LEAGUE OF NATIONS
C. T. F. E/Orient/35
Geneva, July 31st, 1932
TRAFFIC IN WOMEN AND CHILDREN
EXTENSION OF THE ENQUIRY ON TRAFFIC IN
WOMEN AND CLILDREN TO THE EAST
REPORT CONCERNING JAPAN
July 31st, 1932.
I, GENERAL INFORMATION
(1) Accession or adherence to treaties and Central Authority.
Japan has adhered to the Agreement of 1904 and to the Convention of 1910. The ratification by Japan of the Convention of 1921 does not apply to the Overseas Dependencies of Korea, Formosa and the Leased Territory of Kwantung.
The Central Authority for Japan is the Ministry for the Interior at Tokyo. The officials in the service of the Ministry who deal with matters relating to traffic in women and children are:
The Director of the Police Bureau, of Chokunin rank, corresponding to a General in the Army;
the chief of the Section of Police Affairs of the Police Bureau, who is also a Secretary of the Ministry for the Interior, of Sonin rank, corresponding to Commissioned Officer;
a Secretary of the Ministry for the Interior attached to the Section of Police Affairs, of Sonin rank;
two clerks, of Hannin rank, corresponding to non-commissioned officer.
(2) Time spent in the country.
The Commission first came into official contact with the Japanese authorities at Mukden on May 29th, 1931; three days were spent at Dairen, Kwantung Leased Territory; and two days at Keijo Seoul), capital of Chosen (Korea). Travelling from Korea by way of Fusan and Shimonoseki, the Commission reached Tokyo on June 9th and remained in Japan until July 12th. Taiwan (Formosa) was not included in the itinerary of the Commission but arrangements were made for a meeting with an official from that island.
(3) Cities visited.
In the course of its enquiry on Japanese territory the Commission visited or stayed at Mukden (Railway Zone), Dairen, Port Arthur, Keijo (Seoul), Shimonoseki, Tokyo, Yokohama, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Kobe and Nagasaki. Information regarding Taiwan (Formosa) was obtained at the Japanese Consulate at Amoy (China).
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(4) Sources of Information.
Separate official replies to the Commission's questionnaire were received in respect of Japan pro per and of each of the Japanese Overseas Territories included in the enquiry, and the information contained in these replies was supplemented and, where necessary, explained by the various officials who gave evidence.
(a) Evidence taken and from whom.
In Tokyo the Director of the Police Bureau of the Home Office (Central Authority) gave evidence and the meeting with him was attended by representatives of the Foreign Office and of the Ministry of Justice. Evidence was also taken from officials of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Board.
The Governor of Kanagawa Prefecture gave evidence regarding Yokohama and the Prefecture generally and at the same meeting the Chiefs of the Land Police and the Water Police were heard. The Chief Judge of the Juvenile Court at Osaka gave evidence relating not only to his present position but also in regard to offences concerning adults which he had dealt with during his career. The witnesses in Kobe were the chiefs of the land and the water police and the Chief of the Foreign Affairs Section of the Prefectural Government. The Chief of the Harbour Police was heard at Nagasaki.
No evidence was heard from Japanese officials at Mukden. In Dairen the Chief of the Peace and Order Section of the Police gave evidence which was supplemented by other officials who attended with him, and at Keijo (Seoul) representatives of the Director of the Police Bureau were heard. A Special Commissioner from Taiwan (Formosa) met the Commission at the Japanese Consulate at Amoy (China) and his evidence was supplemented by the Japanese Consul who was also present at the meeting.
Various Japanese ladies engaged in social work appeared before the Commission in Tokyo; and at Osaka the Commission attended a meeting of representatives of 18 private institutions and associations engaged in social work throughout Japan. The Command ing Officers of the Salvation Army at Tokyo and at Kei jo (Seoul) gave evidence and at Keijo (Seoul) a missionary doctor was heard. In Dairen the manager of a cabaret employing Russian dancing partners made a statement regarding the methods by which these girls were brought to Mukden and to Dairen.
(b) Conversations − informal.
The Commission had the honour to be received by and had informal conversations with the Vice-Ministers for Foreign Affairs, for the Interior and for Overseas Affairs in Tokyo, the Acting Governor-General of Korea, the Acting Governor of the Kwantung Leased Territory and the Prefectural Governors at Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. Informal conversations were also had with the Chiefs of Mukden Police Station and of Dairen Police Station, judges of local courts at Dairen and Keijo (Seoul) and Judges of the High Courts at Keijo (Seoul) and Tokyo.
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In addition to those social workers who appeared to give evidence before the Commission, opportunities to express their views at informal meetings were given to representatives and men- bers of numerous associations in the various parts of Japanese territory visited by the Commission.
(c) Institutions visited.
(1) officiel.
Visits were paid to hospitals at Tokyo, Mukden, Dairen and Kei jo (Seoul); to prisons at Mukden, Dairen and Keijo; and to Police Stations at Mukden and Keijo. In addition, the Employment Officer for the Prefecture and the State Reformatory were seen at Tokyo.
(2) Unofficial.
In all the centres visited private institutions and un- dertakings having a more or less close relation to the problem of traffic and the protection of women and children were shown by those connected with them. These included schools and a university, a medical college, various social welfare homes, rescue homes and missions, spinning and weaving factories employing female labour, a training school for actresses and the studies at which Japanese moving pictures were produced.
(3) Licensed quarters.
Licensed quarters were inspected at Tokyo, Osaka, Mukden, Dairen and Keijo; and geisha establishments and training schools were seen at Tokyo, Mukden, Dairen and Keijo (Seoul).
II. INTERNAL CONDITIONS RELATING TO TRAFFIC.
Population.
The officially estimated population of the Japanese Em- pire on October 1st, 1930, was approximately 90,000,000, more than two-thirds of which, 64,447,724, were contained in Japan proper. The population of Korea was given as 21,057,000, Formosa 4,594,161, Kwantung, 1,327,971, the Island of Saghalen 295,187, and Mandated Territories 69,627. There were in the general population about 1,000,000 more males than females and this predominance of males existed throughout the Empire but was especially noticeable in Ko- rea and Kwantung. See Annex I.
The foreign population in Japan proper in 1930 was small (about 40,000) and was composed mainly of Chinese (30,836). As usual, the foreign males predominated, though somewhat less so than in many other countries of the East.
