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World War II Japanese War Economy: Sectors--Energy

World War II Japanese energy
Figure 1.--Here we see a city bus driver emptying a sack of charcoal into the hopper at the back of the bus. The Japanese Government set the price of oil products at very high levels. This forced everyone but the military to seek alternative fuels, even city bus operators. All the rail lines continued using coal or in a few cases electricity.

Energy was vital for any industrial nation. From the beginning of modern Japan, energy was a the center of interaction between the United States and Japan. It was the U.S.Navy's need for a coaling station that led Commodore William Perry sailing his four Black Ships into Tokyo Bay and firing a volley of blank shells (1853). The American Pacific Fleet would return about a century later--this time a vast array of moderrn ships and aircraft. It was the most powerful naval force in world history. The energy connection which America began with coal and would only heighten as oil entered the picture. The Meiji Government's primary goal was industrialization (1870s). Meiji officials recognized that only an industrial nation could escape China's fate and fend off Western incursions. So obtaining coal was the country's first energy challenge. [Yoshida, p. 1] Coal as in the rest of the world was Japan's primary energy source for its industry. Japan lacked almost all important natural resources needed for an industrial economy. In the West, industrialization occurred around areas where raw material existed. This is one reason Industrial Revolution began in Britain. This was not the case with Japan. The country is virtually devoid of raw materials, especially mineral resources. The one major exception was coal. Japan did have coal resources, albeit not located where industry was developed. Curiously, Japanese coal was is found in the extreme ends of the country, in the north (Hokkaidō and Sakhalin) and the south (Kyūshū). These two areas has some 85 percent of the country's coal deposits, meaning at some distance from Japan's industrial heartland. There was also coal in Formosa (Taiwan), southern Sakhalin, and Korea which Japan had seized (1894, 1906, and 1909). Japan steadily increased its coal production: 1912 (20 million tons), 1932 (30 million t), and 1941) 56 million tons). There were also imports from China and Indochina. At the time Jon launched the Pacific War, imposts were increasing and becoming more important. The great bulk of Japan's coal, however came from domestic sources. Kyūshū's coal was ranked as poor quality and difficult to extract, but the Kyūshū mines were located close to ports, facilitating transport. The Hokkaido mines had wider seams are wider, meaning that they could be worked mechanically. And the coal was a higher grade. The Hokkaido mines, however, were located some distance inland, increasing transport costs and requiring infrastructure projects. Japanese mining generally used inclined galleries. Some mines were up to 10 km underground. There was little open pit strip mining. This meant relatively costly mining operation and lower productivity compared to Western Europe and the United States. The col was used to generate electricity and fuel the country rail lines, with a few exceptions of electrical lines in and around the major cities. While Japan had coal, they could import coal at a lower cost than domestic mining. Of course after launching the Pacific War, most import sources were cut off. Oil meaning hydrocarbons were a different matter. Japan was confronted with its second energy challenge, the expanding need for oil. [Yoshida, p. 2] Japanese domestic oil deposits were minimal. Almost all of Japan's oil was imported. And this was a serious problem because as Japan's industry grew, the need for oil increased. The government tried to discourage oil usage even before the War. This was done primarily by keeping prices for petroleum products high in the private sector. Many urban buses ran on charcoal rather than expensive gasoline for thus reason. This is part of the reason that so few Japanese families had cars. As the military expanded and launched foreign adventures, the demand for oil only increased. The Imperial Army was not heavily mechanized, but still needed oil. The Imperial Navy and air forces could not operate without oil and large quantities of it, especially after the War began. At the time, the United States was the primary producer of oil and alternative sources (the Dutch East Indies, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, and Venezuela) were heavily influenced by American and British interests. This of course was fined as long as Japan maintained good relations with America and Britain. The Japanese military, however, beginning in the 1920s set Japan on a collision course with both countries. Hydro power was Japan's other major source of energy. Hydro helped generate electricity. Japan has a number of short rivers, but as they run off from mountenous area, they have considerable hydro potential. At the time of World War II, Japan had developed about a third of its hydro potential, but was not further developing it at the time of World War II. There was a shortage of materials and they decided to give priority to projects in Korea and Manchuria. Japan is a heavily forested country. Timber among other uses could be used as a fuel. This included making charcoal which was used in Japanese households. We notice buses running on charcoal. This of course helped reduce consumption of oil-based fuels like gasoline and diesel, but we are not sure how common this was.

Background

Energy was vital for any industrial nation. From the beginning of modern Japan, energy was a the center of interaction between the United States and Japan. It was the U.S.Navy's need for a coaling station that led Commodore William Perry sailing his four Black Ships into Tokyo Bay and firing a volley of blank shells (1853). The American Pacific Fleet would return about a century later--this time a vast array of moderrn ships and aircraft. It was the most powerful naval force in world history. The energy connection which America began with coal and would only heighten as oil entered the picture. The Meiji Government's primary goal was industrialization (1870s).

