reported for 1936:
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Government Lands. Under the State Property Law, promulgated in 1921, and under related Imperial ordinances, the land's owned by the Japanese Government are classified as follows: public property, i.e., that directly used or to be used for public service by the state; official property, i.e., that used or to be used by the state for Shinto shrines, for state services and enterprises, and for residences of officials and other personnel; forest property; and miscellaneous property. ln the Izu and Bonin Islands, 19,609 acres or nearly 85 per cent of all the land owned by the government in 1936 was reported to be actual forest, and much of the remainder consisted of treeless plains or slopes also classified under the category of forest property. Only 1,399 acres fell under the other three categories of government land. Communal Property. A considerable amount of land, especially forested areas, in the Izu Islands is said to belong to the local mura (village) administrative organizations (see 215). The area of such communal holdings is not listed in the official sources, but their value in 1936 was reported to be ¥695,425 in the O-shima district and ¥182,113 in the Hachijo-jima district. It is probable that these mura properties comprise most of the area for which neither government nor private ownership is specified in the preceding table, and this assumption is supported by the fact that no such remainder is reported for the Ogasawara district, where no mura administrations had as yet been organized in 1936. Immemorial Japanese custom recognizes the right of the residents of a mura to enter the communal lands in order to cut timber or hay, gather leaves and dead wood, and otherwise utilize the land within clearly defined traditional limits. Private Property. Private ownership and possessory rights in land as well as the manner of their transference are determined in accordance with Japanese laws. For the most part these laws are to be found in the Civil Code and deal in detail with such subjects as registration of titles, joint and several ownership, boundaries, partition, servitudes or easements, and leases. Registration of title is effected in the islands by the making of the proper application at the nearest branch office of the Tokyo local Court (see 226). Formerly, in Japan, only the head of a household could inherit or own real property, but in recent times adult men and in some instances women can independently own property. Privately owned land may be freely bought, sold, leased, exchanged, or otherwise transferred, subject only to certain inheritance limitations (see 343) and to restrictions on land ownership by aliens. As early as 1910 a law was enacted regulating ownership and possessory rights in land by aliens, but the law remained a dead letter by reason of non-enforcement. In 1925, however, a new Alien Land Law was enacted, and its enforcement began in the following year. It is essentially based upon the principle of reciprocity, rights of aliens to own and possess land being dependent upon the rights accorded Japanese subjects as to land ownership in the alien's country. In addition, the law denies aliens possessory or ownership rights in land in certain areas, including the Izu and Bonin Islands, except upon perinission of the Ministers of War and the Navy, which must be obtained, in the case of the Izus and Bonins, through the governor of Tokyo Prefecture. All transactions relative to real property must be registered. Love of land and desire for land ownership are characteristic of the peasant population of Japan. In consequence of a variety of causes, great numbers of rural Japanese have been forced out of the land-owning class and compelled to earn their living as tenant farmers and laborers. Of those who still own, land, many possess very small holdings and find it necessary to supplement their earnings by working additional lands in the capacity of tenants. The result has been a state of chronic agrarian unrest, which has occasionally assumed critical proportions. In the 1zus and particularly the Bonins, the attachment to the land is weaker than in the homeland, owing partly to the greater importance of fishing and partly, in some areas, to the recency of settlement. Private ownership of farms is proportionately higher in the Izus than in Japan; in 1936, 82 per cent of the agricultural land in the O-shima district and 77 per cent of that in the Hachijo-jima district was worked by individual owners rather than by tenants. In the Bonins, on the other hand, 73 per cent of the farm land is worked by tenants and only 27 per cent by independent farmers. Whereas nearly all the forest land in the Bonins is government-owned,18,624 acres of forest in the Izus are privately owned. Over some of these private forests, however, the government exercises supervision under the Forestry Act, by which it is empowered to declare certain forested and other areas to be "protective forests." An area may be designated as a protective forest for the purpose of preventing soll denudation, controlling shifting sand, protecting against flood, wind, tide, or avalanches, conserving the water supply, preserving public health, affording aid to navigation, and for scenic purposes. Owners of property declared to be a protective forest may not cut the trees nor utilize the land or forest for any purpose without official authorization. Generally such forests are classified into two categories: those in which cutting is absolutely prohibited, and 150
