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ESTIMATED POPULATION OF JAPAN PROPER FOR 1937

BUREAU OF STATISTICS, PRIME MINISTER'S DEPARTMENT

CENSUSES have been taken quinquennially since 1920 by the Japanese Government. For the years in which censuses are not taken, however, the Bureau of Statistics has been issuing estimates, as of October 1st annually, of the population of Japan Proper. These figures are extremely informative in that they show the movements and trends of population and simultaneously provide the basic data for various statistical purposes including the ascertaining of birth and death rates per 1,000 persons, the per capita rice consumption and savings deposits of the nation. The figures are obtained by adding births and deducting deaths from the figures of the previous, established census.

On October 1, 1937, the population of Japan Proper, as estimated by the Bureau of Statistics, was 71,252,800, representing 35,709,700 males and 35,543,100 females. The total indicates an increase of 994,600 over 1936.

Among Japan's forty-six prefectures, Tokyo, with a population of 6,769,800, occupies the predominant position, followed by Osaka with 4,610,000. The northern island of Hokkaido takes the next numerical position with 3,170,000 persons, while the prefectures of Hyogo with 3,030,000, Aichi with 2,980,000, Fukuoka with 2,850,000 and Niigata with 2,020,000 follow in order. None of the remaining prefectures had a population of 2,000,000. The totals for Shizuoka and nine other prefectures were over 1,500,000 ; Kumamoto and 13 others had over 1,000,000 ; Oita and nine others over 700,000 ; Saga and four others had over 500,000. Tottori prefecture with a population of 491,000 was lowest in the list ; it alone had less than 500,000 persons living in it.

The number of cities in Japan Proper on October 1st was 145, with an aggregate population of 25,109,400, or 35.2 per cent of the total population. Tokyo the largest city with 6,274,000 persons ; Osaka, 3,210,000 ; Nagoya, 1,180,000 ; Kyoto, 1,130,000 ; Kobe, 960,000, and Yokohama, 750,000, followed in order. Among the remaining cities, Hiroshima tops the list with 326,000, followed by Fukuoka, Kure, Yawata, Sendai, Nagasaki, Hakodate, Shizuoka, Sapporo and Yokosuka, each with over 200,000 residents. Population

exceeded 100,000 in Kumamoto and 22 other cities. Thus, the 39 cities having a population of more than 100,000 aggregated 19,330,300, or 27.1 per cent of the total population.

An examination of the trend of population in Japan Proper since 1920 reveals that the first quinquennial period (1920-1925) witnessed an aggregate increase of 3,770,000, or an annual average gain of about 750,000. The increase during the second period (1925-1930) was 4,710,000, or an annual average gain of 940,000 to 950,000. A still more drastic increase of 4,800,000 was recorded in the third period (1930-1935)—an annual gain of 950,000 to 960,000 persons.

POPULATIONS OF THE POWERS

[Chart: Populations of the Powers (in 10 millions). Bar chart in two groups, scale 0 to 10 (tens of millions); the bars are labelled with the figures below.]

Japan Proper:

Other countries:

Figures for France are those of the Census ; those for Germany are an estimate at the beginning of the year ; those for England, the United States and Italy are estimates made during the year ; those for U.S.S.R., estimated figures at the end of 1935.

On the basis of estimates from the 1935 census, it may reasonably be assumed that the population of Japan since that date has been increasing at an annual rate of approximately 1,000,000. Similarly it may be assumed that within the next ten years, the population will advance from the present 70,000,000 level to 80,000,000.

That this remarkable expansion of population is attributable solely to the differences between the birth-rate and mortality rate, or the so-called natural increase of population, is significant. Since immigration has played no part, the increase simply reflects the natural expansion of the Japanese race.

Reference to history reveals that continuous expansion of population is a symbol of the growing life of a nation. Increase in population is indeed the essential factor in national development as viewed from various important standpoints, including the industrial, national defence and cultural. Thus, the marked and steady increase of population of Japan Proper as the basis of the expansion of the national strength, is encouraging. Within the not distant future, the population of Japan Proper may be expected to soar above the 100,000,000 mark.