Oetice of Strategic Services Research and Analysis Branch
JAPAN:
During the last six months, the Japanese economy has deteriorated more rapidly than at any time since the start of the Pacific War. For the average Japanese the winter just past was one of constant strain. Tbe weather was said to be the coldest inears; severe earthquakes occurred In Hokkaido and in central Japan; and Allied air raids steadily mounted in scale. War plant dispersal, evacuation, and the destruction of housing facilities in sir raids has caused severe dislocation not only in the cities but also in the rural areas receiving the flow of refugees.
Every phase of Japanese life has been constricted by the war. The Government has demanded increased sacrifices of all kinds from the citizenryay work week. The first tendency towardcurrency inflation since the start of the warecent steep rise in war expenditure. The people, caught between inflated costs, high taxes, and compulsory savings, are finding it hard to make ends meet in spite of Increased salaries.
Despite claims that Japan's existing labor supply is sufficient, the Government has continued to take measures to enlarge it. On5 males betweenndnd single females betweenndere made subject to call for home defense as well as for war production. Previously these groups could only be called up for work in certainindustries. Much emphasis has been placed on monthlyquotas In war plants, and in November Tokyo promoted the "special-attack spirit"ropaganda device designed to inspire civilians as well as the military to make greater sacrifices for the war.esult many factories have organized special units whose members pledge to extend their working hours and outdo the monthly quotas.
Unmarried women are widely employed in food and munitionsshipyards, offices, aircraft plants, and the transportationSchool and university schedules are closely geared to make the fullest use of the student groupource of labor for fanning, mining, and munitions factories. School children, for example, are said to be growing potatoes andTicc as well as carrying on the work formerly done byThey are told not to play with toys, but to study and work.
Evacuation has reduced Tokyo4 population of over 7to lessillion. Compulsory mass evacuation measures, with special emphasis on children and nonessential adults, were intensified after the heavy March air raids demonstrated the inadequacy of shelters and defense precautions. Measures taken to restrain essential workers from fleeing the cityigh degree of confusion and terror. Many people have been forced to live in cellars or shacks constructed from debris. Family life has been severely disrupted.
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The procuremenl of such essentials as food, fuel, and clothing hasreat problem for the people of Japan. Despite fairly successful attempts to achieve self-sufficiency within the Inner Zone, Japan still depends on imports for twenty percent of her food supply. Now thatfrom the southern regions have been cut off, Japan will becomedependent on stocks accumulated over the last two or three years to maintain the present level of consumption. Japanese farmers are being, heavily pressed to Increase the production of their fieldsritical lack of fertiliser needed to enrich tiie poor fanning soli. But on the whole they are belter off than city-dwellers. Besides having less to fear from air raids, the farmers alone in all Japan go to bed at night with full stomachs. In the cities the grounds of many schools and temples are being transformed into vegetable gardens. The lawns of at least one zoo are growing food, and Its cages have been adapted for the raising ofgoats, and hogs.
Flah Is scarce because of insufficient equipment and labor, and meat and dairy products, always minor items In the Japanese diet, havealmost completely. Scientists are continually experimenting with new foods Dolphin meat has been found to be the most tasty of all the aca mammals, while the skin can be used for shoes and the brain oil for lubrication purposes Seals and sharks have been found to be veryapanese commentator who said.annot say that our food Isay have been thinking of the new ersatz sugar, thebeer, or the table butter made from silkworms.
Although there have been no serious epidemics, public health In Japan has declinedesult of malnutrition, inordinate working hours, and poor housing, heating, and clothing. Tuberculosis, for example, has been Increasing especially among factory workers. Large-scale evacuation of cities has aggravated the health situation. People are crowded Into small villages where unhygienic conditions prevail and no adequatefacilities exist. Throughout Japan thereerious scarcity of fuel, woolens, overcoats, and shoes,ack of doctors, dentists, and
The Governments conservation program has affected practically every aspect of city life. Restaurants have been closed down by theand have been replaced to some extent by community kitchensby womenewspapers have been limited to two pages except on special days when four are permitted, and large numbers of periodicals have been discontinued. Tokyo's rail service has been greatly curtailed with tickets issued only to military and government personnel on urgent business. Streetcars haul vegetables and fish In addition to passengers, and seats have been removed to accommodate more people. There are repeated drives for metals of all kinds, and children are urged to collect such items as fallen leaves for fertilizer and orange peels which are said to be useful In the preparationertain drug. The textilehas Increasingly forced women to substitute trousers for the kimono and wide obie.
Such entertainment as Is available In Japan appears to ofTer little real relaxation. Newspapers contain little but war news slanted to incite the Japanese citizen to work harder, and the available movies deal almost exclusively with war topics.educed number of moviesesult of air raids and Government edicts, the Japanese are turning more and more to the radio for entertainment, but even here they complain about the excessive -sermons andheis constantly told that the war may last ten or twenty years and0 Japanese must be killed before Japan can bene of the most popular forms of relaxation for the average Japanese, the public bath, is restricted and overcrowded due to manpower and fuel shortages. Although the number of national saloons has Increased, Tokyo citizens have to stand In lineso buy an expensive drink of sake or other liquor.
Original document.
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