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those in which cutting and other forms of forest utilization are permitted in accordance with carefully prescribed authorization. Property owners suffering loss or damage by virtue of the inclusion of their land in the former category are reimbursed by the government. The government enters into contracts with private individuals, relative to protective forests and to forests which are part of the public domain, whereby they are permitted to utilize such forest areas and to retain up to 80 per cent of the profits of such utilization on condition that they participate under supervision in the government's program of forest development and conservation (see 246). 342. Movable and Incorporeal PropertyProperty in Movables. Movable articles are privately owned for the most part and may be freely bought, sold, leased, exchanged, pledged, or otherwise transferred or encumbered subject only to certain inheritance limitations (see 343). Incorporeal Property. Japanese laws recognize the exclusive proprietary interest of the inventor or originator of patents, utility models, designs, trade-marks, and literary works. Registration is required in each case, plus the payinent of prescribed fees. Protection is extended for varying periods of time: patents for a term of 15 years, extendable thereafter for a period varying from 3 to 10 years depending upon the importance of the invention and the profits derived from it; utility models for a term of 10 years; designs for a term of 10 years; and trade-marks for a term of 20 years with indefinite renewal privileges. When an employee produces a patentable article, a design, or a utility model, the employer must pay the employee reasonable compensation for it, irrespective of any employment contract. Moreover, if the employee secures a patent, utility model, or design registration for himself, the employer is entitled to reproduce the article, regardless of the absence of any provision therefor in the contract of employment. 343. InheritanceRules of Inheritance. The Japanese family system is patrilineal in pattern, but through the custom of adoption by marriage it is often matrilineal in practice (see l53 and 161). Formerly only the head of a household could own property, and when he died, resigned, or was removed from his position the property was inherited by the new head of the household. Ideally, inheritance was from the former head of the household to his eldest son, but when a direct male heir was lacking an eldest son was frequently created by adoption or adoptive marriage (see 153). In recent times adult males, and even women in some circumstances, are able to own and transmit property, but the household still remains as a legally recognized institution. Thus every household has a common family name, used by all of its members, and an official family register (koseki) is kept in the city, town, or village where the household is legally located. Each member of the household is permanently registered in this official record, irrespective of where he may in fact be living. The law further provides for the establishment, separation, and dissolution of households, the rights and duties of the members and of the head of the household, the manner in which succession to the headship shall be determined, and many other matters, such as the status of adopted and illegitimate children. As a corollary of its recognition of the status of the household as a legal entity, the law provides insofar as possible for the legal preservation of the material support of the household. Consequently it prevents the head of a household from disposing by gift during his lifetime, or by will after his death, of the bulk of his property to other than the heir who will succeed to the headship of the household. If the latter is a lineal descendant of the head, he is entitled to one half of the property; any other successor, such as one chosen by the deceased head or by the family council as the new head of the household, is entitled to one third of the property. Whatever the portion may be in the particular case, the law assures its transmission to the succeeding head of the household by removing from the former head all power of disposition there of by gift or will. This, of course, is not in derogation of the rights of creditors, who may seize all property in satisfaction of the debts owed them, even if this creates an insolvent estate. The same restraint, in benefit of heirs, against total alienation of property is found in the case of the inheritance of property independently owned by an ordinary member of a household. When the heir is a lineal descendant, the law declares that he is entitled to one half of the property of the decedent; if the heir is a spouse or lineal ascendant, he is entitled to a one-third portion; if, however, the heir is the head of the household to which the decedent belonged, he is entitled to none of the property. This latter pro- 151
