Imperial Japanese Army finally acknowledges Korea’s imminent independence just over a week after liberation (Aug. 23, 1945) with a jumbled announcement full of desperate denials, threats, and unconvincing reassurances to fend off Korean armed resistance

This is another fascinating historical article that I stumbled upon during my visit to the National Library of Korea a few months ago. This piece is a PSA by the Imperial Japanese military authorities addressing the Korean people on August 23, 1945, just over a week after Imperial Japan's unconditional surrender on August 15, 1945, which marked the end of World War II. This immediate 'lame duck' period after Imperial Japan's surrender was one of uncertainty and transition, as the regime awaited the arrival of Allied forces to assume control. It's worth noting that Soviet forces had already entered Korea by August 14th, but American forces did not arrive until September 8.

Ethnic Japanese residents of Seoul planting turnips in their urban garden.

The regime's radio broadcast on August 18th, just 3 days after surrender, was full of bluster with defiant threats to take military action against protesters, but this PSA one week later seems jumbled and confused despite its best effort to put on a brave face, as if the regime is suddenly unsure of how to address the Korean people. Readers at the time would have surely picked up on this and noticed that something was off, that the regime was not its usual confident, optimistic self. Its string of denials, threats, and reassurances no longer sound so convincing, given the regime's diminished stature. The regime does its best to insist that it is still in charge of Korea, but even it has to acknowledge now that Korea is going to be independent soon. Its desperate denials about expropriations, repatriations, leaflets, and atrocities against ethnic Japanese people only seem to confirm the stark truth of those rumors.

To long-time Japanese readers of Keijo Nippo, reading this PSA would have been jarring and distressing. There are no longer calls to destroy the US and Britain, and there is even a sentence insisting that US and Soviet forces are "certainly not bandits". The admonition that "Koreans should deeply realize that Korea will not become independent through war actions" only reveals to readers that Koreans are still waging an armed uprising against the regime. Their stern warning not to listen to the Committees for the Preparation of Korean Independence (조선건국준비위원회) essentially gives these committees free publicity, telling the entire Korean nation about their existence and only accelerating their political rise. The colonial regime is rapidly unraveling and fading into irrelevance before their very eyes, and a new and unfamiliar reality is suddenly setting in.

I have also included two articles that were placed adjacent this PSA, as if to lighten the mood with some optimism. One article is about the reopening of movie theaters, as if the newspaper is encouraging Koreans to have fun watching movies instead of fighting colonialists. The other article is about ethnic Japanese in Seoul still defiantly planting their urban gardens, even though their repatriation to Japan is in the horizon.

[Translation]

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) August 23, 1945

Be prudent without any anxiety or hesitation!

The Korean Peninsula before the construction (of a new order)

Hearing from Colonel Gotō about the mindset of the people of Korea and Japan

Since August 15th, due to the sudden change in circumstances, there has been some disturbance among the Korean and Japanese people, which is gradually calming down due to strict punishment by the military authorities. The cause of the disturbance was a failure to accurately understand the current situation and being misled by mere rumors. The military authorities and the Governor-General's Office have declared that security is being maintained, and are requesting a calm and composed attitude from the Korean and Japanese people in handling the new situation. The current situation is such that combat operations have ceased in accordance with the Imperial Rescript, and everything will likely be handled smoothly and peacefully according to the formal and rational ceasefire agreement made with the Allied nations. Some people are under the impression that Korea is already able to have an independent government, but Korea is still under Japanese rule, and Japan's sovereignty remains unchanged. The issue of Korean independence will only come up after all negotiations concerning the Empire with the Allied nations are completed. Below, we will hear from Colonel Gotō of the Press Department of the Korean Military Administration about the current situation, and the mindset of the Korean and Japanese people in dealing with it.

Q: Various rumors are circulating, but what is the actual situation now?

A: According to the formal agreement between Japan and the USA, UK, USSR, and China in Manila, detailed agreements will be made for each place based on its local situation. All processes will be carried out based on these agreements.

Q: So Korea remains under Japanese rule until then?

A: Of course. Korea remains a part of Japan until the agreement is concluded, and it is a matter of course that Japan continues governing Korea. Hence, it is unacceptable for outsiders to interfere at this juncture. Some seem to think that Korea will become independent immediately and start governing from that day, which is a grave misunderstanding. Therefore, no orders should be issued by the Independence Preparatory Committees, and absolutely no one is to be involved with any of their social functions.

Q: However, it seems that some have played a part in expropriation mayhem.

A: The recent attempted expropriation incidents are nothing but banditry. There is neither the right nor basis for expropriations yet. Even among belligerent countries, personal properties are not to be touched. Even the US, at the start of the war, froze assets of Japanese residents but did not seize them. We have been abroad several times, and we cannot remember our personal property ever being seized. Of course, temporary occupation may be conducted for military purposes, but this does not apply to the situation in Korea.

Q: B-24 planes came and dropped leaflets the day before yesterday.

A: I do not think the content of the leaflets was particularly inappropriate. However, some of the wording used had a commanding tone, but they do not have the right to give us orders yet. Probably the translation was poor. We are not to take orders directly from them. We only take orders from His Majesty the Emperor. Therefore, they should negotiate with the Japanese government, and we will receive orders from our government.

Q: There were rumors of harm to mainland Japanese people.

A: That is an absurd story. Such perpetrators will be dealt with by the occupying forces, even if Japan does not take action. The world’s morality would not accept it. If such actions are taken, the situation will only become more complicated. The military exists to protect the lives and properties of civilians. There is a reason why the Imperial Rescript to endure the unbearable was issued. It is also the military's mission to strike down such disruptive elements.

Q: What should be the attitude of Korean people at this time?

A: Koreans should deeply realize that Korea will not become independent through war actions and that independence has not yet been established. Currently, there are only talks about granting independence to Korea, but nothing concrete has been decided yet. Therefore, this autumn is a very important time for the people of Korea. They must carefully consider what actions to take. To make an analogy, even opening a small shop cannot be done in just ten or twenty days. Similarly, Korea will require a considerable process and time until independence. Disruptive actions or confrontations with foreign countries during this crucial period of construction may lose the trust of the Allied forces and could even make independence impossible.

Q: Have military families been repatriated?

A: Do not joke about such matters. Not a single person has been repatriated. However, some families of deployed soldiers who had been living in officers' quarters for a long time have been returned home. This has to do with the intended purpose of the officers' quarters.

Q: What should be the mindset of mainland Japanese people?

A: If they understand the above situation, there should be no reason to panic. I think it is questionable to only think about hurriedly repatriating. It is unlikely that Korea will declare war on Japan as soon as it becomes independent. They should demonstrate the composure of citizens of a great nation. Otherwise, they will only be laughed at by the world. There are two main reasons for causing anxiety among mainland Japanese people. One is the rumor that Korean insurgents might harm Japanese people. However, as said earlier, both Japan and the Allied nations are paying utmost attention to maintaining security, so there is no need to worry. If such an unfortunate incident occurs, it will be dealt with severely, either by Japan or by the occupying forces. The other is the fear that the occupying forces might cause harm, but it is unlikely that they would commit violence in front of international monitors, especially after the ceasefire. The US and Soviet forces are certainly not bandits.

Reopening of Movie Theaters

Citywide Simultaneously from August 25th

The permanent movie theaters within Seoul, which had been closed since August 15th, will reopen all at once on August 25th. In mainland Japan too, thanks to the Imperial mandate, entertainment institutions such as movies, plays, and other performances will resume nationwide simultaneously from the 25th, contributing to the brightening of national life.

Since the issuance of the major conscription, the entertainment industry, including movies, theaters, and other performances, voluntarily suspended their shows as part of self-restraint by the operators. Regarding the reopening of these entertainment activities, the Ministry of the Interior has been actively guiding and nurturing the reconstruction of a healthy and bright national life, and had been preparing a concrete plan for the reopening date and procedure. After discussions with the Information Bureau and industry representatives, permission was granted to reopen these entertainment facilities from the 22nd. Instructions to this effect have been sent to all relevant parties nationwide. At the same time, the restriction on performance times has also been temporarily lifted, allowing for evening performances without issue.

Repatriation to Other Places

Sowing Seeds of Hope in One Tsubo Gardens

People are not hurriedly uprooting vegetables from their one-tsubo (about 3.3 square meters) gardens because of rumors about repatriation to mainland Japan. They are harvesting summer radishes that have come into season for tonight's meal and then sowing turnips and Chinese cabbages to eat in the fall. Someone was seen doing this on August 21st in the evacuation ruins of Kōgane-machi [area immediately to the east of present-day Euljiro 1(il)-ga station].

They have lived in the Korean peninsula for thirty years, built their home here, made Korean acquaintances, and have come to think of the growing beauty of the streets of Seoul as their own family's glory. Even today, the streets of Seoul remain their city, and the talk of repatriation to mainland Japan sounds like just some traveler's tale. The reason they dug air-raid shelters together with Koreans during enemy air raids and endured long periods of inconvenient lighting restrictions was all for the love and protection of the beautiful city of Seoul. It is uncertain whether the Governor-General's Office of Korea will yield its political power after three months or six months as part of the ceasefire treaty, but on the day when Korea steps forward under a new order, the hearts of these people who has loved the Korean peninsula for thirty years will not change.

"I do not feel like returning to my homeland even after the reconstruction of the Korean peninsula is complete, but even if I did go back, someone in Korea would eat these vegetables," said the person with the hoe, wiping sweat while sowing turnips in the post-evacuation vegetable garden.

