The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1925, Page 99

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

99

Japan has no less than twenty active volcanoes,
and destructive earthquakes are frequent. In fact,
Japan seems to occupy the center of the volcanic
activities of the earth, and slight tremors of the
earth’s surface are very frequent.

The mountainous surface of Japan, together
with the narrowness of the islands, results in many
short streams, which tumble down from the central
mountain range running through all the main
islands in narrow, tumultuous channels to the sea.

Three-fourths of the land is uncultivable and
about one half of the remaining fourth cannot be
brought under the plow. There are no farms, but
only gardens. ‘The arable soil is only moderately
fertile, and it is only by the most intensive cultiva-
tion, hard work, and the utmost frugality that
Japan is able to take care of its millions. Like
the people of Great Britain, the Japanese must
emigrate and find a livelihood in distant lands. If
this fact is remembered, it can easily be understood
why for economical reasons already the restriction
of Asiatic immigration into our country should be
so very unwelcome to the Japanese, and why this
new policy of our Government should have seriously
threatened the friendly relations between Japan
and the United States.

Products and Industries.

Fishing is probably a more ancient means of
gaining a livelihood in Japan than agriculture. Of
the two gods of daily food, seen in almost every
Japanese home, one sits on two bags of rice, the
native staff of life, and the other holds a fish under
his left arm, while his right hand grasps a fishing-
pole. The principal agricultural crops are rice,
wheat, barley, oats, beans, fruits, and vegetables of
many kinds. Some of the land yields two crops
a year. Tea, silk, rice, and camphor are Japan’s
chief contributions to the world’s markets. While
the silk is not of a superior quality and the tea of
Japan is not as popular as it used to be, the rice
is of a good grade, and its camphor supply ranks
as the best and largest in the world. The country
also exports a number of small articles, such as
toys, matches, dishes, vases, toilet articles, lacquer
ware, jewelry, and the like.

Climate.

Extending over so wide a latitude and having
mountain-tops from which the snow never disap-
pears, it is but natural that Japan’s climate should
have a wide range. In the northern islands there
is much cold, and snow falls in great abundance

during the winter months, but the summers are
cool and bracing. On the southern islands there
is very little snow, and the winters are mild, while
the summers have much hot and damp weather.
The heavy rainfall is favorable to agricultural crops
and makes possible a double crop on the same piece
of ground in one season. Numerous mountain re-

sorts provide welcome retreats during the hot sum-
mer months for those who are in a position to take
advantage of them.

An Ainu Taking His Meal.

Public Improvements.

The material improvements that are to be met
with in Japan are many. The whole empire is
connected with a main line of railroad, which has
many side lines as feeders. Travel is cheap, com-
fortable, and reasonably rapid. ‘The postal and
telegraph systems are quite efficient. Transporta-
tion by steamship has made great progress. Small,
rapid coasting steamers take care of the home com-
merce, while fleets of large ocean steamships from
Japan are successfully competing with the mercan-
tile marine of Europe and America. Every larger
city has its manufacturing plants, and all kinds of
industries are being rapidly developed. The cotton
mills of Japan have prospered particularly, and the

‘