Press translations [Japan]. Economic Series 0179, 1946-01-18.
Date18 January, 1946
translation numbereconomic-0828
call numberDS801 .S81
Persistent Identifier
ECONOMIC SRIES: 179
ITPM 1 Definite Proposal On Food Rationing An Interview with Mr. MATSUMURA, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry - Magazine: Jikyoku Joho - Jan 1946 Issue. Translator: T/4 Tamura T/4 Amano.
Summary:
At a recent interview with Mr. MATSUMURA, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, the
following information was disclosed: in
order to relieve the present food shortage in JAPAN, permission has been requested
of the Allies to import 3,000,000 tons of
food. The amounts and varieties to be imported will probably carry us through the
crisis which is expected about June or July.
It is not definite just how payment for these goods will be made, but it will probably
be by barter.
Rice will be imported from KOREA, FORMOSA, SIAM, FRENCH INDOCHINA, and MA CHURIA.
Wheat will be imported from AMERICA and
CANADA. The amounts to be imported are calculated to give us the same rations as during
the war. In the event that this turns
out to be insufficient, it is our policy to make use of our unutilized materials.
Up to now the stalks of sweet potatoes,
mulberry leaves, starch, acorn, seaweed, and arrowhead roots have been used as food
for animals and as fertilizer, but this
year we will convert half of those into flour.
The milling factories were destroyed by bombs but we have requested the Government
to construct new machinery. Flour is
important but rice is our basic food. The farmers were relied upon to furnish rice
for the people, but due to bad crops this
became impossible. Therefore, the Government has been asked to release their stores.
If the farmers are able to give over 70
per cent of their quota of foods to the Government, they will be given one hyo of
rice and one kan of fertilizer. Those who
supply over their quota will be giver one Hyo of rice and three kan of fertilizer.
Up to now, many city people have been going out to the country to buy rice and as
a result the supplies coming into the city
have been cut off. The law only punished those persons selling rice, but now a new
law has cone into effect whereby the buyers
will also be punished. With, the co-operation of the people and with the aid of the
Allied Nations we will conquer our
difficulties and resume our normal living conditions.
ECONOMIC SERIES: 179 (Continued)
ITEM 2 Monetary Funds in Rural Districts - Nippon Sangyo Keizai - 17 Jan 46. Translator: R. Aoki.
Full Translation:
Bank deposits, postal saving accounts, cash, and other monetary funds of the rural
districts are estimated to reach
50,000,000,000 yen. Deposits at the Central Bank of Agriculture and Forestry (NORIN
CHUO KINKO), the most authoritative
financial institution for farmers, have been reported, at the end of last November,
as 12,670,000,000 yen. Deposits with the
local agricultural associations, in a sense the local agents of the above Central
Bank, have been reported, as 5,500,000,000
yen. Deposits at the Central Bank in June 1938 were 1,240,000,000 yen. These deposits
in the Central Bank were chiefly the
payments for farm produce delivered through the official channels.
The postal saving accounts of the farmers are estimated at 20,000,000,000 yen, or
about half the total of postal accounts.
According to a survey made by a financial institution (The KUMIAI KINYU KYOKAI) the
average cash holdings of farmers in 40
villages was 500 to 1,000 yen per family.
Loans to farmers from the Central Bank of Agriculture and Forestry have been almost
at a standstill during the past seven and
a half years. The actual amount at the end of November 1945, was 1,200,000,000 yen.
The standstill of loans to the farmers
illustrates, on one hand, the reduction of important transactions due to the shortage
of desired materials, such as farm
equipment, fertilizer, etc; while on the other hand, it illustrates the farmers' ability
to pay cash for purchases.
For the most part, the farmers are now prosperous, but at the same time, they are
unable to make reinvestments for
agricultural improvements. The farmers in JAPAN, therefore, are prospering on plunder,
that is, exploiting the soil without
means of nurturing it.
ITEM 3 Banknote Issue Up Again - Nippon Sangyo Keizai Shimbun - 17 Jan 46. Translator: H. Shindo.
Full Translation:
The value of banknotes issued by the Bank of JAPAN was 54, 900 million yen according
to its ten-day report made on 10 January.
This figure is 537 million yen lower than the one for the last ten days.
The absorption of currency has been unsatisfactory since the beginning of this year.
