This propaganda news photo, published in August 1944, shows a Korean family beaming with happiness and expressing gratitude to the newly installed Governor-General Abe Nobuyuki for increasing their rice rations. The accompanying articles show how a totalitarian regime used scarce food supplies as a political tool to manufacture support for Abe, who had assumed office as the colonial ruler of Korea only a month earlier, in July 1944. By increasing rice rations at the outset of Abe’s tenure, the regime appears to have hoped to give his administration a strong start by pairing fuller stomachs with heightened public goodwill.
Han Sang-ryong (한상룡, 韓相龍), a prominent Korean collaborator and head of the League of Mobilization in Korea, the regime’s single ruling political party in colonial Korea, is featured urging Koreans to support Governor-General Abe and repay his favor by “increasing production” for Imperial Japan’s war effort.
Han also praises Takenaga, a Korean collaborator appointed by Abe as Director of the Academic Affairs Bureau, presenting that appointment as proof that Abe understood the Korean people. Takenaga appears to have come from a privileged background, judging from his address in Gahoe-dong, an area traditionally associated with the yangban elite. His daughter-in-law invokes the story of the samurai Shima Kiyooki, who entered the service of the warlord Ishida Mitsunari during Japan’s Sengoku period, and presents it as a model for Koreans to follow in devoting themselves to their new Governor-General.
[Translation]
Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) August 19, 1944
“Come on, little one, put your hands together and give thanks”
The Nagata family bursts into happy cheers
“Little one, we are going to get more rice.”
“Yes, Mother? Really? That makes me so happy!”
At supper time on the eighteenth, bright smiles were already gathering around dinner tables in households across Korea, as the cheerful news of extra rice rations gladdened one family after another.
“We heard it just a little while ago on the radio news. I am truly grateful. I was just telling the children about it now,” said Mrs. Kin Nagata, wife of Masanobu Nagata. The Nagata family lives at 1-104, Asahi-machi, Seoul.
“I think children nowadays know far too little about how precious it is to receive rice. People in the old days were taught to say itadakimasu with a heart that truly bowed in gratitude, and they naturally came to feel that way as well.”
With gratitude for rice itself, Mrs. Nagata also expressed thanks for this increase in rations.
“For families like ours with many children, this increase in rations will be an enormous blessing, and that truly makes me happy. I was just saying to my husband that the best way to repay this favor, for the time being, is to work diligently every single day.”
The bright atmosphere continued to envelop the whole family, and from that cheerful feeling there seemed to well up a fresh strength: "Now, on to greater production!" And this bright feeling was not confined to that one household alone. All at once it burst forth in Korea’s cities, farming villages, and fishing villages alike. On the eighteenth, the fighting Korea peninsula rejoiced and shouted with delight like soldiers who have just received a resupply of ammunition, and its determination to increase production burned more fiercely than ever.
[Photo: the cheerful evening meal at the Nagata home]
Words alone cannot express this parental concern!
Bow your head before the blood and sweat of the farmers!
Statement by Director-General Han Sang-ryong (한상룡, 韓相龍)
This decision to increase each person’s rice ration is due entirely to the warm parental concern of our new Governor-General Abe Nobuyuki. We, the twenty-six million compatriots of the Korean peninsula, are filled with emotion and offer our heartfelt gratitude.
In these fierce final battles, if we are to win at all costs, both the strengthening of productive war power and the raising of fighting spirit depend first of all on the people not going hungry. Of course, to fight through to the end, we must endure many hardships. But as I recently traveled through cities and regions across Korea, what I most often heard from people of every social class was concern over the food problem.
The new Governor-General understood the problem well and implemented the increased rations. The amount may be small, but even so, increasing food rations under these conditions of decisive war is extremely difficult. Yet he did so out of deep concern for the Korean people. We must therefore give profound thanks for the Governor-General’s compassionate parental concern, and at the same time bow our heads deeply before the blood-and-sweat efforts of the farmers.
Since taking office, the new Governor-General has one after another carried out benevolent policies for us, the Korean people, and this is truly moving for the Korean peninsula at war.
His strong parental concern has manifested in many areas, beginning with the appointment of a Korean as Director of the Academic Affairs Bureau. This shows that he has understood well the hearts of the Korean people. From this point on, while giving thanks for the Governor-General’s parental concern, we must devote that gratitude wholeheartedly to strengthening production, endure hardship and want, and press forward toward the completion of the Holy War.
