JAPAN’S MILLIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 February 1926, Page 6

JAPAN’S MILLIONS.

BiC YEARLY EXPANSION. TWO MILLION ANNVAI.I.Y. NATIOiNAL ALA®M CAUSED. ; London, Jan. 20. The Daily Mail comments on Japan’s census figures, which show that the population is increasing at the rate of 750,000 a year. The paper eays there are some grounds for Japan’s alarm. Sixty million people means over 400 to the square, mile; but, seeing that Japan is half mountains and lakes, the figure is actually about' 720 people to the square mile of plough land. Korea has 10,500,000 which surprises officials, who believed that the maximum would be 18,000,000. Saghalien has 203,000 inhabitants and Formosa, 4,600,000. The Empire’s total is 83,500,000.

The supply of rice is shrinking as the population increases. A Government medical officer suggests- a “plant chestnuts” campaign to provide a supplementary nourishing food. The Japanese newspapers, while expressing pride in the vitality of the race, angrily comment on the Australasian and American bans on Japanese immigrants; but Siberia, .Manchuria and South America are still open to Japanese. , ■ For the first five years during the period since the firet census of Japan was taken, in 1020, the rate of increase in Japan proper, inejluding Sleuth Saghalien and (Formosa, but excluding Korea, was 754,000 a year, practically none by immigration. The total population, as revealed in the census taken in November, is now 59,7'36,704. Including the people of Korea, estimated at 18,000,000, the number within the limits of the Japanese Empire stands close to 80,000,000, larger than Germany by one-fifth, larger than Great Britain and Ireland by nearly one-half, more than double the population of France and excelled among the Powers only by the population of the United States. In 1924, according to the census reports, there were 1,09’8,520 births in Japan proper, about one every 15 seconds. There were approximately 1,2'00.000 deaths last year, the. living thus gaining upon the dying at the rate of about one every six minutes. The Korean 18,000,000 are. increasing as rapidly in proportion. Japan, including Korea, has a land area of 263,7:12 square miles, somewhat smaller than the State of Texas, and with many times more mountainous country. Japan proper has an area almost the same as the State of Montana, to hold 50,730,704 people, a density of population of around 400 to the square mile. The United 'States has 36 to the square mile; Canada has 3; Australia 2. Only Belgium and England have denser populations. As a result of the great earthquake .Tqkio. .has lost, nearly 200,000 of the population, the census showing 1,995,3'03, but the. suburbs showing the Tokio city limits have gained in five years more than 900,000. Osaka is now first in Japan with a. population of 2,114,809.