December 1920, Meguro Racecourse
The racecourse stands were filled with wealthy farmers from across the country, each owning more than 10 hectares of farmland. They had received invitations from the Regent himself. For these farmers, even the wealthiest among them, an invitation to an event attended by the Regent was an honor to be passed down through generations. They had all come eagerly.
"Thank you all for braving the cold to be here today. Now, His Highness the Regent will address us. Please rise."
Takashiro Soryu, the master of ceremonies, spoke through a microphone and amplifier system developed by the Space Force using vacuum tubes.
Everyone stood and turned their attention to the Regent in the special seating area.
"Thank you all for coming. The machinery we're introducing today is essential for the future of agriculture. Please pay close attention."
After the Regent's brief speech, everyone sat down, and Soryu continued.
"Now, we present the 'Space Force Model 1 Cultivator' and 'Space Force Model 1 Rice Transplanter,' developed under the leadership of His Highness the Regent!"
Note: "Space Force Model" (宇式) is short for "Space Force Standard."
The covers were removed, revealing the gleaming cultivator and rice transplanter, painted in red and white.
At the time, most cultivators (primarily tractors) were powered by steam engines and were enormous, making them impractical for Japanese farmers. The Fordson Model F, a smaller and more accessible tractor, had been developed a few years earlier, but only a few had made their way to Japan.
However, the Space Force's cultivator was small—about the size of a 21st-century power tiller, slightly larger. The wealthy farmers, expecting a revolutionary new agricultural machine, were a bit underwhelmed.
Note: Please search for "power tiller" (管理機テーラー) for reference. Describing it in words is too difficult.
"Now, let's begin the demonstration."
The operator walked up to the cultivator and bowed, causing a stir among the audience.
"Is that a woman? A woman operating machinery?"
Everyone was skeptical about a woman handling agricultural equipment.
"Allow me to introduce the operator, Shizuko Kawashima, a 15-year-old student from the Space Force Military Academy's General Course. Despite her young age, she is unmatched in operating the cultivator."
Shizuko, dressed in a work kimono with a slim hakama and a towel wrapped around her head like a traditional farmworker, looked like a tea-picking girl. She wore light makeup and was undeniably cute.
Ignoring the murmurs, Shizuko bowed and stood in front of the cultivator. She pulled the starter rope, and—
"Vroom! Vroooom!"—the engine started effortlessly.
"What? It starts that easily?"
"With just a woman's strength?"
"Impossible!"
The audience erupted in astonishment.
At the time, engines were either steam-powered or hot-bulb engines, requiring 30 minutes to an hour to start. Even gasoline engines, used in imported cars, needed a strong man to crank them manually.
The demonstration began on a small field prepared at the racecourse. For comparison, a traditional ox-drawn plow was also used. At the time, most farmers tilled their vast fields by hand with hoes.
Shizuko opened the throttle and engaged the clutch. The cultivator's blades spun rapidly, and the machine moved forward at an astonishing speed. The small field, about 20 meters long and 10 meters wide, was tilled in just 15 minutes. Meanwhile, the ox-drawn plow had barely finished a third of the field. Moreover, the soil tilled by the cultivator was finely broken up, showcasing its superior performance. And all this was done by a 15-year-old girl, who operated the machine with ease.
The audience was speechless.
"The ox is still working, but let's move on to the next demonstration: the Space Force Model 1 Rice Transplanter."
The rice transplanter demonstration began. Since it was winter, rice seedlings had been prepared in a greenhouse for the event.
For comparison, ten manual planters were also prepared.
"Begin!"
The transplanter and the ten planters started simultaneously. The planters bent over, taking seedlings from their baskets and planting them by hand—a scene reminiscent of 21st-century cultural events. Meanwhile, the transplanter's mechanical arms moved rhythmically, planting seedlings at a rapid pace. In about ten minutes, the transplanter finished, while the manual planters had only completed half the field. One machine had done the work of ten people in half the time—a twentyfold increase in efficiency. And again, it was operated by a 15-year-old girl.