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vision, which might at first glance seem inequitable, arises from the fact that the restraint on alienation of property is intended to guard the near relatives of the decedent from want, and that no such protection is presumed to be required when the heir is the head of the household. Here, too, restraint on alienation of property does not operate to forestall creditors from enforcing the payment of the obligations owed them, even to the extent of making the estate insolvent. Probate Procedure. Probate of a will or other testamentary writing under Japanese law is merely a procedure of inspection, the object of which is to certify to the actual condition of the will and thus to prevent dispute, forgery, and fraudulent alteration. Immediately following the death of the testator or upon discovery of his will, the latter must be presented to the local court and application made for its probate. The will is then inspected to determine whether it conforms to Japanese laws on the form and manner of executing wills and whether or not it is a forged document or has been fraudulently altered, and the result is recorded in a protocol. The will must always be produced before the local court unopened, out of deference to the presumed desire of the testator. The court then fixes a day for the formal opening of the will and summons the heir or heirs to be present. In the event that they fail to appear, the court has the power to open the will. Any person who fails to present a will to the local court for probate, or who executes it without first having it probated, or opens the will outside of court, is punishable by a fine not exceeding ¥200. In the Izu and Bonin Islands, the eight branch offices of the Tokyo Local Court (see 226) are presumably authorized to handle the probate of wills. 344. Domestic CommerceTrade Centers. The principal centers of commerce in the Izu and Bonin Islands are Habu and Motomura on O-shima, Hommura on Nii-jima, Okago on Hachijo-jima, and Omura on Chichi-jima. These villages have the largest number of persons engaged in commerce, and in them are located virtually all of the organized commercial corporations and partnerships of the islands (see 327). The following table lists by island and village the location of all persons reported as engaged in commerce in 1936:
Interisland Trade. Most of the trade of the Izu and Bonin Islands is with Japan (see 345). A certain amount of trade also takes place among the islands themselves. Part of this comprises local products, but a considerable proportion consists in the distribution of products imported from Japan. The total volume of interisland trade in 1936 was officially reported as ¥245,296, but this figure is not considered reliable. Prices. Official Japanese sources list the wholesale and retail prices prevailing in Tokyo for a number of important commodities, but comparable data are not available for the islands. In the northern Izus, however, prices probably do not differ greatly from those prevailing in Tokyo. In some cases, more over, it is possible to arrive at a rough approximation to local commodity values by dividing the official figure for the total value of the particular commodity produced in the islands by the quantity of such production. The following table shows, in sen, the reported Tokyo retail and wholesale prices and estimated local production values for certain commodities in 1936: 152
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345. Foreign TradeTrade with Japan. In a strict sense, the Izu and Bonin Islands have no foreign trade. So far as is known, all exports are shipped to Japan, and all imports come from that country. In order to distinguish trade with Japan from interisland commerce, however, the former is here considered as foreign trade. Trade with Japan has been steadily increasing in recent years. Exports have kept pace with imports, and have regularly exceeded the latter by a small amount, as is shown in the following table:
Exports. More than half of the exports to Japan from the entire area, and more than two thirds of those from the O-shima district, consist of marine products, of which the most important are fresh and dried fish and gelidium, a seaweed from which agar agar is manufactured. Second in importance are the products of agriculture and animal husbandry, which account for more than half of the exports from the Ogasawara district and for approximately one fourth of those from the entire area; the leading items are vegetables, condensed milk, cheese, sugar, and cattle. About half of the remaining exports are forest products, of which the principal ones are charcoal, decorative plants, and camellia nuts and oil. Among miscellaneous exports, the products of the silk industry are the most important. Official evaluations of exports and production are often at variance with each other, exports being sometimes reported considerably in excess of total production as recorded elsewhere in this volume. The statistical sources offer no explanation for this. Such discrepancies, however, may result in part from differences in the classification of items for the two purposes, from export of a previous year's production, from the addition of transportation expenses, other handling costs, and profits to production values, and from other unreported distinctions in the basis of evaluation. In the case of marine products, where the discrepancies are most striking, direct transportation of 153
