Annotation: "Lastly, the oars of this boat are shorter than usual. This is because the Japanese men are generally shorter than..."

From collection Sumida-gawa [Sumida River]

Lastly, the oars of this boat are shorter than usual. This is because the Japanese men are generally shorter than European and American men. The shorter oars allowed the Japanese to take strokes faster than the European men which resulted in the Japanese boats racing at a higher rate. There is nothing wrong with this approach, it is just how the two countries evolved different rowing styles based on physical differences.