南島經濟記 : 附朝鮮 / Southern Island Economic News, with An Appendix about Korea

This book was written by SHIMODA Masami who was head of the business news department of The Mainichi Shimbun (Osaka). SHIMODA concluded what he had inspected the economic situation of each location during his visitation in Amami, Okinawa, Taiwan, and Korea. It is comprised of four parts with an appendix: Koshū no Amami Ōshima; Ryukyu yo doko e iku; Taiwan wo miru; Mezame yuku Chōsen wo otozurete; and Kōryo zakkan. Each section presents the issues on the local economic activities and SHIMODA's solutions. In the late 1920s, Okinawa was just experiencing deep World War I recession known as “Sotetsu Jigoku (Cycad Hell).” Like SHIMODA’s piece, within that time, many books or studies were published to discuss how to solve serious recession of Okinawa, such as WAKUGAMI Romjin’s Okinawa Kyūsai Ronshū (Essays on Okinawa Relief). SHIMODA did not just propose how to raise agricultural production and efficiency by making the most of the warm climate in this region, but also indicated the fundamental factor of Okinawa and Amami poverties was due to the laziness character of their people and the only way to adjust the situation was to improve this trait. It is said that SHIMODA’s agricultural proposition might be influenced by Shō Jun (the fourth son of Shō Tai, the last king of the Ryukyu Kingdom) who had spoken to the press conference at that time.