JAPANESE PLANS FOR ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27917, 14 March 1956, Page 10

JAPANESE PLANS FOR ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION

(From a Reuter Correspondent)

TOKYO. Almost half a century since a Japanese Navy lieutenant went to the South Pole region in a 400-ton wooden vessel, Japanese scientists were last month busy drawing up plans for Japan’s “come-back” to the Antarctic. Lieutenant Nobu Shirase—the first to plant a Japanese flag in the Antarctic in 1912, had only limited funds, no official backing and was reportedly either ignored or considered crazy when he set out in 1910. Last month, there were plans to build a “Shirase Memorial Hall,” and one newspaper had a special “Antarctic Desk” covering preparations for a Japanese expedition to the world’s last unknown continent.

Japan will join 11 other countries in carrying out scientific observations in the Antarctic during the international Geophysical Year. She will spend the equivalent of £1,000.000 on the venture.

Japanese scientists say openly that they-Jexpect much of Antarctica in the future. If scientific , development continues, the icy continent may one day be open for settlement, japan, with a population of 89,000.000 packed into an area of only 140.000 square miles, is always looking for new areas where her underfed surplus population might be welcomed.

The Japahes.e expedition will establish its base on Prince Harald coast, located between Princess Ragnhild coast and Prince Olav coast. The Japanese, base will be 800 kilometres from Australia’s expedition base on Macßobertson coast and 1000 kilometres from Norway’s base in Princess Martha coast. The coastal base will also be 1500 kilometres from the Pole itself, and the Japanese plan to go one third of this distance back and forth.

over steep Queen Maud peaks ranging to glaciers and avalanches. The Japanese will not go to the South Pole. An advance team of 20 to 30 men is scheduled to leave Japan for the Antarctic in November, 1956. The main body will leave one year later. Early last month, the captain and engineer of the Japanese Antarctic ship, Soya, left Japan for a preliminary survey. The Soya, built in 1938, at present has a speed of nine knots, but will be completely remodelled by September, and then be capable of a speed of 17 knots. The remodelling of Soya will cost about £500,000. The ship will carry helicopters and two flight planes, complete laboratory equipment and optical instruments now being developed by Jananese manufacturers. The 3000-ton ship will also carry plastic houses and 401 b sleighs reported capable of carrying a load of four tons. Officials say that many items needed by the expedition will be imported from the United States and Britain, but others—cameras, binoculars, and clothing—will be manufactured locally. Japanese optical and electrical machinery firms are working to complete spectographs for photographing atmospheric phenomena peculiar' to the South Pole regions. Research i for manufacturing a special camera I with ball-shaped lens which can' “catch” the. whole sky from horizon I to horizon is also being conducted by optical experts in Japan. The ship carrying the Japanese expedition to the Antarctic will also conduct extensive research on marine life and sea currents en route to the polar region. Frofessor Takeshi Nagata, aged 42, of the Tokyo University’s science department, will lead the expedition.