The issuance of bank notes, on the
contrary, has increased, reaching 51,300 million yen on 15 January. If this tendency
continues, issuance of notes is bound to
surpass the high of 55,400 million yen recorded at the end of last year.
Loans have decreased due to the absorption of cash. The decreased figures in bonds
and other securities' accounts have
resulted from their disposal by sale to the Government. The accounts of agencies and
nr see laneous accounts have decreased,
mainly because agencies' deposits were drawn out, and national revenue was greater
than expected. On the other hand, the
figures shown in the liabilities column in the ten-day report explain themselves.
- 2 -
ECONOMIC SERIES: 179 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
Government deposits are 20 million yen less. This is because of amounts used buying
food purchasing bonds by the Government.
The statistics of the ten-day report follow: Ten-Dap Report by the Bank of JAPAN (Unit 1,000 yen;
asterisk shows a decrease)
| Liabilities | On 10 January | Difference from Preceding 10 Day Period |
| Issued Bank Notes | 54,902,962 | 537,758* |
| Government Deposit | 17,755,867 | 20,752* |
| Other Deposits | 3,863,492 | 295,899* |
| Miscellaneous | 1,622,355 | 65,138 |
| Capital and Reserve Funds | 211,810 | ——— |
| Total | 78,356,487 | 789,222* |
| Assets | ||
| Loan | 37,478,399 | 359,994* |
| Cash and Bullion | 531,774 | 1,473* |
| Bonds and Other Securities | 17,053,754 | 72,628* |
| Agencies | 18,470,470 | 117,816* |
| Miscellaneous | 4,767,089 | 237,309* |
| Capital Unpaid | 55,000 | ———- |
| Total | 78,356,487 | 789,222* |
ITEM 4 200,000 "Phantom" Population In TOKYO - Asahi Shimbun _- 17 Jan 46. Translator: K. Sato.
Full Translation:
According to an investigation made by the Metropolitan Food Section (TO SHOKURYOKA
on 1 December 1945, there exists a 200,000
"Phantom" population in TOKYO. The entire population of TOKYO registered as entitled
to rations is 3,772,560 individuals or
948,357 families. Of this number there 69,475 individuals or 10,763 families of farmers
who do not receive rations. If the
latter figure is subtracted from the farmer, the balance will be 3,703,085 individuals
and 937,594 families who are entitled
to rations. But the actual number of persons receiving rations are 3,845,656 (936,473
families) according to the report made
by the Foodstuffs Corporation (SHOKURYO EIDAN) Comparing these two reports, according
to the Foodstuffs Corporation, there are
1,121 fewer families and 140,571 more persons in TOKYO than are shown by the Metropolitan
Foodstuffs Section's report. It is
supposed by the authorities that the figure of the phantom population 142,571 will
be increased to about 200,000.
The metropolitan authorities think this difference is mainly due to incorrect reports
by the people who are receiving rations.
Meanwhile the metropolitan authorities made another survey and found that the "phantom"
population had increased by about
100,000 during November. Since then there have been very frequent changes caused by
the return of evacuees, demobilized
soldiers, and repatriates to the city, [illegible]Therefore, the so-called [illegible]population in TOKYO will be more than 200,000.
During the present food shortage, 400 koku of rice is being consumed daily by the
phantom population. The most vicious
instance of this fact is the case of transients who are re-
- 3 -
ECONOMIC SERIES: 179 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
ceiving help from the Government on the one hand, and sell the rights of the rations
at enormous prices on the other. The
immediate awakening of TOKYO citizens and their independent action is most necessary
in order to solve this problem.
ITEM 5 All Articles For Sale Must Indicate Amount of Sales Tax-Mainichi Shimbun - 17 January 46. Translator: S. Iwata.
Full Translation:
The Stall-keeper Trade Association (ROTENSHO DOGYO KUMIAI) whose directors met at
the SHITAYA Public Hall on 16 January,
passed four resolutions to be effective after 17 January.
- 1.No silk goods are to appear for sale after 17 January.
- 2.All prices of goods at every street-stall will be written in English and Japanese.
- 3.The sign, "Bright, Cheerful, Free Market for You" will be hung at the entrance raid exit of every market.
- 4.All articles for sale will indicate whether they are taxed or not in order to prevent tax-dodging.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
- 4 -
Loading...