A Japanese author took a Busan-Seoul train in early 1943 and saw some stylishly dressed young Koreans with a guitar and 'American vibe' speaking mostly in Korean mixed with English 'okay's, and was shocked that none onboard cared to observe the noon Moment of Silence to honor fallen Imperial soldiers

In this article, a famous Japanese author and novelist named Maruoka Akira (1907-1968) takes a trip to Korea in early 1943, writing a bit about his experience taking a train from Busan to Seoul, in which he encountered a group of 7 or 8 young Korean people wearing stylish Western clothes and having an 'American vibe'. The only woman in the group wore the latest Ginza fashion, while the men wore flat caps which reminded the author of American movie stars. The author thought it was notable that they mostly spoke Korean with some Japanese and interspersed with the English word 'okay'. He was shocked to find that neither the Japanese nor the Korean train passengers cared to observe the Moment of Silence at noon to honor fallen Imperial soldiers.

In August 1943, this would all change with silent prayers in trains becoming more vigorously enforced. In September 1943, the young Koreans would no longer be able to wear their stylish clothing in public with the passing of onerous clothing regulations enforcing a wartime minimalist fashion.

This article also features a travel story from Mr. Nobuyuki Tateno, a Keijo Nippo correspondent who also covered a 1944 story about Korean parents who picked up their son's remains at a military facility in Japan. He observed young Koreans boys being forced to work in Pyongyang at Pothong river using a Mokko sling, which was a woven net traditionally used to carry heavy materials (dirt, rocks) in construction projects. The boys belonged to an Imperial Training Institute, which eventually became more of a source of cheap labor than a place to 'train' Koreans into becoming 'true Imperial subjects'.

Also mentioned are other similar brainwashing institutions for indoctrinating Koreans with Imperial Japanese state propaganda, such as farmers' dōjōs, women's training centers, Imperial dōjōs, and Yamato cram schools. They have been covered in detail by other Keijo Nippo articles that I have previously translated, so I have provided links throughout the articles.

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) June 9, 1943

How the powerful Korean Peninsula was viewed by mainland Japanese visitors

Expressions of determination on the faces of the youth fueled by hope

Mr. Nobuyuki Tateno's Story

I felt that the situation in Korea had brightened when I saw the farmers' dōjōs, the women's training centers, and the Imperial dōjōs in the suburbs of Pyongyang. In Pyongyang, people below the conscription age are being gathered, and they are making efforts to grasp the Imperial spirit in the course of doing manual labor. I saw history-making expressions of determination on the faces of the boys carrying Mokko slings at Pothong river. I realized how the announcement of the conscription system had brightened the lives of the Korean youth, and the announcement had indeed been made at the most appropriate timing.

Mr. Tateno

It makes me feel uncomfortable whenever I hear mainland Japanese people who pretend to know so much, telling me things like, "That's not something that you can understand just by taking a two-week trip". Whenever I see old Korean men and Korean women visiting and worshiping at Shinto shrines, I think about how well their leaders have managed to guide them up to this point, and I feel as though I have just witnessed a great historic leap forward. When I saw Sup'ung Dam and learned that its construction had gone very smoothly, I thought that this accomplishment silently attested to the success of the leadership.

Mr. Akira Maruoka's Story

I think there is a great gap between what I heard from my acquaintances living in Korea and what I actually saw in Korea during my visit. I was surprised when I arrived in Busan. I really got the feeling that continental East Asians truly lived here. There was this 'continental feeling' that was different from what I felt when I visited Sakhalin and Hokkaido. It made me realize that Korea was really at the edge of a continent that stretched to the Soviet Union, Germany, and Turkey.

Mr. Maruoka

When the train stopped, I felt a sense of quietude, which was a kind of a continental quietude that could not be felt in mainland Japan, and it made me feel a sense of harmony. I thought that this was the kind of place where continental East Asian people could relax.

Below, I will just describe what I felt without drawing any conclusions.

◇．．．When I was on a train, and there were seven or eight people in a corner who were very stylishly Westernized. They were Koreans. Among them was a woman. At first I thought she was a mainland Japanese woman, but it turned out that she was a Korean woman from around here. They all had an American vibe. The woman was dressed in the same fashion that you would see in Ginza. The men wore flat caps and looked like American movie stars. There was a guitar on the shelf, so I thought they were musicians who played light music. They spoke in Korean, but they occasionally tried speaking in Japanese, and sometimes they even deliberately said "Okay" in English.

