Importance In Japan Research Articles

The System of Trade between Japan and the East European Countries, including the Soviet Union

Poor in natural resources, Japan has long been dependent on overseas supply for most of her raw material and fuel requirements. While imports of raw materials and fuel by the United States and West Germany in I970 accounted respectively for I4 per cent and 22 per cent of their total imports, Japan's imports of raw materials and fuel in the same year amounted to about 59 per cent of her total imports. In addition, Japan depends on imports from foreign countries for Ioo per cent of her wool, raw cotton, and nickel; 98 per cent of her petroleum; 95 per cent of her iron ores; and 55 per cent of her industrial coal. Such being the case, one of the guiding principles in Japan's foreign trade policy has been to expand trade with any country, regardless of its political system. Japan was plagued by a gap between her economic growth and her international balance of payments until the mid-Ig60's and, in order to improve this situation, promotion of exports was given highest priority. Thus, efforts have been made to expand trade with the Soviet Union and East European countries on a commercial basis. After the resumption of private foreign trade in 1949, trade between Japan and the Soviet Union and East European countries was conducted at a low level for some time. However, since the conclusion of a treaty of commerce and an agreement on trade and payment with the Soviet Union in 1957, and the conclusion of treaties of commerce with Poland and Czechoslovakia in 1958 and I959, Japan's trade with Eastern Europe has increased yearly. In I970, the total of Japanese trade with this area broke the $i billion mark ($822 million in trade with the Soviet Union, and $218 million in trade with East European countries). However, these figures account for only 2.2 per cent and 0.6 per cent respectively of Japan's total world trade in 1970. Compared to the figures for Japanese trade with the United Kingdom and West Germany-$I.5 billion and $3.6 billion respectively-they are still at a relatively low level.

New Zealand's Economic Interests in Southeast Asia

One would hardly expect New Zealand, whose population has yet to reach three million and which still exports very largely pastoral and forest products, to play a really significant part in Asian trade. Nevertheless surprise, or disappointment, may well be felt at the trifling contribution revealed by Table 1. Most of New Zealand's Asian exports go to Japan but, in 1967, were less than 1 per cent of Japan's total imports, and the remainder going to developing Asian countries were less than 1/3 per cent of their imports. New Zealand, in fact, exports more to Australia than to them, although they have a vastly bigger population and Australia has a range of export industries which compete with those of New Zealand.

Japan's Trade with Communist China

Japan relies heavily on foreign trade for its economic development. With limited territory and teeming population-100 million people living in an area slightly smaller than California, and a deficiency in natural resources to sustain the rapid growth of its industries-imports constitute a very significant part of its national income.1 Tadashi Adachi, Chairman of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, concluded in 1966 that Japan's economic development depended entirely upon the development of its foreign trade.2 For these and other reasons, foreign trade has always been a major consideration in the foreign policy of contemporary Japan. After the Meiji Restoration of 1868, Japan's trade with China began to expand, but in that period it was Great Britain that dominated China's foreign trade. For example, in 1880, China's trade with Japan represented only 3% of its total foreign trade while trade with Great Britain accounted for 77%. By 1926, however, this situation had changed drastically and the volume of Sino-Japanese trade had surpassed that of Sino-British trade.3 From 1930 to 1939, the China trade became increasingly important to Japan's economy, reaching 21% of Japan's total annual exports and 12.4% of its total annual imports.4 With the control of more Chinese territories during World War II, China became the leading trade partner of Japan. The close trade relationship between Japan and China prior to 1940 can also be illustrated by Japan's dependence on imports of key industrial materials from China. From 1934 to 1936, China supplied 34% of Japan's import of iron ore, 38.6% of salt, 68.4% of coal and 71.3% of soybeans.5 As a source of Japanese imports, China was next only to the United States and Korea in total trade volume. As a market for Japanese exports, China ranked first among Japan's trade partners. On the China side, in 1938, Japan was

NOTES ON FLIES OF MEDICAL IMPORTANCE IN JAPAN. XIX. DESCRIPTIONS ON TWO NEW SPECIES OF SARCOPHAGID FLIES FROM THE AMAMI-OSHIMA IS.

Descriptions of two new species of sarcophagid flies, Parasarcophaga oshimensis and Pierretia (Pseudothyrsocnema) kanekoi from the Amami-oshima Islands are given.

