Notes
This database provides statistics on (high and low) loan interest rates by prefecture during the period from July 1886 through December 1940.
The source of this data is Ginko-kyoku Nenpo (Annual Report of the Banking Bureau; Nos.9-65), issued by the Banking Bureau of the Ministry of Finance. This data source was issued through No.65 during the prewar period. Its title changed over the years, from Ginko-ka Hokoku (Report of the Banking Department; No.1) to Ginko-kyoku Hokoku (Report of the Banking Bureau; Nos.2-12), Ginko Eigyo Hokoku (Report on Banking Business; Nos.13-29), and Ginko Oyobi Tanpo-tsuki Shasai Jigyo Hokoku (Report on Banking and Secured Bond Business; Nos.30-39), before it became Ginko-kyoku Nenpo (Annual Report of the Banking Bureau) in 1916 (No.40).
Although this source provided loan interest rates in the "List of High and Low Interest Rates by Region" starting with No.7, the regions surveyed differed significantly, from 50 locales in No.7 to 26 locales in No.8. With certain omissions, 47 prefectures were established as the standard regions surveyed from No.9 (not including overseas territories).
Therefore, this database provides data from Ginko-kyoku Nenpo from No.9. In accordance with the original source, monthly data is provided for the period July 1886 through 1922, and June and December data for the years 1923 through 1940. Loan interest rates are provided for the period July 1886 through 1925, while three rates are provided for the years 1926 through 1940: rates for loans on deeds, loans on bills, and overdrafts.
In the original source, interest-rate tables were provided in the "Finance"1 (Nos.9-13) or "Financial Conditions"2 (Nos.14-65) sections. The titles of these tables changed over the years, from "Regional Interest Rates" 3 (No.9) to "Table of High and Low Loan Interest Rates by Region" 4 (Nos.10-11), "Table of High and Low Loan Interest Rates" 5 (No.12), "High and Low Loan Interest Rates by Region" 6 (Nos.13-21), "High and Low Fixed-Term Loan Interest Rates by Region" 7 (Nos.22-40), "High and Low Loan Interest Rates by Region" 8 (Nos.41-47), and "High and Low Interest Rates on Fixed-Term Deposits and Loans and Discount Rates by Region" 9 (Nos.48-65).
1 Kinyu (in Japanese)
2 Kinyu no Keikyo (in Japanese)
3 Chiho Kinri Soba (in Japanese)
4 Kashitsukekin Risoku Ko Tei Chihobetsu Hyo (in Japanese)
5 Kashitsukekin Risoku Ko Tei Hyo (in Japanese)
6 Kashitsukekin Risoku Ko Tei Chihobetsu (in Japanese)
7 Teiki Kashitsukekin Risoku Ko Tei Chihobetsu (in Japanese)
8 Kashitsukekin Risoku Ko Tei Chihobetsu (in Japanese)
9 Teiki Yokin Risoku Kashitsukekin Risoku oyobi Waribiki Buai Ko Tei Chihobetsu (in Japanese)
Although the original source gave annual interest rates in decimal notation, these have been converted to percentages (%) for this database. As used in the original source, the daily rate represented the amount of interest per day on a loan of 100 yen. For example, "3.53" in an interest-rate table represents an interest of 3.53 sen (0.0353 yen). In certain cases, the daily rates are multiplied by 365 to convert these amounts to annual interest rates. For example, Showa 17-nen Shirabe Kinyu Jiko Sanko-sho (Reference Book of Financial Matters, 1942), published by the Financial Bureau of the Ministry of Finance, includes a table on converting annual and daily rates (p.18). In addition, the data in the original source has been corrected for apparent typographical errors and for obvious oversights, such as instances in which the low rate exceeds the high.