[Transcription]

京城日報 1945年8月23日

何の不安迷いぞ慎重たれ

創業前の半島

後藤中佐に聴く内鮮人の心構え

事態の急遽に依る十五日以来の内鮮人間の動揺も軍当局の厳たる処罰に依り漸次平静に復しつつあるが、動揺の原因は現状を正確に認識せず、単なる流言に惑わされた為で、軍当局並びに総督府では治安の確保を言明。新事態に処する内鮮人の冷静沈着な態度を要望している。現在の事態は、聖断を拝し戦闘行為が中止されたのであって、聯合国との間に取り極められた正式合理的な停戦協定に依って平静円滑に総てが処理されるであろう。一部には既に朝鮮が独立政権を行使し得るかの如く考えている向もあるが、未だ朝鮮は日本の統治下にあり、其統治権は微動たもせず、朝鮮の独立は聯合国との間に帝国に関する総ての処理が完了してから初めて議題に上がるのである。以上朝鮮軍管区報道部後藤中佐に現在の事態と、之に処する内鮮人間の心構えを聴く。

問：巷間種々流言が飛んでいますが、現在正確な事態はどうなっていますか？

答：マニラに於ける日本と米英ソ支の間の正式協定によって現地毎に現地の情勢に基いて細部協定が行われる。その協定に基いて総ての処理が運ばれることになろう。

問：それまでは朝鮮は日本の統治下にある訳でしょう。

答：勿論だ。協定が成立して、前に言った処理が完了する迄は朝鮮は依然日本の一部であり、日本が其統治に当るのが当然である。従って此の際他所の者が入って手をつけるが如きことは許されない。一部には直に朝鮮が独立し、其の日から政治を行い得るが如くいうものがあるようだが、誤解も甚だしい。従って独立の準備委員会等から号令を発したり社会機能の如何なることにも絶対に手はつけられない。

問：しかし一部に接収騒ぎを演じたこともあったようですが。

答：最近行われようとした接収事件は正に匪賊行為だ。未だ接収する権利もなければ根拠もない。抑も交戦国同志でも個人の財産には手はつけられないのだ。米国にしても開戦と同時に在住邦人に対し資産凍結令は出したが、其の財産を奪ってはいない。我々も幾度か外国に出掛けたが、未だ個人の財産に手をつけた覚えはない。勿論軍事上の必要があれば一時占領することは行われるかも知れないが、然しそれも朝鮮の事情に於いては適用出来ない。

問：一昨日B24がやって来てビラを撒布しましたが。

答：ビラの内容は別に不穏当ではないと思う。唯命令口調の言葉が一部使用されてあったが、未だ彼等には命令する権利はない。多分訳文が拙かったのだろう。我々は直接彼等から命令を受けるいわれはない。我々が命令を受けるのは唯天皇陛下からである。従って彼等としては日本政府に交渉すべきであり、我々は日本政府から命令を貰うのである。

問：一部には内地人に危害を加えるなどという流言もあったようですが。

答：とんでもない話だ。そんな奴は日本が手を下さずとも進駐軍が処理する。又世界の道義が承知しないだろう。若しそんなことをすれば事態は益々紛糾するばかりだ。軍隊は一般の生命財産を守るために厳存している。忍ぶべからざるを忍べとの聖断が下された謂れもここにある。左様な不穏分子を叩くのも軍の使命である。

問：この際朝鮮人のとるべき態度は？

答：朝鮮人は、朝鮮が戦争行為をもって独立するのでなく、まだ独立の成立もしていないということを深く自覚すべきである。現在のところ朝鮮は独立させてやろうという話だけで、具体的には何も決定していない。従って朝鮮の人々にとっては今が最も大切な秋である。何をなすべきかを慎重に考慮して掛からねばならぬ。早い話が、小さな店を一軒出すにしても十日や二十日では出来ないだろう。これと同様に朝鮮としても独立までには相当の過程と時日を要する。この創業の大切な時期に於いて内輪でごたごたしたり外国と事を構えたりする脱線では聯合軍の信意を失い、独立も不可能にならんとも限らない。

問：軍人の家族は引き揚げになったそうですね。

答：冗談いっては困る。一人も引き揚げてはいない。ただし古くから官舎に居残っていた出征軍人の遺家族は一部帰還させた。それは官舎の用途によるのだ。

問：内地人の心構えは？

答：以上の事態を心得ていたら慌てることもなかろう。急遽引き揚げばかり考えるのはどうかと思う。まさか朝鮮は独立と同時に日本に宣戦を布告するでもあるまい。もっとどっしりと落ち着いて大国民の襟度を示すべきである。こんなことでは世界から笑われるばかりだ。尤も内地人に不安を起させたのは二つの原因を挙げることが出来る。一つは朝鮮の不穏分子が日本人に危害を加えるだろうという流言が飛んだこと。しかし、これは前にも言った如く日本、聯合国ともに治安の確保にもっとも注意しているので心配はない。若しそんな不祥事が起ることがあれば厳重処断されるであろう。それも日本がやらなくとも進駐軍によって行われるであろう。もう一つは進駐軍が危害を加えるだろうということだが、これも列国監視の前でしかも停戦後に於いて暴行を加えられるものではない。米ソ軍は決して匪賊ではないのだ。

映画館の再開

二十五日から府内一斉

十五日から閉鎖していた府内の常設映画館は二十五日から一斉に開館する。内地でも有難き聖旨に副い国民生活の明朗化に一役買って映画演劇興行物など娯楽機関が二十五日から全国一斉に復古再開される。

大召喚発以来、業者側の自粛によって自発的に開演中止となっていた映画演劇寄席その他の興行物の再開については、内務省でもこの際、健全明朗な国民生活の再建の上から積極的な指導と育成を期し、その期日方法など具体案をねっていたが、情報局業者側と打合せの上、二十二日からこれら娯楽機関の再開を許可。その旨全国各関係方面に指令した。同時に上演時間の制限も一応撤廃され、夜間の興行も差支えないこととなった。

引き揚げを他所に

一坪園芸に希望の種播き

内地引き揚げのデマに驚いて一坪農園の蔬菜を急いで抜いているのではありません。時季の来た夏大根で今晩の食膳を飾り、その後にこの秋食る蕪や白菜を播付けている。人が二十一日黄金町の疎開跡にあった。

半島に来て三十年。家を建て、半島の知人もつくり、京城の街の美しく膨らみゆくことをわが家の栄えのごとく思って来た人々にとっては、きょうも京城の街はわが街であり、内地引き揚げなど旅人の言葉にしか聞こえなかった。敵空襲下に半島と一緒になって防空壕を掘ったのも、長い不自由な灯管をつづけて来たのも、みなこの美しい京城の街を愛し護るためだったからだったのである。停戦条約等の段階を踏んで朝鮮総督府が統治権を委譲するのは三ヶ月向うか、半年向うか判らないが、朝鮮がすこやかに新秩序のもとに踏み出して行く日、三十年半島を愛して来た人の心に変りはない。

『私は半島の新建設が遂げられても郷に帰る気持ちはありませんが、よし帰ったとしてもこの野菜は朝鮮の誰かが食べてくれるでしょう』鍬を持つ人は汗を拭う手の下でそう語りながら疎開後の蔬菜園に秋食う蕪を播付けるのである。

【写真＝黄金町にて】

  

A mere 3 days after surrender, liberated Koreans were already attempting to overthrow the colonial regime in Korea, alarming the Imperial Japanese Army who made this radio broadcast on August 18, 1945 to threaten military action against 'individuals harboring evil thoughts'

This is another fascinating historical article that I stumbled upon during my visit to the National Library of Korea a few months ago. This piece is a transcript of a nationally broadcast radio address made by the Imperial Japanese military authorities on August 18, 1945. This date is significant as it's just three days after Imperial Japan's unconditional surrender on August 15, 1945, which marked the end of World War II.

The surrender turned the Imperial Japanese colonial regime, which had ruled Korea from 1905 to 1945, into a 'lame duck' government. This period was one of uncertainty and transition, as the regime awaited the arrival of allied forces to assume control. It's worth noting that Soviet forces had already entered Korea by August 14, but American forces did not arrive until September 8.

Delving into the colonial newspaper Gyeongseong Ilbo from this 'lame duck' era offers a unique and intriguing perspective. It's like watching the implosion of the colonial regime in real-time. The public messaging undergoes a transformation, moving through stages of defiance, denial, minimization, bargaining, and acceptance as the regime grapples with its sudden loss of power.

One of the most striking aspects of this article is its revelation that Korean protesters were already actively attempting to overthrow the colonial regime just three days post-liberation. A key phrase, '鼎の軽重を問わる', plays a crucial role here. It literally translates to 'to disdain the ruler, to destroy him, and to attempt to take over the throne in his place'. For any Korean with advanced knowledge of Japanese, listening to this broadcast or reading this article would have been a clear indication that political control was slipping from the colonial regime's grasp.

Additionally, the article sheds light on the breakdown of public social order, highlighting instances of looting, rioting, and vandalism. The announcer implies that due to this chaos, Koreans could not be entrusted with freedom. This insight offers a rare and candid glimpse into the mindset of the colonial authorities during their final days in power.

I found this to be an incredibly enlightening read, offering a window into a pivotal moment in Korean history. I made the font of the second to the last paragraph very big, in keeping with the original article, which deliberately enlarged the font of those words for emphasis.