A major effect on labor power
Statement by Dr. Itō, Director of Seoul Imperial University Hospital
This is above all else a gift from the new Governor-General, one that answers the surging spirit of the home front, newly resolved to win the decisive battle.
Under the absolute and supreme demand for increased production, the foundation of everything is labor power, and labor power is, after all, energy. The source of energy is calories. I believe that the calories contained in this increase in rations will have no small effect on production.
From a medical and health standpoint alone, I as a student of medicine cannot but feel deeply grateful. But psychologically the effect is even greater. We consumers should take this occasion to renew our sincere gratitude to the farmers. At the same time, we must not think of the calories in the added rations as merely so many calories. We must reflect on all the hardship, affection, and sacrifice contained within them, and pour our whole strength into efforts for increased production many times greater.
The story of Ishida Mitsunari comes to mind
Let Shima Kiyooki’s emotion become our emotion!
Mr. Takenaga is Director of the Academic Affairs Bureau. A Korean native, he has been selected as the second holder of that post. His home in 33-16 Gahoe-dong, Seoul, is overflowing with joy as we hear someone cry “Banzai, Father!” But amid this further good news of “increased food rations,” the one who narrows her eyes with emotion as she speaks is Yasuyo, wife of his eldest son Yukichi.
“The parental concern of Governor-General Abe moves me to tears. All Koreans must all have felt profound emotion. It reminds me of an old story.
Ishida Mitsunari repeatedly showed every courtesy in trying to recruit Shima Kiyooki, but Shima would not agree. Even so, Ishida kept persistently visiting him. When Shima finally asked, ‘What, exactly, would my stipend be?’ Ishida answered, ‘Twenty thousand koku of rice.’ Shima was astonished. At the time, Ishida held only forty thousand koku of rice in Minakuchi, Ōmi Province, so that...”
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“...just as Shima devoted his loyalty to Ishida, I believe that the sincere loyalty of our Korean compatriots will blaze up no less, indeed even more. Agricultural warriors too, in order to repay the Governor-General’s great love, will surely strike sparks from the tips of their hoes, determined to increase production by at least the total amount of the added rations. The black market too will naturally disappear.
As for me, as the housewife in this household, even if it means reducing my sleeping hours, I intend to make every effort in the kitchen and in household management generally, so as to repay the Governor-General’s parental concern.”
Let us save the extra rice!
Statement by Seoul Mayor Furuichi
Thanks to the Governor-General’s warm parental concern, rice rations will be increased from September onward. This autumn, as the fortunes of war grow ever more critical, all those on the home front who receive this favor must equally turn their thoughts to the farming villages and the battlefront, firmly resolve with deep gratitude that they will shoulder the strengthening of the home-front war effort, and receive every single grain with thanks.
And yet among the city’s residents there are still many ill-disciplined persons who support “ghost populations” or skim off rice specially allotted to factory workers and other industrial warriors. At this juncture, such practices must be cast aside. Calling on the residents to establish an honest life based on rationed rice and to fight through to the end, Mr. Furuichi, mayor of Seoul and steward of this great household of 1.2 million people, appealed to the citizens as follows:
“Our soldiers at the front dig up grass roots and pluck tree buds, eating anything edible while fighting and meeting the enemy through self-sufficiency. Meanwhile, the farmers, resisting harsh natural conditions and overcoming fertilizer shortages, are devoting their precious blood and sweat to increasing production.
This autumn, we on the home front are to receive extra rice through the warm solicitude of His Excellency the Governor-General. Along with offering deep gratitude to the farming villages, we must remember the hardships of the officers and men at the front, and though...”
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“...as always, there will still be people who complain that their stomachs are empty. But this rice is precious. If possible, I would like people to store the added rice away and be prepared to use it as emergency defensive food in the event of some sudden contingency.
And as for ghost populations, if, even in the face of this parental concern shown by His Excellency the Governor-General...”
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“...those who still maintain ghost populations, ignoring the authorities’ concern to let people eat even a little more, will be dealt with firmly. I want all 1.2 million city residents to receive each and every grain of the increased ration with heartfelt gratitude.”
