or the local aBsociatlon of fishermen the ezcluelTe right to gather eea- 

 veed in specified areas. The regulations of the Central Federation 

 goyerning the collection and distri'bution of seaweed require the fisher- 

 men to torn over the entire amount of seaweed collected to the Central 

 federation for distri'bution. The Federation allocates the raw material 

 to branches of the Japan i^ar-Agar Control Distribution Company in the 

 various processing centers. The company in tum distributes it to indi- 

 vidual plants. 



5. The method of gathering the seaweed differs with the locali- 

 ty 'depending upon the customs of the various areas, the depth of the 

 water, and the fomation of the ocean bottom. Generally, the seaweed 

 growing in shallow places is gathered by two methods: One consists of 

 dragging raking instruments over the rocks and ocean bottom. Hen and 

 women wade into the water and scratch the seaweed off the rocks with 

 long-handled rakes. Where the water is too deep to permit wading, the 

 tools are weighted and lowered from boats or rafts. In the other method, 

 women divers operate from surf boards, boats, rafts, £uid large wooden 

 tubs. The tubs or rafts are propelled to the desired place by women who 

 use wooden paddles for the purpose. The women dive from these tubs and 

 pull the seaweed from the rocks and place it in the tubs . When the women 

 are tired or the tub has a stiff ieient quantity of seaweed in it the women 

 swlra to shore, towing the tub (Figure l) . Women divers using no mechani- 

 cal equipment except goggles 

 operate to a depth of 30 feet. 

 Women endure the cold water 

 better than men because of 

 their subcutaneous layer of 

 fat. They have developed an 

 abnoroEilly large chest ex- 

 pansion and lung cepacity. 

 In gathering seaweed from 

 rocks where the ocean depth 

 is greater than 10 fathoms, 

 men divers equipped with 

 diving ^paratus are employed. 

 (Figure 2). 



6. The quality of 

 seaweed gathered in shallow 

 places is not so desirable 

 as that gathered from deeper 

 areas. The season for harvesting the seaweed is from April to September 

 depending on the locality. The first gfowth is gathered from %>ril to 

 June and the second growth from July to September. The seaweed is spread 

 on bamboo racks eilong the beacn to dry and is partially bleached by the 

 action of sun and rain. The time required for proper drying depends upon 

 the locedlty and the tempera ttire. The dried material is stored in barns 

 in the same manner that hay is stored. It may be held in this state from 



Figure 1. 



Women dive tor agar-agar sea- 

 weed. 



