THE JAPAN YEAR BOOK 1918

NATIONAL “YEAR BOOKS” AREN’T THE SORT OF THING that a tourist totes around. Instead, they’re compendia identifying a country’s territory, its government, its people, its commerce, its general goings-on for the year. The year 1918 was a pivotal one, marking the end of “the war to end all wars.” And Japan was an interesting country: Just 60 years past its forced opening to the rest of the world, Japan’s Taishō Democracy had replaced the Meiji Era in which the country enthusiastically assimilated Western ways, both good and bad.

And, wouldn’t you know, in 1989 I came upon a fine copy of this book not in Japan, but in Daytona Beach, Florida. Such are the vagaries of book hunting. 

Tidbits, 1918. The Japan Year Book’s detailed Index offers productive tidbit gleaning ranging from ABT SYSTEM (“Japanese railways are much behind those in Europe or America.”) to Zinc (“This is quite a revolution, for Japan was formerly an ore-exporting and metal-importing country as regards this metal.”).

Also, “Motor-car Corps and Subsidy” describes, “In May 1918, law for granting bounty to motors strong enough for purposes of transportation in time of need was enacted…. It is said that at present there will be only ten cars or so throughout  the land qualified to receive the bounty.” There’s no mention whatsoever of private motorcars.

Aviation. Similarly, “Aviation by civilians is still a thing of the future in Japan. There are some 20 airmen who have got training, most of them abroad, and eight of whom have been allowed to join the French military aviation service. With few exceptions the rest may be said yet leading the life of martyrs.”

“With no regular means of support,” The Japan Year Book continues, “they can hardly maintain themselves as aviators, for they have no machines good enough for public performances, the machines being poor things of only 50 or 60 h.p. that have become a byword from repeated failures. Some of the airmen have been obliged, therefore, to turn chuffeurs [sic] as means of livelihood.” 

By the way, these previous two paragraphs reappear, to a great extent word for word, in Jane’s All The World’s Aircraft 1919.

 See also Baron Asahi Mirahara’s “Aircraft in Japan, 1910–1945.” Perhaps it’s his father Baron Jiro Miyahara included in The Japan Year Book’s “Who’s Who in Japan.”     

The Great War. Mr. Takenob, of the J.Y.B. Office, writes in its Preface, “The War has proved quite unexpectedly beneficial to Japan’s industries, shipping, trade and finance. The fact is, in spite of the best wishes of Japan to render her utmost in pushing with the Allies the common cause of punishing the German militarism, her geographical position practically restricts her operation to sea, as far as the European field of operation is concerned.”

The Great War Activities. The Japan Year Book’s Diary recounts that on July 19, 1917, “A Japanese Squadron arrives in the Mediterranean to co-operate with the Allies.” On July 26, “The Japanese warships in the Mediterranean sinks [sic] a German submarine.”

On January 9, 1918, “King George of Great Britain presents the Emperor with the title of British field marshal.” On April 15, “An American-Japanese Agreement relating to the chartering of Japanese vessels to the U.S. is signed.” On May 18, “The Sino-Japanese Military Agreement is duly concluded.” On June 12, “Dr. Sun-yatsen visits Japan with Mr. Hu-Han-min and others.” On June 18, “Prince Arthur of Connaught arrives in Tokyo on behalf of King George to present the baton of a British Field Marshal to the Emperor.”

Yes, But Also…. Yet, as Wikipedia notes, “The early 20th century saw a period of Taishō democracy (1912–1926) overshadowed by increasing expansionism and militarization. World War I allowed Japan, which joined the side of the victorious Allies, to capture German possessions in the Pacific and in China.”

“History”? In Appendix D. Japan and the European War, pgs 757–770, The Japan Year Book gives details of these and other Great War interactions, though not without nationalistic jargon. For example, Chapter XXXV, pgs 682–700, describes the “annexation” of Chosen (Korea).

Chapter XXXVI, pgs 701–712, Taiwan (Formosa) ends with this chilling bit of pseudohistory: “The 1915 affair originated chiefly from superstition of ignorant natives who were silly enough to put credence in the wild story of some ringleaders that they could easily create storms by means of the special charms they possessed and expel the Japanese with the aid of Chinese troops, and that the faithful upholders of the movement would be amply rewarded with the land now owned by the Japanese. In the summer of the year the plot was discovered and arrests began.”

Not the guidebook that tourists would tote around, but compelling accounts of a country’s devolution into the Shōwa era’s Empire of Japan, 1926–1945, the country’s defeat in World War II, and its evolution into the State of Japan, 1945 to today. ds 

© Dennis Simanaitis, SimanaitisSays.com, 2023