The Rayon Industry in Japan

Abstract

I N RECENT years, nothing has attracted more attention and comment in the textile world than the amazing growth of the Japanese rayon industry. Within the span of 14 years, from 1918 to 1932, Japan increased her rayon production 700 times, with the result that Japan is today one of the world's four great rayon producers. In 1918 Japan's rayon production was 100,000 pounds; in 1924 it jumped to 1,368,000 pounds, and in 1932 it reached the unprecedented figure of 70,389,600 pounds. To attain their present position, the rayon producers of Japan had to overcome many obstacles, of which the two more difficult were: (1) the persistent resentment of the manufacturers and, (2) the cold refusal of the Japanese public to accept rayon as a useful commodity. However, the manufacturers finally gave in, and the attitude of the people changed. Today almost 52% of the rayon manufactured in Japan is consumed there, mostly by women in the form of rayon kimono and natsuobi or summer sashes. The more important rayon nianufacturing prefectures in Japan are Fukui, Gumma, Kyoto, Ishikawa, and Aichi. Of these Fukui comes first. That prefecture has been known for centuries as the principal manufacturer of textiles. When artificial silk made its appearance, it was natural for the manufacturers of Fukui to be the first to experiment with the new product. Fukui produces a little over 10%, while Fukui, Gumma, Kyoto, and Ishikawa combined, produce more than one-half of the total rayon manufactured in Japan. The year 1918, which marked the end of the World War, was the starting point of the phenomenal growth of the Japanese rayon industry. It was in that year that the rayon producers, who had been previously manufacturing guncotton, primarily to supply the needs of the army, suddenly turned their interest to commercial rayon production. Their concern was aroused specially, when European rayon began to pour into Japanese markets in appreciable quantities. By the purchase of foreign patents and with the aid of experts from abroad, coupled with the consistent, energetic support of the Imperial Government, Japanese rayon producers trimmed themselves into first-class condition for the world's production contest. At first, rayon was manufactured primarily to meet the needs of home markets. Shortly after the interest of the Japanese people was captured, merchants in other countries began to send orders for the product. The neighboring country, China, has been one of Japan's early and great markets for rayon. After China placed a boycott on Japanese goods in 1932, the market there was considerably curtailed. However, as relations between the two countries improve, Japan will probably capture again a large market in her neighbor's territory. For many years, due to her low tariff, Germany has been a large purchaser of Japanese rayon. But a recent raise in the German tariff and increased rayon production there have virtually closed that market to outsiders. The United States, heretofore, imported a large quantity of rayon from Japan. In June 1929 America placed