Evening star., 1941-12-14
Jopon's Design for
Living
BIZ Frederic J. Hdskin.


battle of starvation, China would win.
Such thoughts were based on the long
understanding, which is true. that many
Chinese can and do live at cost Of
cents a day.
Now that Japan is at war with the
United States the question has arisen
as to the general living standards Of the
Japanese, and If it comes to long
drawn-out struggle, can they hold out
against the economies which they will
be required to practice? The whole an
swer to that inquiry lies in what Japan
accomplished during the trying days OF
the recent worldwide depression. When
other nations we're economically ground
ed, Japan had the largest export business
of any country in the world, and her
workers were earning wages.
An alliance of cheap and intelligent
labor with modern machinery and large
scale vertical capital organization gave
Japan this booming export business. The
foundation of her competitive power is
the practically unlimited labor force,
accustomed to economical ways and able
to live we'll and cheerfully on money
vrees which would mean grinding pow
erty to Americans with their more COM
! plex wants. Thus the war lords OF Japan
! know that they can borrow or even con-
| fiscate. the accumulated funds OF the
working masses TO keep the war machine
| going without creating living conditions
| which would cause a revolution IN most
| other countries.
These japanese workers. upon whom
the industrial life Of the nation depends.
are neither illiterate nor coolies, but
highly developed group of people, as am
| bilious and as determined to rise in the
world as the Scots. whom they emulate
in their love for education. The habit OF
keeping an eye on the clock as the time
approaches to cease working is little in
evidence among them for they have be-
come docile tenders of the machine.
These methodical, studious habits con-
st.tute the living of every japanese FAM
| ilv. and the food problem Is always easy
of solution because the Nipponese are
simple. almost stole, in their needs. Tbs
main items on the annual food bill for
one person are 81, bushels Of rice and 9o
pounds of fish A more luxurious diet
includes wheat and meat. and more
economical one substitutes barley for
some Of the rice.
An examination of japanese house
vife's menu for days food for family
of five shows a total cost Of only 55 cents,
to which a trife must be added for salt
and pepper and the excellent shoyu sauce
which enters all japanese cooking. And
contrary to what is the custom or habit
in the United States, all classes in Japan
eat the same kind of food. although
quality and price may vary to a slight
degree. 1t is the pride Of practically
every industrial magnate to boast that
he eats the same food as that consumed
by his workers.
A japanese gentleman can be we'll
dressed in summer for what pair OF
gloves costs in a fashionable store in
WASHINGTON or New York, for he can pre-
sent himself in the best society at a cost
of less than S. If he is vain about his
appearance. he can add a smart gray hat
for rs cents more. OF course. for more
expensive garments the cost is higher,
but a good looking blue or gray overcoat,
such as would sell in fashionable Amer
ican store for $50 to $50, can be bought for
from IS to $40 in Japan. Even the work.
ingman can dress himself for the whole
season for less than the price of an mex
pensive pair of shoes purchased in any
store in the United States.
Food is cheap because the farmer
Japans really forgotten man. is UNDER
paid and because the seas are swarm
Ing with fish. Clothing is cheap because
the cloth is made by modern machinery.
and the garments. when not made in
the home are manufactured by indus
trial labor which knows no code. HoCs-
ing is cheap because the capital outlay
is small. Labor, which enters into every
thing, is cheap because it is abundant.
Simple as the habits of japanese liy-
ing are, especially dietary, they give evil
dence of a rising standard Of living. For
example, since 1900 the consumption of
fish has increased by more than l60 per
cent. The japanese eat almost four
times as much fish as Americans do. but
the annual per capita consumption OF
meat in Japan is only four pounds, COM
pared with l45 in the United States.
Sugar, which is considered as an index
to high living standard in the western
countries is not used by the japanese
in any large quantities the snnual con-
sumption being computed at less than
one-eighth of the per capita annual
consumption in the United States.
Economists agree that the great in
crease in population in Japan during
the past half-century has been accom-
plished without the sacrifice of the
standard of living of the people. That
conclusion is important since it shows
that Japan's power to make and sell
cheaply has not been gained at the ex-
pense of the welfare of the masses.
whose standards of living have risen as
industrialization has progressed 1t is
low standard in the sense that 1t is
simple and based on food and clothing
which are cheaply produced and distrib-
uted But it is not q degraded standard
involving physical privation.
The simplicity of the japanese stand
ard of life is due largely to the climate.
Nature has tempered life for the jap
anese, for half the year their houses.
flimsily built of wood. are heated free
of charge, even to excess, and they re-
duce their clothing bill to negligible
sum.
Such are the conditions which give
Japan her power to produce eheaply
and live by the same pattern. 1t Is