Coal

Meiji officials recognized that only an industrial nation could escape China's fate and fend off Western incursions. So obtaining coal was the country's first energy challenge. [Yoshida, p. 1] Coal as in the rest of the world was Japan's primary energy source for its industry. Japan lacked almost all important natural resources needed for an industrial economy. In the West, industrialization occurred around areas where raw material existed. This is one reason Industrial Revolution began in Britain. This was not the case with Japan. The country is virtually devoid of raw materials, especially mineral resources. The one major exception was coal. Japan did have coal resources, albeit not located where industry was developed. Curiously, Japanese coal was is found in the extreme ends of the country, in the north (Hokkaidō and Sakhalin) and the south (Kyūshū). These two areas has some 85 percent of the country's coal deposits, meaning at some distance from Japan's industrial heartland. There was also coal in Formosa (Taiwan), southern Sakhalin, and Korea which Japan had seized (1894, 1906, and 1909). Japan steadily increased its coal production: 1912 (20 million tons), 1932 (30 million t), and 1941) 56 million tons). There were also imports from China and Indochina. At the time Jon launched the Pacific War, imposts were increasing and becoming more important. The great bulk of Japan's coal, however came from domestic sources. Kyūshū's coal was ranked as poor quality and difficult to extract, but the Kyūshū mines were located close to ports, facilitating transport. The Hokkaido mines had wider seams are wider, meaning that they could be worked mechanically. And the coal was a higher grade. The Hokkaido mines, however, were located some distance inland, increasing transport costs and requiring infrastructure projects. Japanese mining generally used inclined galleries. Some mines were up to 10 km underground. There was little open pit strip mining. This meant relatively costly mining operation and lower productivity compared to Western Europe and the United States. The col was used to generate electricity and fuel the country rail lines, with a few exceptions of electrical lines in and around the major cities. While Japan had coal, they could import coal at a lower cost than domestic mining. Of course after launching the Pacific War, most import sources were cut off.

Oil

Oil meaning hydrocarbons were a different matter. Japan was confronted with its second energy challenge, the expanding need for oil. [Yoshida, p. 2] Japanese domestic oil deposits were minimal. Almost all of Japan's oil was imported. And this was a serious problem because as Japan's industry grew, the need for oil increased. The government tried to discourage oil usage even before the War. This was done primarily by keeping prices for petroleum products high in the private sector. Many urban buses ran on charcoal rather than expensive gasoline for thus reason. This is part of the reason that so few Japanese families had cars. As the military expanded and launched foreign adventures, the demand for oil only increased. The Imperial Army was not heavily mechanized, but still needed oil. The Imperial Navy and air forces could not operate without oil and large quantities of it, especially after the War began. At the time, the United States was the primary producer of oil and alternative sources (the Dutch East Indies, Iran, Iraq, Mexico, and Venezuela) were heavily influenced by American and British interests. This of course was fined as long as Japan maintained good relations with America and Britain. The Japanese military, however, beginning in the 1920s set Japan on a collision course with both countries.

Hydro Power

Hydro power was Japan's other major source of energy. Hydro helped generate electricity. Japan is amonaneous country. It has a number of short rivers flowing through mountaon gorges. As the rain runs off from mountenous area, they have considerable hydro potential. Honshu was especially important. Many of Japan's most important rivers are found and ciombined with substantial precipitation there is hydro potential. The Kiso and Tenryū Rivers had hydeo electric projects. Much of the hydro-electruc power produced from ghese two rivers supplied the war industries in Nagoya with some transmitteda as far north as Tokyo. Electrity has been described as the first bit of modernity that had entered the Japanese households. Hydro electric was specially valuable because despite increasing coal priduction, the primary fuel used to produce electrity, demand for electrity was outstripping coal production. At the time of World War II, Japan had developed about a fourth of its hydro potential. An evakuatioin at the time suggested Joapan had a porytentui for some 15 million KW of hydro electic power. At thectime ofvWirkd War II nearkly 4 million KW had been developed. There were no further large priojecrs at the time of World War II. There was a shortage of materials, especially steel, and planners decided to priorioze major projects in Korea and Manchuria. Per capita elecrucutybwas fairly low (343 KW , about a third of Ameriucan (868 KW) usage. [War Department] Actuakly thiose numbers rather surprised us, we expected to see greater levels of Americam usage. This was because many Japanese homes only has a single 10 w bulb and no appliances. Much of the earliest genbreratung equipnent was Amerucamm but by the time of the War, Japan was producing generators.

Timber

Japan is a heavily forested country. Timber among other uses could be used as a fuel. This included making charcoal which was used in Japanese households. We notice buses running on charcoal. This of course helped reduce consumption of oil-based fuels like gasoline and diesel, but we are not sure how common this was.

Sources

War Departmnent--United States. "Japanese transportationm and communication system" Film 23705 Misc 1061 (Army Pictorial Seriuce). The restriucted film is indated, but was proiably compiled about 1945-46. It was assembled from Japanese films and used in the Civil Affairs Training Schools conducted by the Provost Marshal General. Its main purpose was to inform the viewers -- presumably U.S. servicemen and officers -- of how Japan’s transportation and communication systems were organized.

Yoshida, Phyllis Genther. "Japan’s energy conundrum," (Sasakawa Peace Foundationm USA: 2017)







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