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fish to Japan may possibly result in the catch being recorded under exports but not under local production. The following table presents the official statistics on exports from the islands for the year 1936:
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* Includes some dried bonito. Exports are officially reported only in values, not in quantities. In some instances an approximation to the quantities involved can be computed from the statistics on production (see 31 and 32), for which both amounts and values are usually given. Imports. Foodstuffs constitute approximately 40 per cent of all imports to the islands, rice alone accounting for nearly 25 per cent of the total. Of the imported products other than food, the principal items are tobacco, lumber, and cloth. Imports, like exports, are reported only in values. The official statistics on imports in 1936 are shown in the following table:
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35. FINANCE351. CurrencyJapanese Currency. The monetary system of Japan is standard throughout the Izu and Bonin Islands. The basic unit is the yen, which is worth approximately 50 United States cents at par but which had declined in value to about 23 cents prior to the outbreak of war in 1941. Since the occupation of the Gilbert Islands by the American armed forces in December 1943, the ratio established for the conversion of Japanese into American currency has been 20 yen to one American dollar (Hawaii overprint). There are two lesser units in the Japanese monetary system: the sen, representing one one-hundredth of a yen, and the rin, worth one tenth of a sen. The coins and bills in use are those of Japanese central issue. Paper money is current in denominations of 50 sen and probably other fractional yen amounts, 1 yen, 5 yen, 10 yen, 20 yen, 50 yen, 100 yen, and 200 yen. Subsidiary coins in use represent 5 rin, 1 sen, 5 sen, 10 sen, 20 sen, and 50 sen, but the last, and perhaps others, have recently been largely superseded by paper bills. 352. Foreign ExchangeSettlement of Trade Balances. Since the trade of the islands is exclusively with Japan (see 345), there are no transactions in the area involving foreign exchange. All matters pertaining to foreign trade which are relevant to the islands' imports or exports are handled in Tokyo, Osaka, or other foreign trade centers in Japan proper. Few tourists from foreign countries visit the islands, and their exchange requirements are doubtless handled in mainland Japan under the strict Japanese exchange control regulations. 353. Banking, Credit, and InsuranceBanks. The Bank of Japan has a branch at Okago on Hachijo-jima, and another at Omura on Chichi-jima; although not specifically reported, it is likely that the bank also maintains a branch at Motomura on O-shima. Although the nature of the banking transactions handled by these branch offices is not reported, they are probably confined, to commercial transactions. Savings accounts are handled by the post offices, and certain banking functions are performed by the credit associations (see below). Postal Savings. The 23 post offices in the islands offer facilities for postal savings. In 1936 postal savings accounts were maintained by 53 per cent of the population in the O-shima district, by 82 per cent in the Hachijo-jima district, and by 84 per cent in the Ogasawara district. Comparison with the accounts for 1935 reveals an increase of 1,493 in the number of depositors and ¥146,804 in savings. The following table summarizes the information available on deposits and withdrawals during 1936, and the status of postal savings accounts in the island districts at the close of the fiscal year:
Deposits of less than ¥10 are not accepted, and if partial withdrawals are made, at least 50 sen must be maintained in the account. The total amount in the account of any one depositor is limited to ¥2,000. If the amount exceeds the limit, the post office, at the request of the depositor, purchases government bonds with the excess and keeps them for him. The rate of interest for postal savings at the end of March,1937, was 2.76 per cent in Japan proper, and 3.12 per cent in Formosa, Chosen, the Kwantung Leased Territory, and the Mandated Islands. Money deposited bears interest from the beginning of the month in which it is received, unless it is deposited after the 16th of the month. The accrued interest is added to the principal at the close of each fiscal year. Money Orders. The post offices in the islands are reported to handle money orders, but statistics on the number and amounts sent and received are not available. Credit and Cooperative Associations. Mutual benefit associations, almost all of which extend credit to their members, play an important role in the economic life of the islands. Usually this function of extending credit is combined with one or more other 157