[Translation]

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) August 20, 1945

Rash Actions Lead To Great Losses

The Welfare of Asia Depends on the Efforts of Each Nationality

On the evening of August 18th, at 7:20 p.m., Mr. Nagaya, the head of the Press Department of the Korean Military Administration, made the following broadcast:

◇

Twenty-six million Koreans, I am wholeheartedly speaking to you now. With the Imperial edict of ceasefire having been issued, the situation in East Asia is at its most critical, requiring cooperation among all nations and ethnicities. However, looking at the situation in East Asia, what we see are reckless and impulsive actions, committing crimes such as attempting a nationalist overthrow of the government, likely due to the actions of individuals harboring evil thoughts. A military notice has been issued as a warning and reminder to all twenty-six million of you. It is heartening to see that wise and beloved Koreans understand this and are engaging in their occupations with a calm demeanor.

However, there are those driven by immediate ambitions, disrupting social order, seeking any possible way to make a personal profit, exploiting the tragic situation in East Asia to make big fortunes, or attempting to disrupt food supplies and damage or loot transportation and communication equipment, engaging in bandit-like activities. The Imperial Korean Armed Forces remain strong and vigilant. Those who still do not realize their wrongdoing and do not change their ways will inevitably face the use of military force, regardless of time and place, as clearly stated in last month’s military administration bureau announcement.

However, if there are still those who persist in their unprincipled conduct and engage in such evil deeds, it is imperative that the Korean people sternly admonish these actions amongst themselves, striving to ensure that such iniquity does not prevail, as I assert. The welfare of Asia can only be achieved through the efforts of all ethnicities. This is not something that can be concluded in a few days or months.

The concrete negotiations for the ceasefire treaty have not yet begun. Even after the treaty is concluded, all processes will only commence following the stipulated dates and procedures.

A historical union is being maintained between the Imperial Army, with its several hundred thousand Korean soldiers as His Majesty's loyal supporters who have shared an oath to live and die together, and the millions of Korean people in mainland Japan. Any disruption to the internal security of Korea, including any obstruction of transportation and communication, will result in the Korean people inflicting great suffering upon themselves, and there will be much to lose. As a consequence, it is clearer than seeing fire that such an ethnicity cannot be granted freedom. The attitude of the Imperial Korean Armed Forces towards this situation is fair, upright, and sincere, and its love for Korea is deeper and broader than any other army in the world.

This sentiment has not changed from the past to the present and will remain unchanged forever. I earnestly hope that especially every ethnic Japanese and Korean member of the ruling class will perceive this point clearly and bravely take the lead in handling the current situation.

*This was the broadcast of Mr. Nagaya, the head of the Press Department

[Transcription]

京城日報 1945年8月20日

妄動は大損失招く

亜細亜の福祉は各民族の努力

長屋朝鮮軍管区報道部長は十八日夜七時二十分から左の如き放送を行った。

◇

半島二千六百万諸君、私は情を尽くして唯今お話申し上げる為に停戦の御詔勅渙発あらせられ、今や東亜の事態は各国家、各民族の協同を要する事最も大切な時である。然るに東亜の状況をみますに、観るに発く軽挙妄動、民族鼎の軽重を問わるる如き罪悪を演じているのは、一部の不心得者の動きでありましょう。軍務布告を発して戒め注意を二千六百万各位に告げたのであります。賢明にして親愛なる半島の諸君は之を悟り冷静なる態度を以て各々生業に従事せられている事は感激に耐えざるところである。

然るに一党一派目前の野望に走り唯々社会秩序を乱し何事か私の利を獲得せんとしてか、東亜のこの悲境を奇貨とし或は食糧を遮断し、交通通信機器の破損または掠奪横領を企て治安を害せんとする匪賊的行為に出ずるものがある。朝鮮軍は厳として健在である。今にしてその非を悟らず苟くもその趣を改めずんば、時と場所を問わず断乎武力を行使するの止むなきは先月の軍務局発表によっても明瞭である。

然るに今尚唯々不逞の態度をなす悪行為に及ぶ者ありとすれば、よろしく半島諸君の間に於いて断乎其戒め以て非道なきよう努めねばならないと弁ずる。亜細亜の福祉は各民族の努力によって獲得し得るものであります。而して旬日月余を以て終るべきものではないのである。

停戦条約の具体的交渉は未だ開始されておりません。条約終了後と雖も妥結の日子と順序に従い、一切の処理は始めて着手せられるのである。

軍は半島出身兵数十万を陛下の股肱として同生共死の誓いを保有し、内地も亦数百万の半島人を擁して歴史的結合を持しているのである。半島内治安の妨害、交通通信等の阻害はこれらは半島人自ら自らを苦しめる結果となり、失うところ甚大なるものがある。結果に於いて、斯の如き民族には自由も与えられることなきは火を睹るよりも明瞭である。朝鮮軍の事態に臨む態度は公明正大真実朝鮮を愛するの情は世界の何れの軍隊よりも深くかつ広いのである。

昔より今日に至るも亦永久に此の情はかわらないのである。此の点を明察され、特に内鮮指導階級各位の沈勇にして率先の時局処理に挺身せられんことを望んでやまない。

長屋報道部長放送

Annie Ellers Bunker, American missionary who went from personal physician to Empress Myeongseong to thriving philanthropist in Colonial Korea, was praised in this 1938 Keijo Nippo obituary for endorsing the Imperial Japanese Army

This obituary from October 1938, published in Keijo Nippo newspaper, an organ of the Imperial Japanese colonial regime which ruled Korea from 1905 to 1945, features Annie Ellers Bunker, an American Methodist missionary and physician who spent around 50 years in Korea. This article sheds light on her remarkable journey, from being Empress Myeongseong's personal physician to her involvement in colonial Korea's society.

Annie Ellers Bunker

Born on August 31, 1860, and passing away on October 8, 1938 (exactly 43 years after the assassination of the Empress), Annie's life spanned significant historical events. Her role as the personal physician to Empress Myeongseong, especially leading up to the Empress's assassination in October 1895, granted her intimate access to the royal court. After the annexation of Korea by Imperial Japan, she seemed to prosper, raising thousands of yen to support various institutions including the Korean Young Women's Christian Association, Gongju Orphanage, Gongju M&A School, and Dongdaemun Women's Hospital. This indicates her significant influence in colonial Korea.

Interestingly, her last words before her death in 1938 were "I wish the Japanese Army will win soon and bring peace to the East", raising questions about her possible pro-Japanese sentiments, even during her time as the Empress's physician. Given her intimate access to the royal court at the time of the Empress's assassination, her documented pro-Japanese sentiments, and her subsequent successful career as a philanthropist in Korea under Imperial Japanese rule, it naturally raises a delicate question: could she have had any involvement or knowledge regarding the Imperial Japanese conspirators who assassinated the Empress? This is a matter left to historians to ponder, and it is not my intention to accuse Annie Ellers of any wrongdoing but to highlight the complexities and controversies surrounding her life.

Annie's closeness with Empress Myeongseong is further highlighted by an incident where, upon her marriage to Dalzell Bunker, the Empress demanded to see her wedding dress, examining it meticulously.

Annie's impact extended to nursing in Korea, being the first female medical missionary in the country. A Boston University Medical College student, she arrived in Korea in 1886, founded the Chungshin Girl’s School, and became a trailblazer in women's healthcare and education.

Annie Ellers Bunker as a young adult. (from Boston University website)

In 1938, the colonial authorities took over the Chungshin Girl's High School, which she founded, and converted it into a state-controlled school promoting State Shintoism and imposing the Japanese language.

Her first encounter with the Empress is vividly documented in her personal essay published in the Korean Repository, a journal for foreign Christian missionaries published between 1892 and 1899. This account provides a fascinating glimpse into her life and the complexities of her role in Korea. For the sake of improving accessibility, I have transcribed and posted the entire essay below, originally found in a PDF from the Korean Repository which is not OCR enabled.

Annie Ellers Bunker is now buried at the Yanghwajin Foreign Missionary Cemetery in Seoul, where her grave marker notes her 40 years of service as a missionary in Korea, until 1926.

This story is not just about the life of a missionary or a physician; it's about a woman whose life intersected crucial historical events, raising questions about her beliefs and the impact she had on Korean society.

[Translation]

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) October 12, 1938

The Grave of the Blue-Eyed Couple Guarding the Red Earth

• Fifty Years of Life on the Korean Peninsula
• Her Last Testament Praises the Imperial Army
• Pro-Japanese American Mrs. Bunker

The deceased Mrs. L. A. Bunker, who dedicated her life to social work on the Korean peninsula for fifty years, will have her funeral at the Chungdong Methodist Church at 10 am on the 12th at 13 Jeongdong-gil. Her last words, spoken to relatives and friends offering solemn prayers at her peaceful deathbed at 9 am on the 8th, were these: “I feel terribly sorry for the wounded Japanese soldiers on the battlefield. Why isn't the war over yet? I wish the Japanese Army will win soon and bring peace to the East.”

With a trembling hand, Mrs. Bunker took out the remaining hundred yen from her entire fortune, which she had dispersed for charitable causes, and requested it be used as a fund for the Japanese Red Cross. Then, she closed her eyes in peace. The words and actions of this foreign lady on her deathbed are being passed from mouth to mouth among friends, stirring deep emotion among the Japanese, Koreans, and foreigners in Seoul.

