THE SOY BEAN FOE OIL AND OTHER PEODUCTS. 5 



The soy bean forms one of the most important articles of food in 

 Japan. It is one of the principal ingredients in the manufacture of 

 shoyu (soy sauce), miso (bean cheese), tofu (bean curd), and natto 

 (steamed beans). The beans are eaten also as a vegetable and in 

 soups; sometimes they are picked green, boiled, and served cold with 

 soy sauce, and sometimes as a salad. A "vegetable milk" is also 

 produced from the soy bean, forming the basis for the manufacture 

 of the different kinds of vegetable cheese. This milk is used fresh, 

 and a form of condensed milk is manufactured from it. All of these 

 foodstuffs are used daily in Japanese homes and for the poorer 

 classes are the principal source of protein. To a limited extent, 

 soy beans are used as a horse or cattle feed, being sometimes boiled 

 and mixed with straw, barley, and bran. 



Table II shows the exports of soy beans and bean oil from Japan dur- 

 ing 1913 and 1914. Prior to 1914 soy beans were not listed separately. 



Table II. — Quantity and value of exports of soy beans and soy-bean oil from Japan to 

 foreign countries, 1913 and 1914-^ 





Soy beans. 



Soy-bean oil. 



Country of destination. 



1914 



1913 



1914 





Quantity. 



Value. 



Quantity. 



Value. 



Quantity. 



Value. 



China 



Pminds. 



62, 820 



589 



$1,372 

 21 



Pounds. 



220, 155 



214,491 



73, 890 



66 



69,057 



658,393 



SI 1,328 



11,570 



3,907 



3 



3,405 



34, 386 



Pounds. 



184, 104 



1,019,854 



SIO, 198 

 48,687 



United Kingdom 





Germany 







10,979 

 333, 735 

 365,478 



588 



Belgium 







16,573 

 19,393 



United States 



421,011 



203,560 



246, 175 



18, 070 



20, 967 



10, 125 



5,296 



4,540 



475 



504 





British America 



56,218 

 587, 413 



3,234 

 30, 101 



69,652 

 120,240 

 274,080 



3 196 



Australia 



748 





18,542 











Total 



97.3, 192 



22, 333 



1,879,683 



97,934 



2,378,122 



117,925 





' Compiled from Annual Return of the Foreign Trade of the Empire of Japan, 1914. 



As previously stated, Japan has been a large consumer of soy 

 beans and soy-bean products from Manchuria, the greater part of 

 the beans being used in the manufacture of oil and cake. The im- 

 ports from Dairen, Manchuria, the principal port through which 

 beans and bean products are exported to Japan, are shown for the 

 years 1911 to 1914, inclusive, in Table TIL 



Taiu.k III .— (^iianlily of hnvorls of soy hcarui, soy-bean cake, and soy-bean oil from 

 Dairen, Manchuria, info Japan, 1911 to 1914, inclusive.^ 



Product. 



Soy bean.*! 



Hoy-bean fake. 

 Soy-bean oil... 



1911 



Tonx. 

 162, 703 

 357, 362 

 «, 340 



1012 



Tom. 

 103,416 

 357, 752 



10, MSi) 



1013 



Tons. 

 90,651 

 492, 9H5 

 3,964 



Tom. 



1.39, 222 



447,080 



4,107 



' Cknnplledfrom Dairen Wharf Olllce Returm, 1011-1914. 



