Abstract
The writer has investigated the distribution of binocular manufacturing works and geographical significance of their location in Japan. The following facts were disclosed.
1. There are 215 binocular manufacturing works in Japan today. These works are very small in scale, having average of only 16 workers in each workshop.
Most of the works are concentrated in Tokyo area, and about 95% of them are closely distributed in Itabashi district, northern part of Tokyo metropolis, forming core of the distribution in Japan.
2. The following factors are considered to play an important role in the location of the binocular manufacturing industry.
a) One of the location factors which exerts a conspicuous influence upon the present pattern of the distribution is the existence of the commission agents naving an overwhelming power over the works. For the reason that all of the commission agents are situated in Tokyo, many works tend to be attracted by them and distributed in Tokyo area.
b) In Tokyo area, Itabashi was the only district where large scale binocular plants for mtlitary purposes were situated before the war. After the war, the production of the plant were all changed to peaceful (binocular) industries, and the existence of technical experts who worked in these factories may be said to have been the cause of their concentration in the area.
c) In recent time, the superiority of Itabashi district to others, which, as, mentioned already, plays an important part in the distribution of binocular industries, is due to the existence of many workers and subcontractors who are obliged to offer their cheap labour.
