Economy of the Empire of Japan

Government economic administration (Meiji through World War II)

The official government entities which guided the Japanese national economy were the Economy and Finance Ministry. the Bank of Japan, and the Industry and Commerce Ministry. For military spending there was the Marine and War Ministry, and other important government entities.

Investment in Korea (through World War II)

In 1932, Japan invested $550,000,000 and similarly invested $320,000,000 in 1938. This investment produced a return of 400% in industrial monetary value.

In the fishing industry, Japan extracted a value of $20,000,000 annually. This is a high per capita statistic in fishing and comprised 15% of world fishing volumes.

The Noguchi Family put their principal investments in Banking commerce and Industry in this province. With their funds, zaibatsu and the Japanese government founded the Bank of Chosen, the central banking institution in the province, which stayed linked with the Central Bank of Manchou, the Manchu central bank.

Other significant industries were chemicals (30%) and Metal and machinery (10%) with a total 1,000,000 of workers in these areas, plus woodworking, textile, foods and handcrafts.

Japan developed 4,000,000 acres (16,000 km²) for rice and 4,000,000 acres (16,000 km²) for rye and mice, and another 3,000,000 acres (12,000 km²) for soybean, wheat, tobacco and cotton. 7% of peasant families were employed in this cultivation which produced 5,000,000 tonnes annually. The harvest supported 1,700,000 cows, 1,400,000 pigs and others.

Fishing (World War II era)

The important Okhotsk fisheries had a value of ¥50 million. Other fisheries in Chosen, Karafuto, South Mandate and Formosa came to ¥122,000,000 and ¥358,000,000 from Japan proper, for a total of ¥480,000,000 (1938 figures). Secondary products from fishing had a value of ¥150 million to ¥200 million. (From another source, fishing values were of ¥235,000,000 and ¥275,000,000 during 1919 to 1913, more than the British.)

Coastal fishing represented 61% of the total value, with a fleet of 364,260 small boats of which 20% had engines; the rest were sailing boats. High seas fishing represented 28% of the industry, with whaling, coral and pearl collecting and a little physiculture on land making up the rest. The high seas vessels operated in the North Pacific area (Alaska coasts), to the South Pacific. During Japanese administration the fishing in the Kwantung leased territory was 61,000 tonnes.

In 1938, the fish factory vessels packed 204,000,000 packages of crab, and 370 packages of sea salmon. In the same year, four whale hunting vessels fished in waters around the Antarctic. Factories were built in Chisima, Hokkaidō, Karafuto, Taiwan, Chosen, Kyūshū, Shikoku and other coastal areas to process fish products.

Forestry products (World War II era)

Local forestry represented a production of 14,000,000 meters of wood with a value of ¥75,000,000, a total value of ¥50,000,000 in cut wood, ¥3,000,000 in bamboo and other secondary wood products for a total value of ¥100,000,000. The local forests covered 200,000 km², 90,000 km² under State administration or Imperial Family reserves and taking part in scientific forest research during latter years. Coal of wood was valued at 100,000,000 yen. The Sugi (Scryptomeria Japonica), representing a quarter of the total quantity, Pine more than 20%in quantity and value and the Hinoki (Chamaecypaaris Obtusa) only 1/4% of quantity, but more than 9% in value.

Despite many forests and their importance, Japan continued to buy wood overseas. In accord with another dates, Japan had 200,000 km² of forest, 100,000 km² in private hands, the other 75,000 km² in state control and 12,000 km² owned by the Imperial House. Wood exports were made to the rest of the Japanese empire and to foreign markets.

Paper and cellulose industry

Since ancient times, Japan has manufactured assorted paper types by hand. A modern mechanized industry appeared in 1872 and became one of the most important industries in the nation. The total production was about 1,000,000 tonnes of paper and cardboard. cellulose paste, the principal prime material, was made in Shikoku, Hokkaidō and Karafuto. The Cellulose production resulted in 8% of U.S. manufacture; the Cellulose industry in Japan developed in Shikoku, North Honshū, Hokkaidō, Chosen, Manchukuo and Karafuto. In Karafuto was the Shiretoru Cellulose Factory, the most advanced installation dedicated to the cellulose industry in all of East Asia. The first place where European-type paper was manufactured in Japan was in the city of Shikuka. Additionally, to complement this local production, these products were sold in Canada and the United States of America.