But who was Mrs. Bunker? Fifty years ago, she bravely came to Korea from her native America alone for missionary work. Fortunately, being a female doctor, she was warmly welcomed by the Korean government. At that time, there were hardly any Western medical facilities in Korea, so Mrs. Bunker, as a pioneer in Western medicine in Korea, dedicated herself and served for many years in the palace as the personal physician to the deceased Empress Myeongseong. After the annexation of Korea by Japan, she focused on missionary and charitable work for thirty years, contributing thousands of yen to various institutions such as the Korean Young Women's Christian Association, Gongju Orphanage, Gongju M&A School, and Dongdaemun Women's Hospital, dedicating her life to social work in Korea for fifty years. Five years ago, her husband Dr. Bunker died while she was on holiday in America. Her husband was so pro-Japanese that he requested in his will to have his remains moved to Korea. Mrs. Bunker, too, will be buried in the beloved Korean soil alongside her husband. [Photo: Mrs. Bunker]

[Transcription]

京城日報 1938年10月12日

赭土を護る碧眼夫婦塚

• 半島生活五十年
• 遺言に讃う皇軍
• 親日の米人バンカー夫人

五十年間半島の社会事業に一生を捧げ、十二日朝十時貞洞町監理教教会で葬式が行われる貞洞町一三故レ・エ・バンカー夫人が去る八日朝九時、静かな臨終の病床で厳粛な祈祷を捧げる親戚友人等に遺して去った最後の言葉はこれだ。

「戦場に傷ついた日本軍人が気の毒でならない。まだ戦争が終らないのか。早く日本軍が勝って東洋に平和が来て欲しい」と夫人は微かに震える手で慈善事業のために全財産をばらまいて残った百円を取り出し日本赤十字事業資金にしてくれと依頼した後、安心したように目を閉じた。死の床に於ける一外人夫人のこの言葉と行為は友人の口から口へ伝わって在城の内鮮外人を問わず感激の話題となっているが、このバンカー夫人はどんな人であったか。

今から五十年前、夫人は故国アメリカから単身宣教のため、勇敢にも朝鮮に飛び込んだ。幸いに夫人は女医でもあったので韓国政府は喜んで厚く迎えた。当時朝鮮はおろか洋医薬の施設は殆どなかった時代なので、夫人は朝鮮に洋医術を済した草分けとして献身的な努力をなし選ばれて故閔妃の侍医として多年宮中に仕えた。日韓併合後は三十年この方布教の外に慈善事業に専念し、朝鮮女子青年会、公州託児所、公州エムエー学校、東大門夫人病院などには何れも数千円の寄付金をおくるなど五十年一生の朝鮮社会事業のために尽くして来た。五年前アメリカへ休暇帰国中図らずも死んだ夫のバンカー博士も遺言によって遺骨を朝鮮に移葬した程の親日家で、夫人も夫君と並んでなつかしい朝鮮の土に葬られることになっている。【写真＝バンカー夫人】

Source: https://archive.org/details/kjnp-1938-10-12/page/n9/mode/1up

[The Korean Repository, October 1895, pp. 373-375.]

My First Visit to Her Majesty, The Queen

During the visit of Mrs. H. G. Underwood and myself to Her Majesty on the 14th of September we saw the Queen Dowager and she gave us each a handsome gold-embroidered chumoncy or purse-Our visit to Her Royal Highness was in the same place where some years ago I went to see the Queen. Many changes have come since then and the Queen now lives in a new building, beautifully lighted with electricity, in another part of the grounds.

It is just nine years ago this fall since I was first, in company with Dr. H. N. Allen the King's physician, called to visit, Her Majesty, the Queen. She had been ill for some time and they had sent to Dr. Allen for medicines. As there was no improvement in her condition the Doctor assured them, that, in order to treat Her Majesty properly, she must be examined, and so the writer was called.

It was a lovely autumn day, when in the early afternoon, we started for the Palace in our sedan chairs, with our keysos (soldiers) running ahead and clearing the way. My heart was thumping vigorously and I wondered how I would be received, half fearing the ordeal.

On our arrival at the outer side-gate of the palace wall, we had to get out of our chairs and walk quite a distance, about a quarter of a mile, I should judge, to the Reception Hall. As we neared the place we were met by Prince Min Young Ik whom I had met, and who, having travelled much, knew something of the customs of foreigners.

He showed us some of the beauties of the palace grounds and after our walk around the artificial lake, he escorted us to the waiting-room and there had us served with foreign food, Korean fruit and nuts.

Soon a messenger dressed in court costume came for me and, Prince Min accompanying me, we started for the Audience Hall. We first crossed a large open court, which I noticed had large potted plants around three sides of it but not a spear of grass growing in it anywhere. Ascending a flight of broad stone steps, crossing the narrow verandah and stepping over a high door sill, I found that we were at one end of a long, wide hall, the floors of which were covered with the soft, beautiful, figured Korean matting which is such a fine article and so hard to obtain. At the farther end of the hall, I saw a large number of Koreans, men, women, and young girls. I made my three bows as I advanced and then found myself in front of the company among whom I soon singled out Her Majesty and for the rest of that visit I had eyes for no one but her. In later visits I learned to distinguish the gentlemen from the eunuchs, and also the ladies-in-waiting by their peculiar head-gear and their fine skirts of silk gauze. The immense chignons worn by these ladies are objects of wonder not only as to size but also as to how the intricate windings and braidings of the glossy strands is accomplished. One evening while witnessing some of the delightful and peculiar posture-dancing done by the dancing girls at the palace, I asked one of them if her chignon was not heavy - "Oh, said she, it is very heavy and makes my head ache." These head dressings vary in shape; sometimes they are long and narrow and then again they have large lateral loops.

The Queen, beautifully dressed in silk gauze skirts, with strings of pearls in her raven locks, a lady, short of stature, with white skin black eyes and black hair, greeted me most pleasantly. She had on no enormous head dress but only her own glistening locks twisted in a most becoming know low down on her neck. She wears on the top of her forehead her Korean insignia of rank. All the ladies of the nobility wear a similar decoration but of inferior quality and workmanship. To me the face of the Queen especially when she smiles, is full of beauty. She is a superior woman and she impressed one as having a strong will and great force of character, with much kindliness of heart. I have always received the kindest words and treatment from her and I have much admiration and great respect for her. After first asking if I were well, how old I was, how my parents were, if I had brothers and sisters and how they were, she proceeded to tell me that they had been told by Dr. Allen of my arrival in Korea, that she was much pleased at my coming and hoped I would like the country. All of this conversation was carried on through an interpreter who stood, with his body bent double, back of a door where he could hear but not see.

Prince Min, who had been standing by, now had a chair brought for me and I noticed that back of Her Majesty there was a foreign couch. The Queen telling me to be seated sat down on this couch and then the medical part of the interview began.

I had noticed that two gentlemen had seated themselves when the Queen sat and when I got up to leave, they with Her Majesty rose and returned my bows.

Prince Min conducted me back to the waiting room and there I waited for Dr. Allen who was having an audience with His Majesty. When he returned I learned from him that both the King and Crown Prince had been present during my interview. I was very glad that I had not known who the two gentlemen were, for I fear my composure would not have been even such at it was. After being served with more food and fruit we were each given a certain number of soldiers to accompany us home and also, as it was dark, lantern bearers. The sight of the Korean lantern with its outer covering of red and green silk gauze is very picturesque and as we passed, many a dusky head peeped out through opened doors and windows to see what it all meant. The empty dark streets with the dark low houses on either side, the lantern bearers of the Doctor's chair and of mine with the attendant soldiers, carrying their rifles made a picture at once interesting and unique. In recent visits we are permitted to go through the large front gate into the grounds and right up to the waiting room door. Upon arriving here tea, coffee, and fruit are served and then we are called in to Her Majesty, who receives us in one of the smaller private appartments. The King and Crown Prince are always present. After the interview we are permitted to proceed home immediately.

Annie Ellers Bunker

Ms. B.F. Starkey, blue-eyed American missionary featured in 1938 Keijo Nippo as a pro-Imperial model foreigner inspired by Japanese-Korean Unification policy to join the Patriotic Women’s Association in Seoul

This 1938 article is a historical account in a colonial propaganda newspaper about Ms. B.F. Starkey, an American missionary in Korea during the Japanese colonial period who devoted decades of her life in Imperial Japan in various charitable activities.

Her decision to cooperate with the colonial regime starkly contrasts with fellow American missionary George McCune's decision in 1935 to refuse to perform State Shinto worship rituals, for which he was forced by the colonial authorities to leave Korea. The fact that Ms. Starkey was able to continue to operate in Korea in 1938 probably means that she decided to go along with performing the State Shinto rituals, including the mandatory 7 am Kyujo Yohai prayers, even though it was against her Christian beliefs. In any case, she probably would not have been able to stay in Korea past 1942, when Americans who still remained in Imperial Japan were detained and deported.

This is the second Keijo Nippo newspaper article that I found featuring a blue-eyed woman. The other one featured a blue-eyed Russian Tatar woman, Shamseinoor Berikova, who was a member of the National Women's Defense Association (NWDA), which was similar but distinct from the Patriotic Women's Association (PWA) to which Ms. Starkey belonged. Historically, the elite wealthy and powerful women tended to join the PWA, while the NWDA had a much closer connection with the Imperial Japanese military and had a broader membership. The two organizations subsequently merged in 1942.

[Translation]

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) July 2, 1938

A blue-eyed woman with a Patriotic Women's Association Sash

Courageous words of Ms. Starkey: "I also want to help out Japan on the home front!"

Moved by the spirited march of Koreans working for the war effort under the policy of Japanese-Korean Unification, a blue-eyed foreign woman was inspired and said, 'Please let me join in these duties on the home front.' Recently, she applied to join the Patriotic Women's Association at its third branch in Takezoe-chō (present-day Chungjeong-no), Seoul, delighting the leaders and members of the group who received her unusual membership application for the first time. The heroine of this story, Ms. B.F. Starkey, an American residing at 3-30 Takezoe-chō, Seoul, has now proudly become a member of the Patriotic Women's Association. At 56 years old, she joins Japanese and Korean members in comforting families of conscripts, collecting national defense funds, and impressing the community with her passionate efforts, dressed in the Association's uniform of a white apron and a purple sash.

