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Companies 
According to Japanese statistics fishery companies in the period 
1936 - 1941 numbered more than 300, capitalized at between 182 - 298 
million yen (Table 67). There is little information about most of these 
companies, some of which engaged in deep-sea fishing off Japan proper 
and in aquiculture. The largest companies were those active in the deep- 
sea operations of trawling and motor-boat dragging, whaling and fishing 
in Northern and colonial waters. Most of these latter operations were 
undertaken on a huge scale under a monopolistic system with investment 
of large capital. Numerous companies which had previously engaged in 
these fisheries were merged, with government encouragement, to form super- 
corporations, the ultimate management of which, in most cases, integrated 
i 
fishing activities with such diverse interests as ship-building and the 
manufacture of fertilizer, explosives and soap. The two largest companies, 
which together dominated the operations in Northern waters, whaling and 
trawling were the Japan Marine Products Company (Nippon Suisan K. K.) 
and the Nichiro Fishery Company (Nichiro Gyogyo Xaisha). Another large 
company operating in 1940 was the Eayashikane and Company. In the dis¬ 
tributing of marine products Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha dominated. Fourteen 
of the large companies, some of which operated outside Japanese waters, 
are listed in Appendix D • 
As indicated below the largest companies were most strongly 
interested in the export production. These firms were at least partially 
controlled by the large Japanese industrial combines. One can distinguish 
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le-usi Hot 