North Sakhalin and Japanese-Russian fishing convention

The Japanese and Russian oil wells, in the same oil zone, were strictly controlled to ensure equitable exploitation. The pits stayed in direct connection with the Moskalvo port in the west coast of Ohka through a network of oil pipelines.

In 1925, the Soviet Government granted Japan petroliferous and carbonaceous concessions in North Sakhalin to Mitsubishi, Itoh-Korada, Mitsui and other Japanese Companies for a period of 45 years. By Protocols and agreements signed in Moscow in May 1944, these concessions expired 26 years before the accorded time in 1970, while a new Japanese-Russian accord over fishing conventions agreed to the formal retirement of some Japanese fisheries in the Far East to Japanese concessors, the right of Soviet Organizations to buy annually and for auction 10% of Japanese fish shares, and a supplementary payment in gold for Japanese owners.

When modifying these fishing conventions in 1928, according to the activities of Soviet Fishing Organizations, citizens were subject to substantial reductions. The Japanese-Russian accord of March 1944 cancelled all restrictions previously observed.

Japanese subjects and foreigners were banned from fishing in certain maritime zones in the Far East under an agreement with the Soviet Government made in July 1941. The Japanese Government also guaranteed that fishing rights on the East Coast of Kamchatka and Olyutorsk were not taken up by the Japanese.

Birth rates

Some dates and figures:

These programs were guided by Katsuko Tojo, General Tojo's wife. She said wives should have seven children and suggested this should be the correct Japanese mother. This included participation by the central government, as she suggested creating one program for increasing the number of marriages.

Naval construction industry

In 1893 naval construction was in the range 177,000 to 1,528,000 tonnes. In 1913 this increased to 3,565,000 tonnes. In 1924 with 237 500-tonnes vessels and 11 10,000-tonnes and reaching 4,140,000 tonnes in 1928. The Japanese Navy was third in the world behind British and American Navies and dominated the West Pacific area before the war. The first modern Shipyard was built in 1891, and since then naval construction rapidly advanced. Japanese boats of more than 100 tonnes represented a total registered tonnage of 5,007,000 tonnes out of 1,198,000 corresponding to naval construction of 1936-1938. This put Japan in third place between maritime powers, a notable realization in such short time. The old vessels were destroyed or disarmed which is why the regular fleet was efficient and modern. Without scarcity of Petrol, much of these modern vessels were designed for that energy source.

Military industry

This sector was important from the First Chinese-Japanese war to the Pacific War.

Large industrial groups received large investment for making weapons for Japanese Army and Navy in national war efforts. In military aircraft industry exist the next names of important companies how:

For the Japanese Navy:

For the Japanese Army:

For both armed branches:

For Manchukuo and the Japanese Army:

and other related companies.

In other war material, the name of Nambu Company are charged for making hand weapons for both armed branches, the Mitsubishi heavy Industries with your subsidiaries (Hitachi Company, Ikegai Iron works, Sagami Arsenal (factory) and others) possess the contract to manufacture the second Tank Type in use for armed forces the Medium Tank Type 97 or Chi-Ha and Shinhoto-Chi-Ha with a total of 1,049 units made in 1938-1941.

The shipyards of Mitsubishi and Kawasaki heavy industries jointly with Naval arsenals making the war vessels and Submarines need for Japanese navy and exist other industrialist groups why manufactured other equipments needed for these war efforts too. Apart debt at your agreements with Germany, theirs receiving much military technology and samples of weapons for develop in country or Japanese government buying any licenses to making and the prototypes for same purpose too.

Additionally Japanese before and during last times of war, developed some types of unusual military combat infantry techniques, artifacts, special weapons and certain weapons of mass destruction between other various bellicose equipment. Theirs are collectively named "Japanese Secret and Special Weapons".

For this, also see "Japanese Secret and Special Weapons".