Twenty-eight years ago, in 1910, Ms. Starkey landed in Nagasaki as a Methodist missionary in Japan, the land of poetry. Immediately struck by Japan's picturesque landscapes and warm people, she decided to dedicate her life to this country. Ever since then, for twenty-eight years, she has continued to live in this land, true to her initial resolve, dedicating her life to missionary work and cultural pursuits out of her love for Japan. She has nurtured young men and women who gathered around her, drawn to her pure character, as if they were her own children. She has earnestly lead English language clubs and student Bible classes every evening at her home without pay, and opened her garden as a playground for local children to give some relief to their families.

Dedicated to cultural advancement and community service, she also runs a female-only 'private convent,' Shion Dormitory, in the second floor of her house. With open arms, she welcomes young unmarried women who left their families as well as young girls in need of guidance who approach her for answers and salvation, continuing to selflessly devote herself in helping them awaken from misguided dreams through a pure lifestyle at the dormitory. Currently, 13 girls enjoy a pleasant life there, and she has already sent many well-cultured women into society as respectable wives.

Ms. Starkey's high regard as a saintly figure and her membership in the Patriotic Women's Association have sparked usual delight among foreigners living in Seoul, and that is expected to inspire a surge of membership among pro-Japanese foreigners. When visited at her home, she humbly commented, 'I am only doing what is natural,' and made only brief remarks without continuing further. [The photo is of blue-eyed Ms. Starkey]

[Transcription]

京城日報 1938年7月2日

碧い眼に愛婦の襷

”わたしも日本の銃後に”と勇み参じたスターキー女史

内鮮一体で行進する半島銃後の雄々しい姿に感激した碧眼の一外国婦人が「私もこの銃後の勤めに参加させて下さい」とこの程。

☆．．．愛国婦人会

京城竹添町第三分館に入会を求めて来り京城で初めてのこの珍しい入会申込を受けた何団の幹部初め会員一問をいたく喜ばせた。話題のヒロインは府内竹添町三の三〇アメリカ人ビー・エフ・スターキー女子（五六）で晴れて愛婦会員となった。女子は白いエプロンに紫襷の愛婦会服で内鮮人会員と共に応召家族の慰問に、国防金の募集に、健気な奮闘を続け町内を感激させている。

女史は今から二十八年前の一九一〇年メソジスト教会宣教師として長崎に上陸。直ちに詩の国日本の美しい景色と人情に打たれてこの国に骨を埋めようと決心し、以来二十八年間、最初の決心通りこの地で布教のために、文化のために日本を愛する生活を続けて来た。女史の清い人格を慕って集まる若い男女を彼女はわが子のように世話し、また英語クラブ、学生バイブル・クラス等を自宅に設けて毎晩熱心に、しかも無報酬で指導するほか、庭園には子供の遊園地を設けて附近の子供等のために家族を解放するなど。

文化向上と社会奉仕に犠牲的努力を続けているが、更に同家二階に設置経営する男子禁断の「私設修道院」紫苑寮で家庭を離れた若い独身女、或は悩み迷う若い娘で女史に解決や救いを求めて来るものがあれば両手をひろげて迎え入れこの寮における清い生活によって間違った夢から醒めしめることに献身的努力を続けて来ている。現在この寮で楽しい生活を送っている娘は十三名。既に修養を積み立派な人妻として世話に送り出したものが数十名にのぼっている。

この聖女のほまれ高いスターキー嬢の愛婦人会は在城外人間には異様な感激を与え親日外人同志等の入会者続出が予想されている。自宅に女史を訪えば「妾はただ当たり前のことをしているだけです」と続かんで多くを語らなかった（写真は青眼スターキーさん）

Source: https://archive.org/details/kjnp-1938-07-02/page/n10/mode/1up

A tour of Sinuiju Yamato Imperial Boarding School in 1942, where Korean nationalism was considered a moral defect to be ‘purified’ away so that Korean ‘thought criminals’ become ‘completely Japanese’

In June 1942, a magazine called "Chōsen" (Korea) published an article that offers a stark window into a grim chapter of Korean colonial history. This publication, an organ of the Imperial Japanese colonial regime which controlled Korea from 1905 until the end of World War II in 1945, documented the workings of a Yamato Imperial Boarding School located in Sinuiju.

Photo 1: Panoramic view of the Yamato School

The purpose of this institution was as unsettling as it was clear: to forcibly re-educate Korean youth who had been accused and convicted of ideological crimes—such as supporting communism or the Korean independence movement—and reshape them into "pure and loyal" subjects of the Japanese Empire. The process, euphemistically referred to as "purifying" their thoughts, sought to strip these young Koreans of their identity and beliefs, effectively "Japanizing" them completely.

Imagine being a young Korean, merely expressing favorable opinions about communist ideology or the dream of an independent Korea, and as a consequence, finding yourself ensnared by the authorities and sent to such a school for "re-education."

The Yamato Imperial Boarding School was not an isolated case; rather, it was part of a broader, sinister network of institutions aimed at eroding Korean ethnic and national identity. Its existence and mission bear a disturbing resemblance to the American Indian boarding schools in the United States and Canada, which were designed with the intent to "civilize" or assimilate Native American children into Anglo-American culture.

The comparison is not merely symbolic. If these Japanese-run boarding schools were anything like their American counterparts, it is likely that the Korean students endured not only cultural erasure but also physical, psychological, and possibly sexual abuse. The legacy of such institutions is a deep-seated, intergenerational trauma—a trauma still acutely felt by Native American communities today as a result of their own parallel experiences.

It is with a heavy heart that I have transcribed and translated this article, and now I post it here for wider access. I believe that it is crucial that such narratives are brought to light, as awareness is a pivotal step towards acknowledgment, reconciliation, and healing for the descendants of those who suffered under such oppressive colonial regimes.

[Translation]

Chōsen (Korea) Magazine, June Edition, Volume 325

Published on June 1, 1942

Published by Korea Governor-General's Office, Chief Cabinet Secretary

Visit to the Sinuiju Yamato Imperial Boarding School

By Okinaka Morio

After my visit to the Yonghung Reformatory, I left Wonsan and took the train on the Pyeongwon Line to visit the Yamato Boarding School in Sinuiju. The Pyeongwon Line had only recently been completed, and there were very many passengers on board. It must be providing significant benefits, both tangible and intangible, to the residents living along the line.

I arrived in Sinuiju just past 3 am. Barely taking any time to rest at the inn, I hurriedly drove to the Yamato Boarding School located in West Majeon-dong, arriving by 8 am. Leaving the station to the left and climbing up the hill, I could see the school on the right. Entering through the main gate, the first thing that caught my eye was a Shinto shrine on the right side. Unfortunately, Mr. Takemura, the guardian, was in the middle of teaching calisthenics to the students in the playground, but he asked someone else to invite me to the guardian's residence.

Photo 2: Shinto shrine

The founding mission and activities of the Yamato Boarding School have been extensively introduced in the October 1941 issue of this magazine by Mr. Takahara Katsumi, who is affiliated with the current Probation Division. Therefore, I will only briefly mention them here. Namely, the Yamato Boarding School is an incorporated organization with the aim of invigorating the spirit of the Imperial Way and deepening a thorough Japanese-Korean Unification, as well as guiding and protecting those involved in ideologically related incidents. Its members include those who are under protective observation and those who agree with the purpose of the Yamato Boarding School and wish to serve and cooperate in its activities, with the head of the protective observation office serving as its chairman.

Photo 3: Graduation ceremony, Mr. Tanaka, the Director of the Protective Observation Office, is on the stage

Thus explained Mr. Takemura, the guardian, with a passionate tone. I felt the fervor that he had for his work.

Photo 4: Mr. Takemura, the probation officer, standing around a table with the children

Currently, the school has taken in students from eleven families. These students were once questioned for their ideologically related incidents, and at the time of their enrollment, they were all quite stubborn. In other words, they could be described as politically the most extreme right-wingers among those currently under protective observation. The aim is to convert these individuals into pure and loyal subjects of the Imperial Japanese nation. Let us introduce one of them here.

Though he has since adopted a Japanese surname, let us refer to him as Mr. T. Mr. T dropped out of Meiji University and was extremely obstinate from the beginning of his time at this school. He would not even speak to Mr. Takemura. This silent treatment continued for about two weeks. During this time, the guardian shared baths and meals with Mr. T, naturally inviting him into his own life. They even sat face to face at the guardian’s house late into the night. The guardian's warm and humane treatment eventually touched a chord in the depths of Mr. T's being. Their souls collided. There was no petty nationalistic notion of Korean or Japanese. What existed was the stark reality of one human being to another. Formally speaking, the unification of Korea and Japan had already borne fruit.

However, I believe there is something in this case that cannot be fully expressed by that phrase. There is something deeper. It reminds me of Kikuchi Kan's "Beyond the Pale of Vengeance." While the content of the two differs greatly, I believe the exalted way in which the two souls ultimately touch each other is the same. Mr. T has completely converted, washing away his stubborn old ideologies, and now stands at the school's podium teaching the children.

Here, let us discuss the educational facilities of the school. Upon examining the primary objectives of Yamato School's practice, it is clear that the emphasis is on reinforcing and thoroughly implementing Japanese-Korean Unification, and for this purpose, the "spread of the Japanese language" is considered a critical issue to which considerable effort is being devoted. Namely, the school has established two 20-tsubo (66 square meter) classrooms and conducts Japanese language training sessions twice a day, both day and night. Although the courses are designed to be completed in roughly two years, within this short period, all twelve volumes of the elementary school reading books are to be finished. The intention is to attain six years' worth of proficiency in two years.

