Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-08-20

| % ieet long ana $1,000 additional are more
| than Is feet long
| 'One-twentieth OF the entire population
are hshermen. The latest figures available
give $4,000 professional fishermen and L.
| fpUO who devote a part of their time to
| nshing and part to agriculture or other
| pursuits total OF $4,000 as AGAINST
| lO.WO In the United States
| Inc factors which underIie Japan's
| greatness as a fishing ma ton are numerous
| ana some or them have already been sug-
| gested, as the ingenuity and Industry OF
| the race ana the spirit of frugality which
| results in the saving of every product OF
| the water The geographical features have
| OF course, Deen potent in developing the
| nsheries The numerous islands and the
great length of the coast line have brought
| large part of the population within easy
| reach or the sea. so that there is scarcely
may not be had daily and this too with
out the aid of railroads and ice The ex-
| tension or the empire diagonally through
| 30 degrees of latitude and rs degrees 81
| longitude Is accompanied by wonderful
! variety OF water life. upwards of 900 spe-
| cies or fishes being already known. and
o uare classes being correspondngiy well
! represented To all of this is to be added
| great abundance of most useful products
! some peculiar to the inshore waters others
| hfgh-sea species which come close To the
! coast IN Immense numbers and are per-
petuahy renewed, owing to the presence of
| water several thousand fathoms deep with
IN rev miles of the mainland
| Fostered by Government.
| 10 the attitude of the government must
be attributed no small share i'm the de-
| velopment of the fisheries Since the res
| toration the control OF the industry has
| been vested largely in the central govern.
| ment and everything has been done that
| the most enlightened cIviliza ton could re-
] quire to promote the welfare of the fisher
| men ana the growth OF the business With
| characteristic progressiveness officials
| nave been sent to America and other coun-
tn ffnan
| Hsh-culture, and the best methods of for
| eigh lands have been adopted by the jan
| anese so far as they are applicable to local
| conditions. The imperial fisheries bureau
! pranch of the department of agriculture
| ana commerce. is spenddly organized and
| apiy administered by specialists in biology
| hSh culture economic fisheries and law
| VINO can hold their own in any gathering
| he work is conducted on modern, lines
| with great stress laid on scientific inyes.
| usatlon as the basis for fishery legislation
| and promotion.
| The imperial government and ,ho ,.
| ious iocai governments fully appreciate tho
| iihpor lance OF experimental and biological
stations IN connection with the fisheries,
ana many such stations have bean est,h-
| nshed and are now doing excellent work
| MOST or the stations or laborato rias or.
conpieteiy equipped with canning ana
| other appara tus. and experiments arr. -
| stantfy In progress to devotion nethods q,
preserving all kinds of fishing products.
Imperial Fisheries.
| AN institution to which the Ja,.,as.
can point with great pride is the Imnari,I
| FISHERIES Institute, located in the outskirts
| or Tokyo on Tokyo bay / had the honor
| OIL being permitted to give A talk before
| the faculty and students of the institute ON
me fishery work in the United States Az
| Ter mad been shown about the place and
| seen something of the equipment and meth
ods. was completely overwhelmed and
| had no hesitation in announcing that no
| other country had a similar Institution
Wnch could compare with this one in com
| prehensveness of curriculum. thoroughness
OF instruction and completeness of equip
nrent The plant covers nearly nine acres
of which the dock occupies one and one
half acres and the buildings over two acres
The work extends over three years. and has
three courses, any of which may be,
selected for special study by students in
their third year. each course occupying ten
fun months 80
while the Japanese high-sea fisheries
for cod. whales. halibut. fur-seafs. etc. are
important. and while the river and lake
fisheries yield considerable quantities OF
products, the shore fisheries alone give to
Japan its prominent and unique position as
a fishing nation.
"Of the very valuable products. many arc
Identical with or similar to ours, the prin-
clpal difference In the fisheries of the two
countries being in the relative extent to
which particular animals are utilized. Her
ring is the king of fishes In Japan Just as
it is in some European countries and In
the world considered whole. This fish
is worth Si,001O00 yearly to the Japanese,
and is particularly abundant in the north-
crn provinces. Next in Importance comes
the sardine. the yearly catch being valued
at SIS. 100000. ii is extensively canned, and Is
also eaten fresh and sun-dried. Their bonito
is very similar to ours. and ranks third
In value, the annual sales being S2.oD.0.0.
1t is prepared in peculiar way, and is al
ways kept on hand as an emergency ra-
ton in japanese houses. fish similar
IN known
tai Is the favorite fish for fresh con-
sumption, and is worth about $2,Ooo,oob
yearly.
For weeks at time | away from
towns having European hotels. and lived
at Japanese inns in strictly native style.
sleeping on the floor. receiving callers while
kneeling on the floor. and eating while
sitting croSs-iegged on the floor before
miniature tables, my wants supplied by
more polite mattresses rhan one ever meets
in any other land. a typical Japanese meal
abounds in products of the water and Is
replete with surprises to the unsophisti-
Gated foreigner. This is particularly true
of the smaller fishing villages, where l
passed many days.
Sharks Are Plentiful.
when 1t comes to eating water prod
ucts. the Japanese have few prejudices.
II they discard any species OF fish they
must be very few, indeed. and l did not
learn of any. Among their commonest.
"'i'4''pa'''
are sharks which are brought into the
market and butchered much after the man
ner of beeves In our own country.
Raw fish is one of the national foods
acknowledge that my repugnance to 1t was
great but was overcome by the first dish.
for as prepared and served by the Jap
anese the thin cold. homeless slices of per-
fectIy fresh tai or mackerel, taken with
chop sticks and dipped in bean sauce, are
delicious.
Events are moving swiftly in Japan.
The Japan of a few years ago is not the
Japan of today and the Japan Of the near
future will not be the Japan of the present.
In Its fisheries. as in its entire industrial
and social life. this land of the Yankees
of the orient is responding all too quickly
to the pace set by the Yankees of the west.
and whatever is the outcome OF the pres
ent the changes in existing conditions
will be accelerated.
I'VE cannot say what developments I'm
the commercial affairs of the nation the
present generation the next may see,
but we cannot doubt that Japan will con-
tinue to be our teacher I'm many things, and
that her fisheries and other Industries will
become even more important a. homo and
to the world at large.