these products. 88/ In 1938 imports were valued at 52 million yen whereas 
exports were more than 125 million yen. Largest imports were from colonial 
areas, chiefly Korea; foreigp countries provided only a negligible quantity. 
Luring the five years ended 1940 exports of fishery products from 
Korea to Japan proper averaged about 240,000 metric tons (Table *2 
Appendix B). Only about 25 percent of this, however, was fish and shell¬ 
fish for food purposes; most of the remainder was refuse material for 
meal and oil manufacture and the processed meal and oil. Statistical 
data are not available for the imports of fishery products into Japan 
proper from Karafuto, Formosa and the Japanese Pacific islands although 
these colonial areas are known to export to the home country. The Karafuto 
production of canned fish was largely exported to non-Japanese areas, but 
part of Karafuto's surplus dried and salted fish was probably consumed in 
Japan proper. Some of the Pacific islands produced surpluses of dried 
bonito and tuna, part of which was consumed within Japan. 
About half of the imports from foreign areas were non-edible products 
mollusc shells, tortoise shells, sponges and fish guano (Appendix B). Of 
the imports from foreign countries for food purposes the Soviet Union was 
the chief provider. 
Luring much of the war period colonial imports may have remained 
fairly high although the small imports from foreign countries practically 
ceased. In recent months, however, imports from colonial areas also 
declined greatly. 
88/ " Because of the type of statistical data available it is impossible to 
make a satisfactory estimate of the volume of imports vs. exports, but a 
consideration of the production and trade statistics indicates a sizable 
8urolus of exports by volume and a domestic consumption in the neighborhood 
of three million tons of fish, shellfish, crustaceans and molluscs (in 
terms of fresh product), the consumption figure used throughout this 
report. 
—165— 
16-031' P19 1 bu 