Besides the Japanese language, arithmetic, crafts, singing, and games are also taught. No tuition fees are charged. Educational materials are either provided or loaned. Generally, those who could not enter elementary schools are accepted, and there are cases where students who have completed the two-year program at Yamato School have been certified to enter the fifth year of elementary school. It is said that the joy of the parents at such times was considerable.

Combining day and night sessions, the number of children reaches a total of 660. The teachers are students themselves and work without pay.

Moreover, the teachers do not merely teach the Japanese language. They stand at the podium imbued with enthusiasm to infuse the students with the Japanese spirit. I do not have experience in teaching, so I cannot understand that sentiment. However, once one stands at the podium and takes the position of guiding innocent boys and girls, anyone would wish for their intellectual improvement. Watching the young boys and girls improve day by day, one would undoubtedly feel a great sense of joy. Those who are students of the school must be experiencing one of what Mencius called the "three joys in life" and would surely be reflecting on themselves.

Therefore, the concern that the teachers might instill bad ideologies in the children was entirely unfounded. Furthermore, by standing at the podium, they further their own devotion to becoming Imperial subjects.

Guided by Mr. Takemura, the guardian, I observed the classes. In the first classroom, it was time for arithmetic, but I remember thinking that they must have been singing, as the children's voices were so loud that my ears almost went deaf, a memory that still comes to me sometimes.

The second classroom featured Mr. T’s class, where, as it seemed appropriate for beginners, he was earnestly teaching how to count numbers. I was surprised by the overall liveliness of the children here; they were very spirited.

I was also shown a dance by the female students. They danced delicately to the rhythm of a phonograph, holding small flags in both hands, performing pieces like "March of the Beloved Horses," "Raising the Flags of Three Countries," "Patriotic March," and "Neighborhood Cell." I am not particularly discerning when it comes to this art form. However, I was impressed enough to think that if they were dressed in beautiful costumes and performed on a real stage, they would stand out even more, so I believe the reader can imagine the general idea. I could not help but applaud.

Now, changing the topic of discussion, I have to delve into how the students were being guided. There is absolutely no theoretical reasoning here. It is all about action. Theoretical disputes will always develop into more theoretical disputes. Even if one were to convince the other side, something unsatisfactory would remain. The main thing is to convert them into Imperial subjects. It is said that many of the Korean compatriots who turned to communism or nationalistic ideologies did so based on emotion. If that is indeed the case, trying to use theoretical reasoning to convert someone who was sparked by emotion would be an unreasonable demand. Therefore, the motto here is to start from the emotional life and let them grasp the Japanese spirit.

The students from the eleven families live together in row houses adjacent to the residence of Mr. Takemura, the guardian. In other words, they understand each other through daily life and are instilled with a spirit of hard work and affection. They are even trained to do tasks as humble as cleaning the toilets, and are trained to obey the orders of those above them without question. Criticism is not at all tolerated. There is something reminiscent of military order in this. It is curious that orders are accepted without complaint, likely a result of their genuine respect for the guardian.

Next, let us touch upon one of the important enterprises of Yamato School, which is the occupational project. This project, which involves an investment of 30,000 yen in the manufacturing and sales of lunch boxes and disposable chopsticks, has its factory adjacent to the classrooms. The livelihood of the students is entirely dependent on this, with the raw material, Hondo spruce, being kindly provided by the Sinuiju Forestry Office. It is said to be an impressive achievement that in just about a year since the start of the project, a profit of 10,000 yen was made. Orders seem to be flooding in continuously. Consequently, the average monthly income per student household reaches ninety to a hundred yen, indicating a very comfortable economic life.

Photo 5: Conditions of the vocational training work (1)

Photo 6: Conditions of the vocational training work (2)

Photo 7: Conditions of the vocational training work (3)

Photo 8: Conditions of the vocational training work (4)

The students, who might once have believed in Marx's so-called historical materialism, are now managing the industrial department themselves, and it would be interesting to know what economic theories they hold now. "When basic needs are met, one understands propriety" – the facilities of Yamato School's Industrial Department play a significant role in purifying the thoughts of the students, a point that cannot be overlooked. This facility is not only a characteristic of Yamato School but also its considerable strength. By generating profits through their own management and using those profits to educate these impoverished Korean compatriots, there is no capitalist mechanism at work. What exists is solely the enthusiastic desire to improve each other’s lives materially and spiritually. Any student who is not moved by this must be out of sorts. It is said that the students would go so far as to lay down their lives for Mr. Takemura, and this is believed to be their sincere sentiment.

Moreover, Mrs. Takemura, the wife of the guardian, is working with the wives of the students, primarily directing the management of home economics. She kindly teaches them not only how to keep a household account book but also the finer points of home economics, instilling in them the fundamental concept of "managing a household." In short, Sinuiju Yamato School could be said to be promoting a sort of large family communal living.

On the day of my visit, it happened to be the Day of the Imperial Rescript, and Mr. Seiichi Tanaka, the Director of Sinuiju Protective Observation, visited the school, and an Imperial Rescript acceptance ceremony was conducted on the sports field. All the "daytime students" were lined up in front of a Shinto shrine, and after Director Tanaka's reading of the Rescript and instruction, a student representative stepped forward to lead the Imperial Japanese Vow.

Although his body was quite small, he mustered a strong voice while tensing his throat, resembling a chick imitating a mother hen. After the ceremony, Director Tanaka commented to me, "They are energetic children, aren't they?"

When I said that I arrived in Sinuiju past 3 this morning, I was told that it was a pity because the students had their military training starting at 6 this morning, and they would have liked for me to see it. I heard that Director Tanaka stayed overnight at Yamato School and participated in the military training and that he came to the school specifically for the twice-daily Kyūjō Yōhai worship ritual today. He seems to be very busy indeed. However, he appeared to be very interested and cheerful about the work of the school. The director's enthusiasm must surely inspire those below him and will likely greatly influence the school's performance. Tomorrow, there is to be an entrance ceremony at the home economics school in Yongampo. I have decided to accompany them.

Photo 9: Students and families performing the Kyūjō Yōhai worship ritual

I took advantage of Guardian Takemura's generous offer and stayed overnight at the schoolhouse. The next morning, I woke up just past six and, together with all the student families, we received the morning's spiritual energy with all of our bodies and performed the Kyūjō Yōhai. After the worship ritual, Mr. T and another student reported to the guardian in a loud, clear military style about the previous day's events. This was followed by radio calisthenics. The school's day began vigorously from this point. People were already starting to gather at the factory.

I suddenly think that behind this ideological protection endeavor, laden with extraordinary hardships, lies great joy and comfort in the possibility of creating capable individuals once they have been converted.

The general public understands the work of Yamato Schools and provides considerable support both materially and spiritually, and I celebrate the promising future that lies ahead.

Furthermore, after returning home, I visited the Yamato School in Seoul but regret to say that due to editorial circumstances, I could not feature it in this month's issue. I ask for Guardian Saiga's understanding in this matter.

***Yamato Home Economics School

For the visit to the Yamato Home Economics School, a branch of the Yamato School in Yongampo, I bid farewell to Mr. Takemura, the guardian, and his wife and hurried to Sinuiju station. At the station, I met up with Director Tanaka and Mr. Mori from the observation office, and we boarded the train for Yongampo. Director Tanaka introduced me to Mr. Kihara Mikawa, who not only holds the title of a member of North Pyongan Province assembly but also a consigned guardian. Mr. Kihara lives in Yongampo and had gone out of his way to welcome the director. He is very supportive of the Yamato School's endeavors, especially in promoting the development of the Home Economics School.

Photo 10: Instructors and students of the Yamato Home Economics School

In the train, I saw many of the Home Economics School students dressed in sailor uniforms. Director Tanaka seemed to enjoy talking and giving various instructions to these young women. The students must be very dear to him.

It took about an hour to reach Yongampo station, and after walking for a bit over twenty minutes, we entered the gates of the Home Economics School. The school is housed in a purely Japanese-style building of about 50-tsubo (165 square meters), situated on a 400-tsubo (1322 square meter) plot, which Mr. Kihara has lent free of charge. It seems to be a calm and somewhat old building. There are plans for a new building in an appropriate location in the future.

We were led to a guest room where the students served us tea in the Ogasawara style or something similar. The students are female graduates of the elementary schools from the Korean peninsula, and while 45 of them entered the school on July 1 last year, today an additional 40 or so will join. The training lasts one year, but those with excellent graduation results have the opportunity to stay on for further study in the research department. Four mainland Japanese women from good families, qualified as girls' school instructors, serve as full-time lecturers, teaching Japanese womanhood, Japanese language and manners, sewing, cooking, calisthenics, ikebana flower arrangement, tea ceremony, calligraphy, childcare and hygiene, and music for 31 hours each week. In addition, observation office staff and affiliated guardians also take part in teaching some of the classes.

Photo 11: Flower arrangement class

Photo 12: Japanese language class

Photo 13: Etiquette class

The Home Economics School aims to instill in the students a purely Japanese lifestyle and naturally lead them to Japanese ways of thinking and perspectives.

Indeed, we were treated to a lunch prepared by the students, and the way the meal was served, the serving methods, were all exactly like a Japanese household, to the point that we, the guests, were rather the ones who felt out of place.

At 1:30 in the afternoon, the entrance ceremony for new students took place at the martial arts dōjō across from the Yongampo police station. Parents and families were present. During the congratulatory speech by Mr. Kihara from the provincial assembly, he advised the students to adopt purely Japanese behaviors and living actions, truly demonstrating the essence of the Home Economics School. Perhaps because of the small number of students, the entrance ceremony had a warm atmosphere.