"This is the power of the Space Force's rice transplanter..."
The audience was stunned, their jaws hanging open.
Then, a voice called out from the crowd.
"Someone call a doctor!"
One of the elderly farmers had fainted from the shock.
"Well, that was an unexpected incident, but I hope you enjoyed the demonstration. Now, we'll take questions. Please raise your hand if you have one."
"Yes!"
Nearly everyone in the audience raised their hand.
"We'll take as many questions as time allows. Go ahead."
Soryu handed the microphone to one of the raised hands.
"Um, I'm from Shizuoka Prefecture..."
"Sorry, we're short on time. Please skip the introduction and just ask your question."
"Oh, uh, is that young lady single? I'd like her to marry my second son. Oh, and of course, I'll buy the machine too."
"Wait! Don't jump the gun!"
"That's right! A hardworking girl like her should marry into my family!"
"...Uh, sorry. Shizuko Kawashima is not for sale. Please give up. Anyone asking non-machine-related questions will be forcibly removed."
'These country bumpkins...'
"How much does the machine cost?"
"Yes! That's the question! The Space Force Model 1 Cultivator costs 190 yen, and the Space Force Model 1 Rice Transplanter costs 220 yen!"
"I'll take it!"
"I'll buy both!"
"I'll pay double if you can deliver immediately!"
The crowd erupted into chaos.
And for good reason. The Fordson Model F tractor, while twice as powerful, cost 1,900 yen. In 1920, the average annual income was 583 yen, so in today's terms, the cultivator cost about 1.7 million yen, and the transplanter about 2 million yen.
Wealthy farmers at the time employed multiple tenant families to work their fields year-round. If they could introduce these machines, efficiency would increase more than tenfold, allowing them to dismiss 90% of their tenants. The profits would be staggering.
"Quiet, please! Orders will be taken as you leave. Now, next question..."
"How much training is needed to operate the machine?"
"That's a question for Shizuko Kawashima. Shizuko, how long did it take you to learn?"
Shizuko, who had been soaking her feet in hot water after the demonstration, was handed the microphone.
"Huh? Me? Well, I practiced for half a day with the cultivator and half a day with the transplanter."
"What?!"
"Just one day to operate it that well?"
"Even a girl can do it that easily?"
"Yes, anyone can learn to operate it in a day. This machine will revolutionize farming!"
Questions about fuel, maintenance costs, and more followed.
By the end of the day, 1,300 cultivators and 900 rice transplanters had been ordered.
"Takashiro, the exhibition was a great success."
"Yes, Your Highness. As expected."
"Improving efficiency in agriculture will free up labor for industry. We can fundamentally reform Japan's industrial structure and catch up to America and Britain. It's a brilliant plan."
"Yes, Your Highness. We've provided job advertisements for the cultivator manufacturing plant to today's attendees. The wages are 1.1 times the Tokyo average, so if one family member works there, they can support the entire household. We'll also collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce to provide technical guidance for planting."
The Space Force continued developing agricultural machinery, including rice harvesters, threshers, lawn mowers, and riding tractors. Mass production kept prices low, and the machines sold like hotcakes. Production couldn't keep up, so technology was transferred to external factories to increase output. Despite the post-war panic, localized labor shortages emerged.
In rural areas, cash income was scarce. Even if tenant farmers were dismissed, one family member working at a Space Force factory could provide a much better life. Moreover, the Space Force offered equal pay for women, leading to a flood of applications from rural areas. This absorbed much of the rural labor force into Space Force factories and the large-scale public works projects starting in 1921.
Thanks to chemical fertilizers and agricultural machinery, rice production increased by 1.2 times in 1921 and 1.5 times in 1922 compared to 1920.
Normally, such a rapid increase in production would cause prices to plummet, but the timing was perfect—Sakhalin's growing population created enough demand to absorb the surplus.
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A/N: Thank you for reading Chapter 30!
The agricultural revolution is in full swing! The industrial structure is about to change dramatically!
But will everything go smoothly?
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