is spending on really profitable labour are not many.  He must work more rationally.  In 26 villages in the south-west of Japan, where farming calls for much labour, it was found that the number of days’ work in the year was only 192.  Statistics for Eastern Japan give 186 days.[57] As to a secondary industry, one or two hours’ work a night at straw rope making for a month may bring in a yen because the market for rope is confined to Japan.  The same with zori, a coarse sort being purchasable for 2 sen a pair.  But supplementary work like silk-worm culture produces an article of luxury for which there is a world market.”

When we returned home my host was kind enough to summarise for me—­the general reader may skip here—­some of the reasons set forth by a professor of agricultural politics for the farmer’s position being what it is: 

1.  The average area cultivated per family is very small.

2.  The law of diminishing return.

3.  Imperfection of the agricultural system.  Mainly crop raising, not a combination of crop and stock raising, as in England.  No profitable secondary business but silkworm culture.  Therefore the distribution of labour throughout the year is not good and the number of days of effective labour is relatively small.

4.  The commercial side of agriculture has not been sufficiently developed.

5.  There has been a rise in the standard of living.  In the old days the farmer did not complain; he thought his lot could not be changed.  He was forbidden to adopt a new calling and he was restricted by law to a frugal way of living.  Now farmers can be soldiers, merchants or officials and can live as they please.  They begin to compare their standard of living with that of other callings.  What were once not felt to be miseries are now regarded as such.

6.  Formerly the farmer had not the expense of education and of losing the services of his sons to the army.  There is also an increase in taxation.  A representative family which incurred a public expenditure, not including education, of 12.86 yen in 1890, paid in 1898 19.68 yen.  In 1908 it was faced by a claim for 34.28 yen.[58]

7.  Although the area of land does not increase in relation to the increase of population, the size of the peasant family is increasing owing to the decrease of infanticide and abortion and the development of sanitation.

8.  The farmer suffers from debts at high interest.

9.  The character, morality and ability of the farmer are not yet fully developed.

10.  Formerly the farmer lived an economically self-contained existence.  He had no great need of money.  He must now sell his produce on a market with wider and wider fluctuations.

11.  There are many expensive customs and habits, for instance the two or three days’ feasting at weddings and funerals.