45.-THE FISHERIES OF JAPAN. 



BY THE JAPANESE BUREAU OF AGRICULTURE. 



INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. 



The series of exhibits of the fisheries and fishing resources of Japan was brought 

 together in order to give the visitor a glimpse into the fishing industries of the Jap- 

 anese Empire. When the varieties of objects sought after are so numerous, and the 

 methods employed for obtaining them are so diverse, as is the case in extensive 

 fisheries, it becomes a serious question how appropriate selections may be made so as 

 to form a sufficiently comprehensive and representative collection. In the present 

 case, after much deliberation, the following plan has been adopted: Of the animals 

 and plants found in our waters, those were at first selected whose respective annual 

 yield exceeds 10,000 yen. As this, however, was found to exclude many objects of 

 peculiar interest, exceptions have been freely made in favor of such special cases. The 

 final selections as displayed in the present series consist of 138 species of animals and 

 plants, as follows: Mammals, 3 species; reptiles, 2 species; fishes, 85 species; mollusca, 

 33 species; Crustacea, 11 species; algae, 4 species. 



By an unfortunate circumstance a species of Echinodermata, Stichojms japonicus, 

 one of the important fishery products of Japan, was not included in the collection. 



Of these species, alcoholic specimens, as far as possible, or photographs from actual 

 specimens where they are too large, are displayed. In one or two cases of exceptional 

 nature it has not been possible to follow this rule. The species are arranged in order 

 of scientific classification, beginning with the Cetacea and going down the animal scale. 

 Four species of seaweeds which are of great commercial interest are placed at the end. 



Out of the 138 species mentioned above, those which are of great economic or social 

 importance and are likely to interest the American and European public, have again 

 been selected and made the subjects of a somewhat exhaustive display. Of each of 

 these kinds, in addition to the alcoholic specimens or photographs, are given a map 

 showing the distribution of the species, the various devices employed for catching it, 

 such as hooks, traps, lines and nets, together with methods of culture where there are 

 such, and finally the different articles manufactured from it. In some cases, where 

 this full treatment is not possible or essential, only a part of the program has beeu 

 carried out. The following subjects have been treated in this full manner, viz, the 



Note. — This paper has been abstracted and arranged from a descriptive catalogue of exhibits 

 illustrating the fisheries and fishery resources of Japan, at the World's Columbian Exposition ; the 

 catalogue emanates from the bureau of agriculture of the department of agriculture and commerce 

 of the Imperial Japanese Government. There is added an article on the fisheries of Japan by K. Ito, 

 reprinted from the Transactions of the American Fisheries Society for 1887. The compilation has been 

 made by Dr. H. M. Smith, assistant in charge of the division of methods and statistics of the fisheries. 



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