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functions, such as cooperative marketing or cooperative buying. These associations fall into four principal types, depending on the main purpose for which they were organized:
The 1936 statistics report the main functions of 20 mutual benefit associations. They may be classified as follows:
In addition, certain fishermen's associations (gyogyo Kumiai) engage primarily in credit operations but also undertake collective marketing and purchasing; organizations of producers of fish products (suisan-kai) engage primarily in marketing with at most only limited credit and purchasing activities; and agricultural associations (nokai), organized primarily for the improvement of agricultural methods, sometimes undertake collective marketing and purchasing as incidental activities. All of these associations operate under government permit, and some of them also under government supervision. In the case of marketing and purchasing associations, for example, the government commonly fixes grades, standards, and prices and offers expert advice and other non-financial assistance. Agricultural associations are usually organized on the initiative of the government, which engages in demonstration work and subsidizes improvements through them. The following is a list of the associations of the various types in the area, with their locations, compiled about 1935:
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An official report on the finances of credit and cooperative associations in the Izu and Bonin Islands is available for the fiscal year 1936, but it covers only ll associations with a total membership of 2,012 and gives only incomplete data on these. The report shows that the eleven associations had a total capitalization of ¥85,970 of which ¥69,037 was paid up, that they had a total of ¥35,855 in outstanding debts, of ¥113,832 in outstanding loans, of ¥77,044 in reserves, and of ¥138,349 in savings, that their marketing and purchasing transactions for the year showed a gross of ¥457,343, and that their operations for the fiscal year showed a net profit of ¥10,916. Insurance. No local insurance companies or underwriters are reported for the islands. The function of insurance is carried on by the household (see 161) and by the various credit and cooperative associations described above. Bankruptcy. Bankruptcy laws are included in the Japanese legal code (see 225). No cases of bankruptcy are reported for the islands. 159
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354. InvestmentsBusiness and Industrial Investments. Aside from land (see 341), the principal investments of individuals are in homes, poultry and livestock, shops, and miscellaneous equipment. Of the larger business organizations in the islands, those with the heaviest investments are engaged primarily in the processing of fish, farm, and forest products. According to official statistics, in 1936 the total amount of capital invested in the islands was ¥2,429,300, distributed according to major economic classifications as follows:
* Includes processing of fish, farm, and forest products. 355. Stock and Commodity ExchangesExchanges. There are no stock or commodity exchanges in the islands. 356. Public FinanceLocal Government Expenditures. The income and disbursements of the local mura (village) and island governments are fully reported in official sources for the fiscal year running from April 1,1936 to March 31,1937. The leading item of expenditure is that for education; followed by that for public works. An analysis of the 1936 fiscal year disbursements of the local governments is shown in the following table:
The principal expenditures listed above are itemized by islands and villages in the following tabulation:
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Of the expenditures not itemized in the above table, most were distributed among the islands and villages in proportions similar to those for the items shown. The principal exceptions are the following: of the ¥87,366 spent on repairs of school buildings, ¥67,786 was expended in Hommura on Nii-jima and ¥10,000 in Senzu on O-shima; of the ¥17,425 for relief and social work, ¥13,126 was spent in Sashikiji on O-shima; of the ¥43,321 for the encouragement of industry, ¥14,545 was spent in Habu on O-shima; of the ¥19,021 for economic planning, ¥15,061 was expended in Hommura on Nii-jima; of the ¥27,132 for endowments, ¥10,941 was spent in Tsubota on Miyake-jima; of the ¥229,395 for miscellaneous expenses, ¥67,476 was spent in Hommura, ¥41,868 in Tsubota, and ¥24,985 in Sashikiji. Local Government Income. The expenditures of the local governments of islands and villages are met only in small part through taxation. In the fiscal year 1937, for example, only ¥168,545 was received in taxes, mainly from poll taxes and land taxes. An additional ¥99,349 was obtained from voluntary contributions. Government properties yielded ¥217,318, and other revenues amounted to ¥275,388. All these sources of income, however, are insufficient to meet the costs of local government, and must be sup- 161