◇．．．When I arrived at a certain train station, the station staff informed us that it was time for the Moment of Silence. A few station staff members stood up and prayed silently. I also stood up and prayed silently, but no one else stood up to observe the Moment of Silence, neither the mainland Japanese people nor the Korean people who were riding in the train. I had been told in mainland Japan that they observed the Moment of Silence on the Korean peninsula, and that it would be a very beautiful scene to behold, so I felt surprised.

◇．．．When I was eating my lunch on the train, I gave a boiled egg to a Korean child of about five or six years old who was sitting in front of me. The child's mother seemed to be instructing the child to say "Thank you" but the child didn't say anything.

◇．．．When the train was crowded, a young Korean man took a seat next to me. After he went to the bathroom, a young woman came and took a seat in his place. When the man came back from the bathroom, he did not say a word to the woman, but continued his cheerful conversation. In mainland Japan, when you go to the bathroom, you are supposed to put your hat on your seat or something, and if your seat is taken, you are supposed to say something about it, but he didn't say anything and continued his conversation. I thought that was strange.

◇．．．In Seoul, I visited Yamato Cram School, where I saw young people who could be called the wings of the future. [END]

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-06-09

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年6月9日

総力半島は如何に視られたか

"生き抜かん"表情、希望に燃ゆる青少年

立野信之氏談

農民道場や女子訓練所或いは平壌郊外の皇民道場等を視て朝鮮の動きが明るくなったことを感じた。平壌では徴兵適齢前の者を集め、労働のうちから皇民精神を掴むことに努力している。普通江でモッコを担ぐ少年の顔を見ると、歴史的なもののなから生き抜かんとする表情がある。これらをみて徴兵制の発表が如何に半島の青少年を明るくしたことかを知った。最も良き時期に発表したものである。

内地で聞くことであるが、『僅か二週間やそこいらの旅行で判るものではない』などと如何にも知ったか振りの人の言葉を聴くと私は実に不快に思う。神社に参拝する朝鮮の老人や婦人をみると、指導者はよくぞここまで導いた、ということを考え、歴史的飛躍を感ずるのである。水豊ダムを観たとき、その建設は非常に順調に進んだと聴き、これは無言のうちに指導の成果を語るものであると思った。

丸岡明氏談

朝鮮に住んでいる知人から聴いたことと、今度私が視た朝鮮は非常にひらきがあると思う。私は釜山に着いたときからビックリした。東洋人が住んでいるという感じであった。これは樺太や北海道に行ったときに感じたものとは違う大陸的な感じである。朝鮮はソ連にドイツに、トルコに通ずる大陸の端であると思った。

汽車のなかで感じたことであるが、汽車が留まると車内は実にシーンと静かさを感ずる。この静かさは内地では感じられない自分が和になる大陸的な静かさであった。東洋人の憩う場所はこんな處だと思った。

以下、結論を抜きにして感じたままを話そう。

◇．．．汽車の中での話だが、隅の方に七八人のハイカラな人が居た。朝鮮の人である。このなかに一人の女が混ざっていた。最初は内地の女だと思ったが、やはりこちらの女であることが判った。みんなアメリカ的な感じである。女は銀座などでみるのと同じような服装。男は鳥打帽を被りアメリカ映画の二枚目のような感じである。棚の上にはギターがあるので、軽音楽でもやる人達かと思った。言葉は朝鮮語である。たまには国語で話してみたり、なかにはことさら『オーケー』などといってみたりしている。

◇．．．或る駅に着いた時の話である。黙祷の時間を駅員が知らせている。そして僅かな駅員が立って黙祷をする。私も立って黙祷をしたが、乗っていた内地人も半島人も誰も立たず、黙祷もしない。内地で聴いたことによると、半島には黙祷の時間があり、非常に美しい場面がある、と知らされていたが、これはと思った。

◇．．．汽車のなかで弁当を食う時、前に掛けていた五つ六つくらいの半島の子供へ私はゆで卵を一つ与えた。その子供の母親らしいのが『有難う』をいえと訓えているようだったが、その子供はなんともいわなかった。

◇．．．列車内が混んでいる時だったが、半島の青年が私の横に席をとった。その男が便所に行った後、或る若い女がきてそこへ掛けた。男は便所から帰ってきてもその女には小言も言わずに朗らかに語っていた。内地では便所に行くときには自分の座席へ帽子を置くとか何とかするものであり、座をとられれば何とかいうのだが文句もいわずに朗らかに語っているのだ。私は不思議に思った。

