The Human Studies of Constitution of the People in Shinshu Azumi District.

Abstract

A biometric study was conducted in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, in August 1952 for the purpose of finding out anthropological characteristics of inhabitants of the Azumi district. Eleven towns and villages which were relatively isolated from blood mixture with other communities were chosen and 520 young adult males were studied with reference to the anthropological measurement of the trunk, limbs, head and face. On the basis of 25 items obtained from the direct measurement and subsequent computation, detailed analyses were made in comparison with other districts where similar survey results were available.
In summary, it was found that the inhabitants of Azumi district had relatively little affinity with neighbouring districts, while they showed rather close resemblance to inhabitants of Miyake Island and Tsushima Island. It may be interesting to note, in this connection that local traditions of the district often claim the origin of its inhabitants as immigration of a race which was closely associated with ocean. Partial re3emblance was also noted in the inhabitants to those of Hida (Gifu Pref.) and Upper Ina (Nagano Pref.) districts. Most outstanding was the fact that the length-width index of the head of this district, 81.6, showed distinct contrast with that of Iida (Nagano Pref.) district, 84.1.
The present study, it is hoped, will contribute to the formation of a general picture of the genesis of the Japanese race as a whole.