Abstract
The height of the Japanese people has increased dramatically since the end of the Second World War. This increase in size is commonly attributed to growth during the period when children attend school (approximately age 6-17).
However, in this paper we reviewed Japanese school health statistics since 1900, and concluded that the increase in the height was not a result of the growth from age 6-17, but instead depended on growth occuring in early childhood (age 0-6).
Furthermore, total growth from age 6-17 has consistently decreased since the end of WWII, while the height of 6 year-olds has increased. There is a clear inverse relationship between the two (r=－0.951 (male) and r=－0.987 (female)); the more growth until age 6, the less growth from age 6-17.
