TEMPERANCE IN JAPAN by John L. Dearing

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Jul 30, 1894

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 20, No. 38.

TEMPERANCE IN JAPAN.

By John L. Dearing

BY THE REV. JOHN L. DEARING.

THE "no-license law," against which so many good people have laughed and argued in America, and which has so often been declared to be a failure, and always destined to be, has received a practical illustration of its value in far-off Japan. Off the north coast of Japan there lies the most peculiar island in the world. Though small, its peculiarities are so great that its exact location is worth knowing. It is situated in latitude 42° 10' north and longitude 139° 33' east, and its name is Okushiri. Its greatest length is only fourteen miles, and its width about half that. Its area is fifty-six square miles. Its soil is fertile, and there is considerable lumber on the island. The farmer would find it a profitable place, or a lumberman either; but fish are so abundant off its shores, and are so easily taken, that the few inhabitants have always been fishermen, and have depended upon the herring, which approach the coast in great quantities in the spring, for their chief support, and from the sale of these fish get sufficient to feed and clothe themselves for the year, and thus live most of the time an easy, indolent life. In 1884, the time when the island began to attract attention and to distinguish itself from all others, it was the home of about 260 people. They were more addicted to the use of intoxicating drinks than Japanese fishermen usually are, and the use of sake (Japanese liquor) is a fault of most fishermen. So strong had the habit become that the people of this small island spent annually $3,000 for one kind of liquor alone, or more than $1.00 per month for every man, woman, and child on the island.

When it is realized that this was a very much larger proportion of their annual income than it would at first be thought to be by Americans, the sad results of such an expenditure for drink will be better realized, four or five dollars per month being amply sufficient for the entire support of a family at a fishing village. What wonder, then, that, in the face of such an outlay for liquor, the people often suffered severely from hunger and cold! Their houses were thatched with coarse grass, and were very poor shelter from the cold in winter. They had no roads, and but one poor school; and for their fishing they had only four good fishing nets on the island. Finally the government authorities, seeing their wretched state, urged them to adopt a system of storing provisions, so that the midwinter months' famine would not threaten them as it had; but they found themselves unable to do this on account of the payment of their sake, and nothing was left for provisions.

At this time two or three bold men began to openly denounce the sake and all alcoholic drinks, and to declare that their sufferings were all caused by the liquor. The crusade they started was met by strong opposition, but finally the inhabitants of the island entered into a compact, in July, 1884. We would like to give the compact in full, but space forbids. Suffice it to say that in its introduction it is claimed that the amount of money spent for sake has been very great, and that they are threatened by great misery; that the only way they see possible to avert ruin is by ceasing to use the liquors, and, instead, to apply the money saved to more useful purposes. They pledge themselves thus:—

ARTICLE I. We, the inhabitants of Okushiri Island, jointly and severally, in accordance with the covenant hereby required, do pledge ourselves to

abandon wholly the sale, purchase, and use of alcoholic beverages.

ARTICLE II. Any islander refusing to sign this covenant, and engaging in the sale, purchase, or use of alcohol, shall not receive sympathy or aid from his fellow-islanders as a whole, no matter what circumstances he may be placed in.

Further articles provide for heavy fines on the sale of liquor, these fines to be used in the purchase of grains to be stored in the public granary. All immigrants shall be made acquainted with the rules, and must agree to observe them, before they can be allowed to settle on the island. This covenant was to remain in force for five years, at the end of which time suitable changes could be made.

Briefly observe the results. The covenant was rigorously observed. Even government officials, of whatever rank, had to give up sake drinking when they visited the island. Of course every drinker had to reform or leave the island. In five years the population increased fivefold, and the capital invested in fishing tenfold. The bad roofs were replaced by shingles; good roads were built all over the island; four large public granaries were erected and filled with rice, and each family had a private store in reserve. At the present time it is said that they have sufficient food on hand if the fisheries should fail entirely for five years in succession. New land has been brought into cultivation, and $2,000 worth of hemp is grown annually for the manufacture of fishing nets.—The Independent.