The Role of Japan in the Intraregional Trade of the Far East

IN the Far East, the overall volume of intraregional trade is not as substantial as that of Europe, but much larger than that of Latin America.2 One rather unique and very interesting feature of Far Eastern intraregional trade is that one country, namely, Japan, stands out prominently, from the point of view of both the character and magnitude of its trade. Japan contributed about one-third of the Far Eastern intraregional trade in the immediate prewar years (32.3 per cent for 1935, 34.5 per cent for 1937, and 38.o per cent for I938). Immediately after the cessation of hostilities, its share suffered a sharp reduction, but again became a significant percentage of the total in 1949 (I6.5 per cent). The ratio of Far Eastern intraregional trade to its total export, and Japan's share in intraregional trade showed a tendency to fluctuate together.3 Since Japan's share was about one-third in the prewar period and its intraregional imports were related to the volume of total intraregional exports, several questions may be raised with regard to the future role of Japan in the intraregional trade of the Far East. What are the initial and secondary effects of Japan's imports from the Far East on the intraregional exports of the countries of this region? Does such relationship in the prewar period remain true in the postwar period? If there is a change of preand postwar relationships, what are some of the reasons for the change? How are Japan's imports from the Far East related to the over-all exports of the region to all countries? This paper is a preliminary attempt at an analysis of the above questions.

American Trade and Japanese Aggression

SOBER, factual analysis of American trade relations with Japan since 1937 leads to even more disturbing conclusions than are usually entertained on this important issue. Many Americans are uneasily aware that the United States has been the main supplier of Japan's imports of war materials for these three years, a period in which the destructive Japanese assault on China has been relentlessly pursued. A much smaller number of Americans realize that the United States has also been the principal market for Japanese goods, supplying an overwhelmingly larger share of Japan's foreign exchange than any other country outside the yen bloc. Very few Americans, finally, are conscious of the changing composition of Japanese-American trade, and of the significance of this phenomenon in relation to Japan's industrial structure. These three factors are essential to a rounded treatment, even if only in summary form, of the current status of Japanese-American trade. A balanced picture cannot be obtained unless the United States is constantly regarded both as the prime source of Japan's imports and the largest external (non-yen bloc) market for Japanese goods. The dynamic factor is added by consideration of the new forms, and the special direction, being taken by this trade, which supply indications as to trends for the future. In this article I have made a special effort to marshal the relevant factual data in outline and tabular form. I have necessarily interpreted this material in the light of my own judgments, but trust that the data offered will enable readers to reach their independent conclusions. On the export side, in particular, I have drawn heavily on the bulletins issued by Dr. Hu Tun-yuan, of the Chinese Council for Economic Research, whose accurate and painstaking analyses of JapaneseAmerican trade statistics deserve wider circulation and much greater recognition than they have thus far achieved.

The Naval Arm of Diplomacy in the Pacific

RHAPS the most important single factor creating tension in the Pacific region is the teeming millions of Japan. Any summary of Pacific problems must therefore begin with a reference to the necessities of Japanese policy and the inevitable friction with other powers arising from them. Only i6 per cent of the land in Japan is arable. The position of the peasant class, forming about half of the total population, is desperate. Emigration to America and Australia is impossible, and emigration to countries under Japanese control can hardly be called successful. Perhaps the reason why the Japanese would prefer to settle in California, Brazil and Australia, instead of in Manchuria, is that their trend is toward Western ideas and Western standards of material comfort. Emigration, at any rate, is no solution for the population problem of Japan. Industrialization is another matter. The success with which Japan has built up her industries must be acknowledged with admiration. The weak point in this industrialization is the lack of raw materials, which account for 6o per cent of Japan's total imports. Industrialization, moreover, is of no significance without an export trade, and Japanese commercial policy therefore inevitably causes difficulties with other countries. Heavy industry involves a demand for control of the areas from which raw materials are obtained (Manchukuo: iron and coal!); and trade involves a demand for the control of mar' kets in which goods are consumed. This fundamentally is the explanation of the aggressiveness of Japanese policy. Essential imports are iron, raw cotton, wool, rubber, timber, special steels, nickel, tin and aluminum; but it is sufficient to speak here of the strategic weakness of Japan's dependence on petrol and oil supplies controlled by other nations.