TABLE 31 
Seaweed Production, 1935-40 
Quantity _ Value 
1000 kan 
1000 tons 
1000 ¥ 
1935 
133,141 
496 
10,173 
1936 
128,685 
483 
12,308 
1937 
153,725 
576 
14, 927 
1938 
109,824 
403 
14,332 
1939 
103,660 
389 
27,304 
1940 
157,085 
589 
38,884 
Source: 
Toyo Keizai Nenkan, 
1943. 
- 
a/ It ia not clear from the source whether this includes 
production of Porpbyra raised by culture and the production 
of seaweed in the Northern Kuriles or only the amount 
taken in the coastal fisheries of Japan proper. About 
8-9 million kan was produced annually by culture and 
20 - 30 thousand kan produced in the Northern Kuriles. 
The three most important kinds of marine algae produced were: . 
(l) brown algae (Laminaria species) commonly known as "tangle"; (2) laver 
or nori (Porphyra species); and (3) tengusa (Gelidium species) used for 
the manufacture of agar-agar. 
Laminaria . Several species of the Laminaria 
genus which grow most abundantly in the waters of the north, especially 
in those of Hokkaido and Karafuto, were collected and processed in 
several ways. Nemuro in Hokkaido was the center of this industry. The 
chief use was as a food; under the general name of "kombu" it was of 
universal use for flavoring purposes in Japanese cookery. Some of the 
"tangle" was used for the production of iodine and potassium. Although 
most of it was consumed domestically some is normally exported, chiefly 
to China. 
- 105 - 
10-031 P L30 1)0 