◇．．．京城で大和塾を観たが、そこにはこれからの翼ともいうべき若き人達をみた（おわり）

This Korean family in Seoul donated their metallic tableware in February 1943 to help Imperial Japan's war effort, including their brass Sinseollo (신선로, 神仙爐), a prized cooking vessel that was passed down the generations from their ancestors in the Korean royal court

This article shows a Korean man and his maidservant donating 32 brass items for Imperial Japan's war effort, including a brass Sinseollo (신선로, 神仙爐), a traditional Korean hot pot cooking vessel which was apparently passed down the generations from his ancestors. Since this type of cooking vessel was traditionally only used in the Korean royal court, it seems that this Korean man came from a privileged family background. The fact that he had a maidservant attests to his wealth. Countless other historical cultural artifacts were likely donated in this way or confiscated and then melted down to make armaments for the Imperial Japanese military.

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) February 7, 1943

Brass items donated one after another

"In times like these, it is shameful to keep such extravagant things stored away. Please use this Sinseollo, wash basin, and tableware to make torpedoes for destroying our hated enemies, the U.S. and Britain," said Ms. Katayama Tamae (44 years old), a resident of 6-103 Jongno-gu, Seoul. Upon her request, her eldest son Mitsuo (25 years old) and her maidservant took 32 items including one brass Sinseollo, which had been passed down from her ancestors, a wash basin, and tableware and donated them at the main office of this newspaper on the morning of February 6th. [Photo: a mountain of brass items in front of Mitsuo and the maidservant]

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-02-07

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年2月7日

相踵ぐ”鍮器献納”

『この時局にこんな贅沢なものを死蔵しては申し訳ないことです。どうぞこの神仙爐も盥も食器も憎い憎い敵米英撃滅の魚雷としてお役に立てて下さい』と京城鐘路六の一〇三、片山玉恵さん（四四）は祖先伝来の真鍮製神仙爐一対をはじめ盥、食器など三十二点を長男光男君（二五）と女中に持参させ六日朝本社へ献納方を依頼した。【写真＝真鍮の山と光男さんと女中さん】

The metal collection campaign was escalated in March 1943. This March 28, 1943 Keijo Nippo news photo shows metal pots and tableware being loaded onto a cart driven by oxen.

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-03-28

 

This March 30, 1943 Keijo Nippo news photo shows more scenes of the metal collections. The upper right photo shows the collection at the Patriotic Women's Association on Hangang-daero in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-03-30

Colonial police warned residents about police impersonators who detained passersby in the streets and stole cash and belongings, or flashed fake business cards to shoplift and dine for free; thefts and rapes were rampant in the complete darkness during wartime light dimming exercises (Seoul, 1943)

One bizarre thing that I noticed in this newspaper is the recurrence of stories about police impersonators who detain passersby in the streets and then steal their cash and belongings. These two public service announcements from February and December 1943, respectively, warn the public about them, but only the one from December has any real concrete advice for anyone who encounters them: call the nearest police station when someone is using police business cards to shoplift and dine for free, and ask to be accompanied to the police station when a fake policeman handcuffs you. If the fake policeman refuses to take you to the police station, then that is probably a tip-off that the policeman is not real.

Who were these police impersonators? I could think of three possibilities: They were (1) corrupt police officers; (2) common criminals; and/or (3) political activists who were raising funds for the overthrow of the colonial regime. It would be interesting to look into these possibilities further and see what the historical evidence says.

Other crimes that were mentioned are 'strong-arm robberies and obscene acts committed during wartime light dimming'. In wartime Imperial Japan, citizens practiced light dimming exercises during nighttime to make it more difficult for enemy warplanes to navigate, but all that darkness apparently made things easier for thieves and rapists.

By December 1943, the police were increasing reliant on Patriotic Groups (JP: aikoku-han, KR: aeguk-ban, 愛國班) for policing. They were neighborhood cells which functioned as the local arm of the Korean Federation of National Power (国民総力朝鮮連盟, 국민총력조선연맹). Every Korean living in Korea belonged to a Patriotic Group. It typically consisted of a few households, led by a Patriotic Group leader, who normally acted as a mini-tyrant micromanaging the lives of everyone within the Patriotic Group. That included things like rationing food and goods, enforcing mandatory State Shinto prayer times and shrine visits, ‘volunteering’ laborers upon the colonial regime’s request, arranging marriages, holding mandatory Japanese language classes, spying on each other, etc.

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) February 7, 1943

Fake Police Officers Feeding on "Darkness"

We are determined to exterminate them!