This is the pride of the farmer
We will strive still harder for even greater allotments
Statement by Supervisor Ide
As the vanguard of food supply and demand, taking up the plow and hoe with his own hands and treading the morning dew, Korean farmers...
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We asked Takayoshi Ide, agricultural leader and supervisor at the Oriental Development Company Agricultural Training Institute, for his comments regarding the appropriate increase in food rations to be implemented from September 1.
“Even if the amount of the increase is not necessarily large, it is only natural that farmers today must rouse themselves and exert themselves still more than before. For our part, for the sake of preserving the reputation of Korea as the granary of the Empire, and in response to Governor-General Abe’s parental concern, we are resolved to throw ourselves into securing and supplying food at all costs and to display the true worth of the farmer in strengthening productive war power. When all is said and done, increased yield begins first with building up the strength of the soil. For that purpose, increased production of compost...”
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[Transcription]
京城日報 1944年8月19日
坊や合掌していただきましょうね
可愛い歓声に湧く永田さん一家
『坊や、ご飯が多くなりますのよ』
『ええ、お母さん、それは本当、嬉しいなあー』
十八日の夕食どき全鮮の家庭には早くも明るい笑顔が食膳を囲み朗らかなお米の加配ニュースで一家を潤すのだった。
『先刻ラジオのニュースで知りました。本当に有難いと思っています。恰度いま子供達へ話している處です』と京城府旭町一丁目一〇四永田正信氏夫人キンさんは朗らかに語るのだった。
『いまの子供達は御飯を戴くことがどんなに有難いかということを余り知らなさすぎると思うのです。昔の人達は”戴きます”と心から拝む気持で戴くものと教えられ、また自然にそうした気持になったものです』と夫人は米に対する感謝と共に今度の加配に感謝するのだった。
『子供を多く持つ私達のような家庭がこの加配の恩恵をどんなに多く蒙るかと思えば本当に嬉しゅうございます。いまも主人と話したのですが、この恩恵に何をもって酬いるか、差し当たって毎日毎日を精出して働くことが一番だと思います』と夫人は語り終った。
明るい雰囲気はいつまでも、いつまでも一家を包み、この明るい気持ちで、さあ増産だとむくむくと湧く力を感じさせるのだった。この明るい気持はこの家庭ばかりではない。俄然全鮮の都市に農村に漁村に爆発し十八日の戦う半島は弾丸の補給を受けたときの兵隊さんのように喜び歓声を挙げ増産への意欲をいやが上にも燃えたたせたのである。【写真＝永田氏宅の明るい夕食】
言葉なしこの親心
農民の血と汗に頭を下げよ
韓総長談
このたび一人宛の配給米が増配になることは、これ偏に阿部新総督の温かい親心によるもので私達半島二千六百万同胞は感激にたえぬとともに心から感謝の意を捧げるものである。苛烈な決戦下にあって断じて勝ち抜くための生産戦力増強も戦意の昂揚もまず国民の腹が減っていては所期の目的を達することは出来ない。もとより戦い抜くためには幾多の不自由を忍ばなければならぬが、私は最近全鮮の各都市地方を廻ってみて各階層の人々からよく耳にすることは多くは食糧問題であった。
