Ask the Scholar
Page 97 of 119
I can add historical knowledge about this page.
Page image
OCR
SECRET
APPENDIX C
JAPANESE POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS AND STATISTICS
1. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JAPANESE.
As a race the Japanese constitute a relatively homogenous people who appear to
have developed in prehistoric times as a result of the immigration of peoples from
Northern and Southern Asia and their amalgamation with the aboriginal inhabitants
of Japan. Later immigrants from Eastern Asia to whom Japan owes an important
cultural debt, were absorbed into the Japanese racial stream. Significant non-Japa-
nese minorities have only appeared since the Restoration. Of these, the Korean and
Formosan-Chinese groups, made up by voluntary and involuntary migrations from
formerly subject territories of Japan, are the most important. Since the surrender
the size of foreign groups in Japan has been considerably reduced as a result of or-
ganized repatriations of aliens under occupation supervision.
Before the surrender, as was typical in Oriental countries, women were relegated
to an inferior position in Japanese society. Moreover, although the traditional class
system of Japan, consisting of warriors, farmers, artisans, and merchants in that order
with the Imperial Family above all and the pariahs below, was legally abolished after
the Meiji Restoration, it remained very much alive in the attitudes and customs of
the Japanese. Important changes in Japanese social patterns have taken place re-
cently as a result of the defeat and destruction incurred in the War, the economic
chaos that has ensued, and the extensive reforms that have been instituted since the
surrender, especially through the new Constitution. Elevation of the legal position
of women, extension of suffrage and civil liberties, and the elimination of the nobility
and of all hereditary rights except for those of an Imperial Family of limited size
have, along with other political and economic reforms, considerably altered traditional
social relationships. Naturally some time must elapse before Japanese social patterns
stabilize on the basis of these recent developments.
2. JAPANESE POPULATION STATISTICS.
The Japanese population residing in the four main islands on 1 October 1947, ac-
cording to figures released by SCAP, is placed at 78.6 million, an increase of 42 percent
over the population figure of 55.4 million in 1920 when the first census was taken.
In the ten-year period from 1925 to 1935 the annual net increase averaged close
to 1,000,000 but from 1937 to 1947 the statistics give a distorted population picture
by reflecting the effects of war. The main purpose of the 1 October 1947 census, the
third taken since Occupation, was to obtain information on the geographical distribu-
tion and age-sex composition of the population, as well as certain critical data on em-
ployment and unemployment. Calculations are still in progress and data covering
these breakdowns are not available. Compilations only of over-all figures have been
completed.
C-1
SECRET
Page data
- Page
- 97
- Source index
- 0
- Type
- photo
- Media ID
- 377ceca5d46e1ed7
- Size
- unknown
Document data
- ID
- 486500942
- Core
- doc
- Type
- document
DTO data
{
"id": "486500942",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/486500942",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Report, Central Intelligence Agency, Japan, Situation Report 38",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/486500942",
"collections": [
"President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
"Intelligence Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875514/875514-01-001.tif",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875514/875514-01-001.tif",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875514/875514-01-001.tif",
"imageCount": 119,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Context sent to Scholar
Document identity
{
"localId": "486500942",
"label": "Report, Central Intelligence Agency, Japan, Situation Report 38",
"core": "doc",
"dtoType": "document",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/486500942"
}
Document source metadata
{
"id": "486500942",
"sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/486500942",
"contentType": "document",
"title": "Report, Central Intelligence Agency, Japan, Situation Report 38",
"citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/486500942",
"collections": [
"President's Secretary's Files (Truman Administration)",
"Intelligence Files"
],
"iiifBase": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875514/875514-01-001.tif",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875514/875514-01-001.tif",
"largeImageUrl": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875514/875514-01-001.tif",
"imageCount": 119,
"hasImages": true,
"source": "import",
"hasTranscription": false
}
Document source extras
{
"url": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/486500942",
"naId": 486500942,
"levelOfDescription": "item",
"productionDates": [
{
"day": 14,
"logicalDate": "1948-09-14",
"month": 9,
"year": 1948
}
],
"recordType": "description",
"ocrSource": "nara-archive"
}
Page context
{
"seq": 97,
"pageIndex": 0,
"type": "photo",
"url": "https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/truman/hst-psf/602196/875514/875514-01-097.tif",
"mediaId": "377ceca5d46e1ed7",
"ocrText": "SECRET\nAPPENDIX C\nJAPANESE POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS AND STATISTICS\n1. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE JAPANESE.\nAs a race the Japanese constitute a relatively homogenous people who appear to\nhave developed in prehistoric times as a result of the immigration of peoples from\nNorthern and Southern Asia and their amalgamation with the aboriginal inhabitants\nof Japan. Later immigrants from Eastern Asia to whom Japan owes an important\ncultural debt, were absorbed into the Japanese racial stream. Significant non-Japa-\nnese minorities have only appeared since the Restoration. Of these, the Korean and\nFormosan-Chinese groups, made up by voluntary and involuntary migrations from\nformerly subject territories of Japan, are the most important. Since the surrender\nthe size of foreign groups in Japan has been considerably reduced as a result of or-\nganized repatriations of aliens under occupation supervision.\nBefore the surrender, as was typical in Oriental countries, women were relegated\nto an inferior position in Japanese society. Moreover, although the traditional class\nsystem of Japan, consisting of warriors, farmers, artisans, and merchants in that order\nwith the Imperial Family above all and the pariahs below, was legally abolished after\nthe Meiji Restoration, it remained very much alive in the attitudes and customs of\nthe Japanese. Important changes in Japanese social patterns have taken place re-\ncently as a result of the defeat and destruction incurred in the War, the economic\nchaos that has ensued, and the extensive reforms that have been instituted since the\nsurrender, especially through the new Constitution. Elevation of the legal position\nof women, extension of suffrage and civil liberties, and the elimination of the nobility\nand of all hereditary rights except for those of an Imperial Family of limited size\nhave, along with other political and economic reforms, considerably altered traditional\nsocial relationships. Naturally some time must elapse before Japanese social patterns\nstabilize on the basis of these recent developments.\n2. JAPANESE POPULATION STATISTICS.\nThe Japanese population residing in the four main islands on 1 October 1947, ac-\ncording to figures released by SCAP, is placed at 78.6 million, an increase of 42 percent\nover the population figure of 55.4 million in 1920 when the first census was taken.\nIn the ten-year period from 1925 to 1935 the annual net increase averaged close\nto 1,000,000 but from 1937 to 1947 the statistics give a distorted population picture\nby reflecting the effects of war. The main purpose of the 1 October 1947 census, the\nthird taken since Occupation, was to obtain information on the geographical distribu-\ntion and age-sex composition of the population, as well as certain critical data on em-\nployment and unemployment. Calculations are still in progress and data covering\nthese breakdowns are not available. Compilations only of over-all figures have been\ncompleted.\nC-1\nSECRET"
}