Interview with Police Chief Isozaki

Recently, there has been a relative increase in the number of malicious violations against strong economic controls which were put in place in response to the war. In addition, fake police officers have been taking advantage of this detestable trend by appearing frequently, exploiting the weaknesses of violators by imposing fines and confiscating money and illicit goods. The Police Department of the Governor-General's Office has decided to crack down on this situation by bringing down the iron hammer upon these unscrupulous criminals who are running rampant. On February 6th, an interview with Police Chief Isozaki was released, in which he vowed the firm determination of his police department.

The Governor-General's Office also made it clear that it would take this opportunity to take severe measures against unscrupulous criminals who dishonor the prestige of police officers by pretending to be police officers or their assistants and forcing people to give them priority in the distribution of hard-to-obtain goods.

Interview with Police Chief Isozaki

It is truly chilling to see that the number of economic crimes has been increasing day by day as a result of the recent tightening of economic controls, which has led to an ever-increasing police crackdown.

Police Chief Mr. Isozaki

However, the unscrupulous criminals skillfully targeted windows of opportunity amid these social trends of tightening regulations and increasing numbers of violations, taking advantage of them by playing various schemes. Various malicious cases have been frequently reported in which various vendors and offenders are exploited by taking advantage of their psychological vulnerabilities to extract preferential distribution of hard-to-obtain goods. The unscrupulous criminals pose as or openly misrepresent themselves as economic police officers or their assistants to seize money or illicit goods under the guise of collecting fines or confiscating illicit goods. As a result, the public often hears complaints about the arbitrariness and brutality of police officers, which is regrettable.

The police department sees such malicious crimes not only as crimes against the victims, but also as crimes that compromise the prestige of the police and disturb law enforcement. In addition to the various types of enforcement actions that are already in place, we will adopt a strict policy of severe punishment against fraudulent acts committed while posing as government officials, and we will make firm and thorough efforts to arrest and suppress such criminals.

In addition, the police themselves should prepare to deal with the secret activities of such criminals by taking measures to prove that they are real police officers whenever they engage in various types of enforcement activities in plain clothes. When using assistants, special guidance and supervision should be given. We hope that the public will fully understand these points and be vigilant not to be taken advantage of by unscrupulous criminals. In addition, if you are under any kind of enforcement action conducted by a person claiming to be a police officer or law enforcement official, please make sure to carefully confirm that the person on the other end is indeed a real police officer or a real law enforcement official. We sincerely hope that you will not be taken for a ride by these unscrupulous criminals.

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-02-07

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) December 10, 1943

Eradicating Crime in December

A message from Gyeonggi Provincial Police Chief Mr. Oka

In an effort to prevent the occurrence of crimes at the end of the year, including economic crimes committed due to the difficulty of obtaining all kinds of goods, and to make this year's holiday season a happy one, Gyeonggi Provincial Police Chief Oka issued the following message, requesting the cooperation of the general public:

Police Chief Mr. Oka

In mid-December every year, the police departments of Gyeonggi Province, with the cooperation of Patriotic Group members, have been making every effort to prevent crimes at the end of the year. This year is coming to an end amid this pathetically harsh war situation. It is deeply concerning that, as economic controls have been tightened, the difficulty in obtaining daily necessities has inevitably increased the public's appetite for goods. In conjunction with this, there has been an increasing trend in all kinds of malicious crimes. At the end of the year, when the purchasing power of the general public is strong, malicious crimes are usually committed in various fields. Economic criminals may commit crimes that disrupt economic controls on the home front, including some traders who are guilty of price gouging, profiteering, hoarding, and cheating in weights and measures. Consumers may also disrupt economic controls on the home front. There is no end to the number of consumers who are using their year-end bonuses and other unexpected income for panic buying and hoarding instead of cooperating in the implementation of national policies, such as saving and purchasing war bonds.

In addition, recent trends such as fraudulent acts to facilitate the purchase of such illicit goods, break-ins at night, thefts, and strong-arm robberies have been increasing as the year-end draws near. Recently, we have witnessed the emergence of malicious crimes such as so-called fake detectives who run rampant, physically searching the bodies of passersby and stealing their cash or threatening to commit fraud. This autumn, in this decisive battle, we are all pushing forward with the reinforcement of our military power on the home front. In order to exterminate such criminals who disturb the stability of the people's lives, we will launch an early enforcement action this year. In addition to our efforts to thoroughly investigate and arrest these unscrupulous criminals, those who dare to commit crimes, such as strong-arm robberies and obscene acts committed during wartime light dimming, will be punished with particularly severe penalties in accordance with the Law Concerning Special Provisions for the Punishment of Wartime Crimes.