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plemented by subsidies and other grants from the national and prefectural governments. In 1937, for example, the local governments received grants totaling ¥177,565 from the Imperial Treasury and ¥125,708 from the Tokyo Prefecture. The various sources of local government income for the 1936 fiscal year are shown in the following table:
The distribution by islands and villages of the principal categories of income is shown in the following table:
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The specific items of income which did not conform approximately to the proportional distribution of the total income categories shown in the above table were the following: of the ¥21,848 yielded by the business tax, Motomura on O-shima received ¥7,082; of the ¥99,349 in voluntary contributions, Senzu on O-shima received ¥26,145 and Kozushima received ¥17,416; of the ¥54,689 from rents and fees, Habu on O-shima received ¥26,002; of the ¥217,318 in revenue from properties, Tsubota on Miyake-jima received ¥69,920 and Hommura on Nii-jima received ¥43,667; of the ¥199,026 in miscellaneous revenues, Hommura received ¥47,772 and Sashikiji received ¥46,975; of the ¥42,181 in imperial subsidies for special purposes, ¥33,457 was received by the five villages of Hachijo-jima; of the ¥36,989 in assistance from the Imperial Treasury, ¥32,964 was received by Senzu on O-shima; of the ¥125,708 in prefectural subsidies, ¥35,399 was received by Hommura and ¥22,614 by Senzu; of the borrowings totaling ¥82,034, ¥70,000 was raised by Hommura and ¥8,000 by Kozu-shima. Fiscal Participation of the Imperial Government. In contrast to the complete reports on the receipts and expenditures of the Iocal governments in the Izu and Bonin Islands, only scattered information is available on the extent to which the prefectural and Imperial governments participate in the public finances of the area. With respect to the government of Tokyo Prefecture, the only available information is that it makes annual grants in support of the local governments (see above). The Imperial Government makes available even larger annual grants and, in addition, undertakes directly certain outlays in the islands and receives from them certain revenues. The Ministry of Communications offers subsidies to maintain shipping services in the islands. In 1936 such subsidies amounted to ¥36,534, of which ¥14,000 went toward the support of lines operating between the Izu Islands and Japan, ¥20,000 to lines operating between the Bonin Islands and Japan, and ¥2,534 to interisland services within the Ogasawara district. Other funds are made available by the Home Ministry. In 1936, according to incomplete reports, these included ¥31,426 for the encouragement of industry in the Ogasawara district, ¥13,040 for erosion control, in the Hachijo-jima district, ¥31,142 for the maintenance and improvement of waterworks (¥19,726 in the Bonin Islands 163
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and the remainder in the Izus), and ¥4,363 for miscellaneous purposes. Almost certainly the above items do not exhaust the contribution of the Imperial Government to the finances of the islands. Available data on revenues received directly by the Imperial Government from the islands is also incomplete. Tax revenues include direct taxes on land, business profits, and mining, and indirect taxes on the manufacture of liquors and non-alcoholic beverages and the consumption of sugar and silk. In 1936, national land taxes were collected from 6,579 persons, of whom 6,205 paid less than ¥1 each and only two paid more than ¥10. In the same year the national business profits tax yielded ¥2,011, paid by 125 concerns, of which 50 contributed less than ¥10 and 16 more than ¥20 each. Two mines paid taxes totaling ¥306. Taxes on the manufacture of fermented and distilled liquors yielded ¥20,854 in 1936, while a parallel tax on non-alcoholic beverages produced only ¥8. The consumption tax on sugar brought in ¥1,580, and that on silk goods ¥1,087. Imperial revenues from sources other than taxes, in 1936, included ¥30,471 from telegraph offices in the islands. Postal receipts, however, are not reported. In the same year ¥91,056 was received in police revenues, but these are stated to have been disbursed locally and not paid into the Imperial Treasury. The distribution of police revenues by islands and districts was not reported, but the totals are shown in the following table:
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# U. S. G0VERNMENT PRINTING 0FFICE–0–1944
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Notes.
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Source.
Izu and Bonin Islands.
This transcription was made from the volume at the Hathi Trust.
Last updated by Tom Tyler, Denver, CO, USA, Nov 14 2022
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Bonin Islands Notes Source Whalesite |