With the visit to the Yamato Home Economics School, my busy schedule came to an end, but next, I would like to write down a few thoughts and impressions about the Home Economics School.

***Conclusion

I hope that my account gives you a better understanding of the operations of the Yamato School in Sinuiju, but the establishment of the Yamato Home Economics School should be considered one of the most meaningful aspects of these operations. The deepening of the Japanese-Korean Unification movement will not bear fruitful results without the understanding of women, who make up half of the total population. It is particularly meaningful to target young girls who will become homemakers in the future. It is noteworthy that two hours of class time are devoted to Japanese womanhood. Additionally, a greater number of hours are allocated to various subjects for acquiring Japanese cultural education than those at higher girls' schools, and attention is also paid to cultivating sensibilities. We also cannot overlook that they are placing particular emphasis on moral and artistic values. Furthermore, through four hours dedicated to "manners," the school aims to instill a sense of Japanese propriety and the concept of Japanese beauty.

Originally, manners and etiquette are understood as the human cultural progression where the desire for beauty and harmony in daily life is organized over time. Therefore, living and acting according to the principles of manners and etiquette is the most beautiful and harmonious for both individuals and society, making our lives preferable, beautiful, and happy. The essence of propriety is said to respect harmony, aiming for people to live in smooth coordination and to be personable. Hence, Korean women must deeply appreciate the pinnacle of Japanese beauty through the mastery of manners and etiquette, as a prerequisite to becoming completely Japanese. By achieving this, there will no longer be any distinction between Japanese and Koreans. The Home Economics School is advancing with this policy.

In manners, there are undoubtedly both formal elements and spiritual aspects. At the Home Economics School, the formal elements are introduced first. Since the heart of manners and etiquette lies in the spiritual aspect, I believe that warm consideration is already being given to this area.

Moreover, the students of the school were sent to good households in mainland Japan for about a month to learn manners and help out, and they were reportedly very well received by each household. The Home Economics School may only be a modest existence now and has no history or tradition as it is still in its infancy. However, I have no doubt that it will play a significant role in the movement to turn Korean women into loyal subjects of the empire in the future of our Korea.

We look forward to the day when "a grain of wheat" will gradually mature and contribute to society, and when many young girls from the Korean peninsula will aspire to the school spirit of the Home Economics School. May this not end as a mere fool's dream.

[Transcription]

朝鮮 六月号 第三百二十五号

昭和十七年六月一日発行

発行人：朝鮮総督府総督官房文書課長

新義州大和塾訪問記

沖中守夫

永興感化院の訪問を終えた私は、新義州の大和塾を訪れるため、平元線を利用して元山を発った。平元線はつい最近全通を見たのであるが、利用者は非常に多い。有形、無形に沿線住民に大なる利便を与えていることであろう。

新義州には夜半の三時過ぎについた。宿屋にまどろむ間もなく、八時には西麻田洞にある大和塾に車を飛ばした。駅を左に見て坂道を上りつめ左右を見渡せば、右方にそれらしきものがあった。正門を這入って右手に神祠が祀られてあるのが先ず眼につく。折悪しく竹村保護司は運動場で生徒に体操を教えていたところであったが、代りを頼まれて私を保護司住宅に招じた。

大和塾の設立の趣旨や、その活動状況に就いては本誌十六年十月号に現保護課属高原克己氏より詳細に亙って紹介されているので、茲では簡単にその内容を述べることとする。即ち、大和塾は保護観察所長を会長に、保護観察対象者や大和塾の趣旨に賛同し、その事業に奉仕協力せんとするものを会員とするものであって、皇道精神の振起昂揚と内鮮一体の深化徹底を期し、併せて思想事件関係者を善導保護することを目的としている法人組織である。そして、その事業としては、思想前歴者を動員して主として国語の普及授産の経営に意を注いでいる。

かようなことを熱意のこもった語調で竹村保護司は語られる。仕事に対してなかなか熱のある人だと感ずる。

現在、塾生を十一家族入れている。この塾生は、かつては思想事件に問われた者で、入塾当初はなかなか手剛い者ばかりだったそうである。別言すれば保護観察対象者の最右翼級といってよかろう。この人々を転向さして純良な皇国臣民化しようというのである。そのうちの一人をここに紹介してみよう。

今は創氏しているが仮にT君として置こう。T君は明大中途退学者で入塾のはじめから、実に頑固だったそうだ。竹村保護司とも、全然口をきこうとしない。約二週間位、無言の行がつづいた。その間、保護司はT君と一所に風呂には入ったり、食事を共にしたりしてT君を自分の生活のなかに自然に溶け込ますように努めた。そして時には深更まで保護司宅で対坐したこともあった。保護司のかような人情味豊かな処遇はT君をしてついに人間の奥底に秘められた琴線にふれしめるに至った。魂と魂とがぶっつかった。そこには、朝鮮人とか内地人とかいうケチ臭い民族的観念はなかった。在るものは赤裸々の一個の人間対人間の存在のみである。形式的にいえば、内鮮一体はすでに実を結んだということができよう。

だが、私はこの場合、その表現では云いつくせない或るものがある。もっともっと奥深いものがある。私はかつて読んだ菊池寛氏作の『恩讐の彼方へ』を思い出す。両者の内容は勿論大いにちがっている。だが、最後に魂と魂とが触れ合うその極致は一致しているのではないかと思う。T君は完全に転向し、むかしのかたくな思想を綺麗に洗い落としてしまった。そして今では塾の教壇に立って児童を教えている。

ここで塾の教育施設について述べて見る。大和塾の実践第一要項を見るに、それは内鮮一体の強化徹底に置き、そのためには『国語の普及』が先決問題であるとして、これには大いに力瘤を入れている。即ち、塾に二十坪の教場二室を設け、昼夜二回にわたって国語講習会を開いているのである。大体二箇年で終了することになっているが、この僅かの期間で、国民学校用読本十二巻全部を終るのである。二箇年で六箇年の実力をつけようというわけだ。

国語の外になお、算術、手工、唱歌、遊戯なども教えている。授業料は一切とらない。そして学用品はすべて支給したり或は貸与したりしている。大体、国民学校に入学できなっかったものをとっているが、なかには大和塾で二箇年の過程を終り、国民学校の五年に検定編入されたものもある。このときの親の喜び方は大したものであったそうだ。

昼と夜とを合わせて児童は六百六十名の多数にのぼっている。教師は塾生で無報酬である。

そして教師は単に国語を教えるだけではなく国語に盛られた、日本精神を注ぎ込む意気で教壇に立っている。私は訓導の経験がないからその気持ちはわからぬ。だが、一旦、教壇に立って無垢の少年、少女を指導する立場になったら、だれでも彼等の智識の向上を願うであろう。日に日に向上して行く少年少女を眺めて、心中大いに愉悦を感ずるであろう。塾生たるもの孟子の所謂三楽の一を経験して、たしかに自己を反省してみるにちがいない。

だから児童に対し悪い思想を注ぎ込むということは全く杞憂に過ぎなかったのである。その上彼等は教壇に立つことによって、自分自身の皇民化に一層の精進を加えるのである。

私は竹村保護司に案内されて、授業の参観をする。第一室では丁度算術の時間であった。が、その教室では、何んでも唱歌を歌っていただいた様に思う。児童の声の余りに大きいので耳が聾になりそうだったのを今でも時々思い出すのである。

第二室はT君の授業であった。初学年らしく数の数え方を熱心に教えていた。概してここの児童の元気なのには驚いた。なかなかきびきびしている。

私は、また女生徒の舞踊を見せて貰った。蓄音器のリズムに合わせ小旗を両手にもって「愛馬行進曲」「三国旗かざして」「愛国行進曲」「隣組」などをいと優しくも踊るのである。私はこの方面に対する眼は余り肥えていない。だが、綺麗な衣裳でもつけさせてどこかの本舞台で実演さしたら、一層引き立つだろうなあと感心した位だから、読者には大体の想像はつくと思う。私は思わず拍手を送った。

さて、話しの方向を変えて、塾生たちを如何に指導しているかを私は突っ込んで聞かねばならぬ。ここでは理論闘争は全然行わない。「行」一天張りである。理論闘争は何処までも理論闘争に発展するであろう。よしこちらが相手を説伏し得たとしても、そこには何か割り切れないものが残るであろう。要は相手を皇国臣民化せばいいのだ。朝鮮同胞は共産主義、或は民族主義的思想に走った主たる原因は感情に出発しているものが多いということだ。果して然らば感情から出発した者を理論闘争によって転向させようとしても、それは無理な注文だ。だからここでは「情」の生活より出発しつつ、日本精神を把握させることをモットーとする。

十一家族の塾生は竹村保護司の住宅と隣り合って長屋に起居を共にするのである。つまり日常生活を通じてお互いが理解し合うのである。そして勤労好愛の精神を植えつける。時には便所の掃除までさせる。上に立つ人の命令には絶対に服従させるよう訓練される。批判は全然評されない。どこか軍隊式に似たところがある。それでいて命令は文句なしに受け入れられているから不思議だ。保護司に心服している結果からであろう。

次に大和塾の重要事業の一である授産業にふれて見よう。これは資金三万円を投ぜる折箱、割り箸の製造販売事業で工場は教室に隣接している。塾生の生活の資は全部これに依って賄われ、原料である唐檜は新義州営林署の好意によって払下げをうけている。事業開始より僅か一年そこそこで一万円の収益をあげたというから素晴らしい成績といってよかろう。注文は次から次へと殺到して来るそうだ。従って塾生各家族一戸当り月収平均は九十円から百円にも達し、経済生活は非常にゆとりを持っている。

