The Government-General devised the Program to Increase Rice Production from 1920, in order to increase rice production by rearranging arable land and expanding irrigation facilities. After the land survey had been completed as a necessary precondition, Korea was established as a base for the Japanese food supply. In the late 1910s, Japanese rice production was sluggish as a result of urbanization and heavy and chemical industrialization, leading to the “rice crisis” in 1918. The Japanese government intended to solve the rice shortages in Japan proper by increasing rice production in its colonies, especially Korea. Various irrigation facilities were constructed in the Honam plain in Jeollabuk-do (province), the breadbasket of the Korean peninsula. The Ik-ok Irrigation Association built the huge Dae-a Reservoir. The reservoir dedication ceremony was packed with people including officials from the colonial government. This photograph shows a letter from Governor-General, Saito Makoto, to the County Executive of Okgu, Kim Jeonggi. Saito writes that he took the rice that Kim gave him to Tokyo where it received good reviews. This is a good example of the attention that Government-General officials paid to the value of rice production in this area, which would be sent to Japan.
- Cornerstone with the inscription “『Jinho』 (鎭護)” written by Governor-General Saito Makoto. “『Jinho』” means to prevent country from flooding.
- Intake tower at the upstream face, Dae-a-ri (village)
- A scene of the construction site of Dae-a-ri dam when the construction began
- A latest scene of the construction site of Dae-a-ri dam
- Water intake-regulation gate at Eou-ri (village)
- Ceremony to celebrate water flow at the gate, Samrye
- Watershed in Jeon-ik, Im-ik, and Im-ok Irrigation Associations
- Ceremony to celebrate water flow at the regulation gate, Dongsan-ri (village)
- Grand trunk canal near Iri (town)
- Laying the foundation to install a water pump at Okgu (county)
- Construction of inverted syphon for irrigation at Tabcheon
- Gate with inverted syphon at Bokcheon
- Ceremony to celebrate water flow at the lock gate, Ibseok-ri (village)
- Watershed at the regulation gate, Mokcheon-ri (village)
- View of reservoir
- Saito Makoto and group passing by lined-up crowds
- Entrance to the dam completion celebration
- Governor-General Saito Makoto at the completion celebration of the dam
- Crowd at the celebration ceremony
- View of site for the ceremony
- Saito Makoto and group having meal
- Korean man having meal
- 『Geisha』 performance from Iri
- Korean spectators
- 『Samulnori』, Korean traditional percussion quartet
- Koreans outside the ceremonial place