(o) Japanese housing 



Houses destroyed or torn down during war 3,000,000 

 Houses required for repatriates 800,000 



Houses annually depreciated or war-delayed 



construction 400,000 



Total requirements 4,200,000 



Total prewar houses 16,000,000 



Estimates of construction requirements are calcu- 

 lated 15 tsubo (534 square feet) per house, re- 

 quiring about 4,800 board feet. From 2 September 

 1945 to 1 January 1947, 300,000 houses requiring 

 1 i500, 000 ,000 board feet are reported to have been 

 constructed. (Note! Many emergency structures 

 r'equlring 2,400 board feet or less have been built. 

 However, many other buildings, such as theaters, 

 dance halls, restaurants, or shops requiring muc;h 

 more lumber per structure have been built with 

 black-market lumber.) 



(d) Sawmills (as of 30 ilovember 1946) 



Total reported 18,820 



Total in operation 16,042 



Rated horsepower in operation 310,000 

 Annual milling capacity (at 50 



bd ft per H P per day) 3,750,000,000 

 Employees 170,000 



Lack of repairs, replacements, lubricants, and. 

 sometimes electric power are the principal causes 

 for non- operation. 



(e) Plywood Requirements and Production (4 mm thick) 



Prewar production (1935-41): 470,000,000 square 



feet annually 

 Occupation Forces requirements: 35 ,000,000, square 



feet total 

 Production - 1946: 128,000,000 square feet 



One-fourth of Japan's i535 veneer and plywood 

 plants were damaged or destroyed during the war. 

 Shortage of materials holds the industry to about 

 one-half rated capacity. 



35 



