MODERN JAPAN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18757, 13 July 1935, Page 16

MODERN JAPAN

INDUSTRIAL NATION DESIRE EUR- GOODWILL “We have, everything to gain from friendly relations with other nations and nothing to gain from hostility to them,” said Mr. K. Sato, assistant- man-aging-editor of a great Japanese newspaper, the Osaka Alainichi, iu an address at the luncheon of the Wellington Optimists’ Club. Mr. Sato is .visitingNew Zealand in the course of an economic goodwill mission which has embraced Australia also. j-’or over two centuries, ho said, Japan bad remained a hermit- nation, a closed country. During that time she had developed a unique culture, but the time had tome when she had had to open her doors for international associations and trade, about 70 years ago. The people were then surpsised at the remarkable advances which had been made by European nations in material civilisation. So it was they had started with great- enthusiasm to assimilate and advance the culture of the West. PROBLEMS OF POPULATION Mr. Sato then dealt with three of the lagrammes in the rapid Westernisation m the nation. During her period ol isolation the population of Japan nail remained stationary at about 25,0(X),0C0. With the opening of the country it began to increase, and in 20 years went to over 40,000,000, and was to-day ovet .0,000,000. In addition there whs a population of about 25,000,000 in the Japanese colonies, making a population for the Empire of about 100,000,000. That had given rise to many problems. Japan proper was hardly larger than New Zealand, and was very meagre in natural resources. In addilAin. 80 per cent, ol the land was mountainous. Japan had attempted to solve tire problem by sending part of her population abroad to Australia, New Zealand, the United States and other countries. But in all [daces they were quite unwelcome am! a stringent exclu -ivo movement sprang up. SCIENTIFIC CONTROL japan realised to-day that the popu union problem could not ue solved ny emigration, lor the experience of Italy nan shown that as soon as part of the population was removed the rate of iuoi tile remainder was accelerated. ,-;o Japan was trying to save itselt by scientific Control of tho processes ol nature. Referring to the programme of industry, Mr. Sato said that Japan hail definitely started to grow into an industrial' nation, where since time immemorial she had been an agricultural one. The advantage of this consisted in the fact that she had a great army of industrious, frugal and hard-working ■•tuple. They were skilful in manual labor, for the Japanese as a race were noted for their manual dexterity.

HIGHLY ORGANISED INDUSTRY Another factor was the advanced organisation of industry. Factories ern ployed only the most modern type of machinery. Then they were aide to take advantage of the low cost of living, commodities in Japan being iu general about half as low again as in New Zealand. Another advantage was tho temporary character of the products Tlie speed of consumption had been very greatly increased, as girls, for instance, did not wear one dress for more than two or three months. Japan aimed at making beautiful things at low prices to

last only as long as the people wanted them to last-. Referring to the maladjustment of the East and West, Mr. Sato said that Japan, in her zeal to assimilate the material civilisation of the West, had very largely dispensed with her own cultural heritage. Sho was looking now for a new national' faith, and here was the chance for Christianity.