Health > Intergovernmental conference of Far-Eastern countries on rural hygiene : preparatory papers : report of Japan

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such as physicians’ associations, these co-operative societies
exert considerable influence on rural rehabilitation.
When the system of health centres and national health
insurance, now planned by the Government, comes into effect,
rural sanitation will be reorganised by educating the inhabitants
in health matters and by re-adapting the conditions of their
clothing, food and shelter to modern standards of hygiene.
III. SANITATION AND SANITARY ENGINEERING.
i. Housing.
Geographically, Japan is a long and narrow island lying
between northern latitudes 50 degrees and 25 degrees. In the
northern part of the country the winters are cold with
much snow, but in the southern part, especially in Okinawa
prefecture, the climate is always warm, like that of the
subtropical zone. In the northern districts, therefore, rural
housing requires measures of protection from the cold, while in
the southern districts protection from the heat is needed. Besides
improvement in rural housing, agricultural conditions in Japan
should also be considered.
Rural housing in Japan has followed the customs and living
conditions of ancient times, and there have been no radical
changes. This has been the most difficult obstacle to improve¬
ment, both from the hygienic and practical points of view.
In each prefecture, measures are being taken to improve
housing conditions according to local circumstances. At present,,
the Tohoku Koshinkai (Society for the Rehabilitation of North-
Eastern Territories), representing the Government, supervises
the improvement in rural housing in these territories with the
help of an annual subsidy of 30,000 yen from the central
Government. In addition, the Nihon Gakujutsu Shinkokai
(the Japanese Society for the Encouragement of Arts and
Sciences), founded with imperial donations, has been
endeavouring, in co-operation with the Dojunkai (an agency
for housing grants), to study rural housing conditions in those
districts where winter is severe. At the same time it is