ところが新総督は赴任早々この問題をよく諒解され増配を実施されたのである。たとえその量は僅かとはいえど、食糧増配はこの決戦下、非常に困難が伴うのにも拘わらず我々半島民衆の心を思うのあまり増配されたのであって、我々はこの有難い総督の情ある親心をあつく感謝するとともに農民の血と汗の努力に深く頭を下げねばならない。新総督は着任以来、我々半島民衆のため次々と善政をほどこされることは戦う半島のため洵に感激にたえない。
半島人の学務局長登用をはじめ各方面に強い親心が現れていることは半島民衆の心をよく把握されている結果である。この上は総督の親心を感謝するとともに、その感謝の心を一意生産増強にうち込み困苦欠乏に耐え忍んで聖戦完遂に邁進せねばならぬ。
労力に影響大
伊藤城大病院長談
心気新に決戦を勝ち取ろうとする銃後人心の澎湃たる意気に副うた新総督の何よりの贈り物だ。増産の絶対最高の要請下にその根底を成す労働力はとりもなおさずエネルギーだ。エネルギーの源泉はカロリーだが、今度の増配分に含まれたカロリーの分量が増産の上に及ぼす影響は少なからざるものがあると信ずる。消極的には保健的見地からも一医学徒として感謝に堪えないが、更に心理的にはなお大きなものがある。われわれ消費者はこれを機会に改めて農民に感謝の誠を捧げると共に増配分のカロリー量がもたらすエネルギーを単にそれだけのカロリーと思わず、それに籠められたありとあらゆる辛苦、愛情、犠牲に思いを寄せて数層倍の増産に渾身の努力を傾倒せねばならない。
思い起こす石田三成の話
島清興の感激を私達の感激に
”おとうさん、万歳”と半島出身として二代目の学務局長の白矢を射あてた武永学務局長の京城の嘉会町三三ノ一六のお宅は喜びに沸き返っているが更に”食糧増配”という度かさなる朗報に目を細めて感激を語るのは長男諭佶氏の夫人安代さんである。
阿部総督閣下の親心には只目頭が熱くなるばかりです。全半島同胞が大いなる感激を受けたでしょう。昔話が思い出されます。
石田三成が島清興を召抱えようと再三、礼を尽くしたが、ウンといわない。それでも石田は根強く島を訪れるので”一体禄はいくらか”との問いに対し”二万”といいだしたので島はびっくりした。当時石田は近江水国四万石を領していたので、その．．．
．．．島が石田に忠誠をつくしたと同様に、いやそれ以上に半島同胞の赤誠は燃えあがると信じます。農業戦士も総督さんの大愛に報い奉ために少なくとも増配総数量だけは増産しようと鍬先に火花を散らすに違いないでしょう。また闇も自然に消滅するでしょう。私も一家の主婦として睡眠時間を減らしても台所を始め家政の万全を図って総督閣下の親心に報いるつもりです。
増配米は貯えよう
古市府尹
総督さんの温かい親心で九月からお米が増配される。戦機ますます熟するこの秋、銃後にあってこの恩恵を蒙る者は均しく思いを農村、戦地に走せ、深い感謝と必ず銃後の戦力増強は引き受けたの決意を固め、その一粒一粒を有難く頂かねばならぬ。それなのに府民のなかにはまだ幽霊人口を養ったり工場その他の産業戦士に特配されているお米の上前をはねたりする不心得者が多いが、この際これを一擲し明朗な配給米生活を確立し戦い抜こうと、百二十万の大世帯を預かる古井京城府尹は府民に対し次の如く呼びかけた。
戦地の兵隊さん達は草の根を掘り木の芽をつんで食べるものならなんでもと戦いながら自給自足で敵を邀へ撃っている。一方お百姓は自然の悪条件に抗し、肥料不足を乗り切って増産に尊い血と汗を捧げている。
この秋銃後にあるわれわれが総督閣下の温かい心尽くしでお米の加配を頂くことになったが、農村へ深い感謝を捧げるとともに戦地の将兵の労苦を偲び、その．．．相変わらずお腹が空くといったような我儘も出てくるものだが、大切なお米である。出来るならば増配のお米は貯えて置き、一朝有事の防衛食糧とする心構えもあって欲しい。
また幽霊人口であるが今回の総督閣下の親心にし．．．少しでも余計に食べさせたいという当局の親心を無視して相変わらず幽霊人口を擁する者は、断乎とした処置に出るつもりだ。百二十万府民は増配の一粒一粒に真心から感謝の念を以って頂いて貰い度い。
これ農民の誇り
更に加配へ頑張る
井手主事
食糧需給の尖兵として自らが鋤鍬を取り朝露を踏んで半島農民の第．．．東拓農業錬成所主事井手高義氏に九月一日から実施する食糧の適当量の加配について農業指導者の言葉をきく。
加配の量は必ずしも多くはなくとも農民は今日よりより一層の奮起と努力が要ることは当然なことであるが、私達は穀倉半島の名誉と阿部総督の親心に対し断じて食糧の確保需給に挺身し生産戦力の増強に農民本来の面目を発揮する覚悟である。増収は何といっても先ず地力を作ることだ。そのためには堆肥の増産．．．
Source: Digital Newspaper Archive, National Library of Korea