かつてはマルクスの所謂唯物史観的人生観を信奉していたかも知れない塾生諸君も、産業部の経営実体も自ら管掌するに至って、果して現在どんな経済理論を把持しているであろうか。「衣食足りて礼節を知る」はこれ人情、塾生の思想淳化に大和塾産業部の施設が大いに役立っていることを見逃すことはできない。この施設は大和塾の特色であると共に、また、大なる強味でないかと思う。自己の経営によって利潤をあげ、その利潤によって貧しき朝鮮同胞を教育する。そこには資本主義的なカラクリは全く存在しない。存在するものは、お互いの物質的にも精神的にもその生活を向上させんとする熱意あるのみだ。これで感激しない塾生はどうかしている。宜なる哉、竹村保護司の為には命を投げ出すとまで塾生は考えている由だが、打ち割ったところ偽りない心根であろう。

尚は、保護司夫人は塾生の主婦に働きかけ、専ら台所経済の指導に当って居られる。家計簿の記入は勿論のこと、その他こまかい家庭経済についても親切に教導し、所謂「家を治める」根本観念を植えつけている。要するに新義州大和塾はいわば大家族主義生活といってよかろう。

私が尋ねた常日は、丁度大詔奉戴日だったので、新義州保護観察所長田中誠一氏が来塾され、大詔奉戴式が運動場で挙行された。神祠を前にして「昼間生徒」は全部整列し、田中所長の詔書奉読、訓示があって、一人の生徒代表が所長の前に進み出て皇国臣民誓詞を先唱する。

からだは頗る小さいのだが、喉筋を立てながら大きな声をしぼり出すのである。雛が親鶏の真似をしているようだ。式後「元気な子供ですよ」と田中所長が教えて呉れる。

「今朝三時過ぎ新義州に着きました」と私がいうと、それは惜しいことをした、今朝六時から塾生たちの軍事教練があったが、それを見て頂きたかったといわれる。聞けば田中所長は昨晩大和塾に宿泊されて軍事教練に参加し、今日は昼夜二回の奉戴式にわざわざ来塾され挙式に当られるのだそうだ。実に御多忙の様である。だが、塾の仕事に非常に興味を持っていられるようで頗る朗らかである。所長がかように熱心なため、下の人々も力の入れ甲斐があることと思う塾の成績にも大いに影響することであろう。明日は龍岩浦にある家政塾の入塾式を挙行する由である。私も御供することにする。

竹村保護司の御厚意に甘えて塾舎に一泊する。翌朝は六時過ぎ起き、塾生全家族と一所に朝の霊気を全身にうけ宮城遥拝をする。遥拝後T君と今一人の塾生が、昨日中の出来ごとを軍隊式に大きなキビキビした声で一々保護司に報告する。終ってラジオ体操である。塾の一日の生活はこれから活発に初まる。すでに工場にはボツボツ人が集まり出した。

私は、ふと、竝々ならぬ苦労を荷うこの思想保護事業の反面には、転向させ得たら有能な人士をつくり出せるという、大きな歓喜と慰安とがあることを思う。

社会一般は大和塾の事業を理解して、物的にも心的にも多大の援助を与えていること知ってその前途の多幸を祝するものである。

尚、帰住後、京城大和塾を参観したのだが、編輯の都合で、本月号に掲載することの出来なかったのを遺憾とする。この点斎賀保護司の御諒承を願う次第である。

大和家政塾

大和塾の龍岩浦支部の事業となっている大和家政塾参観のため私は竹村保護司夫妻に御別れをし新義州駅に急いだ。駅で田中所長、森観察所書紀両氏と落ち合い、龍岩浦行きに乗る。田中所長より平北道会議員と嘱託保護司の肩書をもたえる黄原観河氏を紹介される氏は龍岩浦に居住しているが、わざわざ観察所長を迎えに来られたとか。大和塾の事業には非常な腰の入れ方で特に家政塾の発展の為には声援を惜しまない方である。

車中には、大分、水兵服姿の家政塾生たちが乗車していた。田中所長はその乙女たちと愉快そうに話し合ったり、或はいろいろ注意したりしている。所長には、塾生がとても可愛いのであろう。

約一時間にして龍岩浦駅に降り、歩くこと二十分余りで家政塾の門をくぐった。同塾は建坪約五十坪、敷地四百坪の純内地式建物を黄原観河氏から無償で貸与をうけ、これを使用している。落ちついた感じのする建物だが相当古い代物らしい。何れ適当なところに新築は予定されている。

私共は客間に道され、塾生から小笠原流か何かの式でお茶を出される。塾生は国民学校卒業の半島の女子で去年の七月一日に四十五名入塾さしているが、今日また四十余名入塾することになっている。修業年限は一ヶ年であるが、卒業成績の優秀なものは研究科に残る道が開かれている。専任講師としては女学校教諭の資格ある良家の内地入のお嬢さん四人がこれに当り、日本婦道、国語作法、裁縫、割烹、体操、生花及茶、書道、育児衛生、音楽の諸科目を毎週三十一時間教えている。尚、観察所職員、嘱託保護司の方々も、授業の一部を受け持たれる。

家政塾は純日本人的生活様式を塾生の頭にしみ込ませ、それから自然に日本人的な物の考え方や観方にもって来ようというのである。

成る程、塾生の手になる昼飯を御馳走になったが、御膳の出し方、給仕のし方など、全く日本人の家庭そのままで、お客さん私共の方がかえって無作法ぐらいであった。

午後一時半から筋向いの龍岩浦警察署の武道場で新入生の入塾式が挙行された。父兄の顔も見える。黄原道会議員の祝辞中、起居動作すべて純日本人的になって貰いたいと諭すあたり家政塾たる本領を発揮して余蘊がない。生徒数の少ないせいか、どこか温味のこもった入塾式であった。

大和家政塾の訪問で、私のあわただしい日程は終了したわけだが、次に結論として家政塾に対する二三の感想を書かして頂く。

結語

新義州大和塾の事業については、如上述べたところで大体お判りのことと思うが、その事業の一である大和家政塾の開設は、最も意義あるものの一つというべきであろう。内鮮一体深化運動も全人口半ばを占める婦人の理解がなければ美しい実は結ばない。特に将来家庭の人となる少女達を対象とした所に大いなる意義を見出す。授業科目のうちで、日本婦道について二時間を割いていることは注目してよかろう。その他日本人的教養を身につける為の諸科目が、高等女学校のそれよりも多数の時間が割り当てられている。と共に情操の涵養に意を用いていることもて逃せない。そしてまた「作法」の四時間によって日本人的床しさとか、或は日本的美の観念を植えつけようとする。

元来、礼儀とか作法とかは、人間が美を要求し、調和に憧れる心的作用が、日頃の生活に現れて、これが人間文化の進展に伴って漸次に組織されたものと解する。だから礼儀や作法の趣旨に従って生活し、行動することが、個人的にも、社会的にも最も美であり調和であって、私共の生活をして最も好ましく美わしく、且つ幸福ならしめるものだ。礼法の要は和を尊しとすといわれている。故に人々がよく調和して、人生を円滑にし人に好感を与えることが眼目であろう。したがって朝鮮女性が、日本人になり切る前提としては礼儀作法の修得によって日本的美の極致を心奥深く味わなねばならない。これを感得することによってそこにはすでに内鮮人の区別は存をしないであろう。家政塾はこの方針で進んでいるのである。

作法には、云うまでもなく、形式的要素と、精神的方面との二つがあるが、家政塾では先ず形式的要素の方らは入っている。礼儀作法の中心は精神的方面にあるのであるから、この方面に対し関係方面の暖かい心配りもすでになされていることと思う。

尚、ここの塾生を内地人の良家庭に約一箇月間行儀見習や手伝いに出したそうであるが、各家庭から大変喜ばれたとのことである。家政塾は、今では微々たる存在に過ぎぬであろう。そしてまた創設草創の事であるから歴史も伝統も何もない。だが、将来我が朝鮮に於いて半島女性の皇国臣民化運動に相当な役割を演ずることを信じて疑わない。

「一粒の麥」が次第に稔って社会に貢献することを私共は期待すると共に、古来塾には塾風あり、家政塾の塾風を慕って半島の乙女達が数多馳参ずる日の近からんことをお祈りする。願くば痴人の夢に終らしむること勿れ。

• 第一図：大和塾全景
• 第二図：神祠
• 第三図：卒業式、壇上は田中保護観察所長
• 第四図：児童と卓を囲んで立ってるは竹村保護司
• 第五図：授産業の状況（一）
• 第六図：授産業の状況（二）
• 第七図：授産業の状況（三）
• 第八図：授産業の状況（四）
• 第九図：塾生及び家族の宮城遥拝
• 第十図：大和家政塾の講師と生徒一同
• 第十一図：生花の授業
• 第十二図：国語の授業
• 第十三図：作法の授業

Source: https://archive.org/details/chosen-v44-1942/page/n410/mode/1up

See also:

• Internment camps for young Korean schoolgirls (Link)
• Workplace training making employees run until they collapse from heat exhaustion (Link)
• Yuseong Farmers' training camp to train rural leaders (Link)
• Imperial Way Training Institutes (Link)
• Converted Korean ‘ideological criminals’ at Yamato School in Seoul (Link)
• Imperial Japanese penal officials brag about brainwashing Korean ‘ideological criminals’ in Yamato Schools (Link)

*Many thanks to an anonymous supporter who provided me with a copy of this colonial-era magazine.