Needless to say, it is extremely difficult to prevent all kinds of crimes, no matter how strictly the police officers alone exercise control and vigilance, and so we must rely on the righteous cooperation of all members of the Patriotic Groups. I sincerely hope that each household will be more devoted to the true meaning of wartime life, that you will exercise self-restraint and refrain from ugly behavior including panic buying and hoarding at the end of the year, and that you will fully practice the guidelines regarding home security that were announced for Patriotic Group members in December, so that you can live a clear and solid wartime life at the end of the year without any impurities and greet the third new year of the Greater East Asia War with hope shining in your hearts. [Photo: Police Chief Mr. Oka]

Cooperation in Crime Prevention is Desired

A message from Yongsan Police Chief Mr. Wakita

As the year draws to a close, crimes that disrupt the stability of life during wartime, such as burglary, snatching, breaking and entering, and illicit trafficking of wartime necessities, are on the rise. This December, the Yongsan Police Department is making every effort to ensure that all members of the department are perfectly prepared to prevent crime and ensure a pleasant end of the year. On December 9th, Yongsan Police Chief Mr. Wakita requested the cooperation of Seoul residents in actively self-policing and eradicating wartime crimes, as follows:

The end of the year usually sees a conspicuous increase in the movement of cash, and the psychologically vulnerable who are involved in it are taken advantage of by the unscrupulous criminals who are always on the lookout all year for a chance to make money. What attracts particular attention these days are their increasingly sophisticated methods. They use counterfeit business cards to impersonate detectives and then eat, drink, and enjoy entertainment without paying. They also swindle merchandise. Most serious of all, they use handcuffs to restrain passersby and seize money from them after physically searching them. Economic crimes are also on the rise, not only among open air street vendors, but also among those who have set up stores trafficking black market goods to take advantage of the increased demand for New Year's goods. I believe that burglaries and thefts can be largely prevented through vigilance on the part of Seoul residents. To avoid being victimized, I would like to ask you to take the following two points into consideration, especially at the end of the year:

Real detectives do not show their business cards and then shoplift, eat, drink, and enjoy entertainment without paying. If you see such a suspicious person in the future, immediately report him to the nearest police station. Similarly, if a criminal is wielding binding rope or handcuffs, it is essential that you always ask to be accompanied to the police station, and that you remain calm and timely in reporting the incident.

Next, as for the prevention of economic crimes, first of all, each of you must remember the hardships of the generals on the front lines and never purchase unnecessary goods to welcome the New Year. There are some who criticize black market prices, but who themselves are good at black-market buying. In general, if you are aware of black market prices, black market deliveries, or unauthorized distribution of goods, please feel free to report them to us without hesitation. The police will take a strictly punitive approach against these insolent people who are indifferent to the current war situation, and will work to stabilize the lives of Seoul residents.

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-12-10

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年2月7日

”闇”を喰う偽警察官

断乎一掃に乗出す

磯崎警務課長談

戦争に対応する強力な経済統制を蹂躙。最近悪質の手段を弄した経済違反が比較的に増加。またこの憎むべき傾向を悪用して一方には偽警察官がしきりに出没し、違反者の弱点に乗じて罰金、没収などに名を藉り、金品や違反物件をまきあげるなどの不徳漢が横行しているので、総督府警務局では断乎これを一掃。鉄槌を下すことになり、六日磯崎警務課長談を発表。当局の断乎たる決意を表明した。

さらに総督府では、これを機に警察官或いは補助者の如く装って入手難物資の優先的配給を強要して警察官の威信を汚す不良徒輩に対しても厳罰主義を以て臨む旨を明かにした。

磯崎警務課長談

最近経済統制の強化により警察の取締はますます拡大強化せられ、これに伴い各種の経済事犯も日を逐うて増加の傾向にあることはまことに寒心に堪えない次第である。

然るにこのような取締の強化、違反の蔟出というが如き社会情勢の間隙を狙いつつあった不良徒輩は巧みにこれに便乗して種々なる奸計を弄し、取締を受ける各種業者や違反者の心理的弱点に乗じて経済取締の警察官、若しくはその補助者の如く装い、或いは公然とこれを詐称して入手難物資の優先的配給を受けたり、或いは違反者の弱点に乗じ罰金没収などに名を藉りて所持金や違反物件を奪取したりする各種の悪質事案が随所に頻発しつつある。そのため民衆より警察官の専恣、横暴の声を頻々と耳に致すのはまことに遺憾とするところである。

当局と致してはかかる悪質犯罪がただに被害者に対する侵害であるのみならず、これがため官の威信を失墜し取締の秩序を紊すこと極めて大なるものであるのに鑑み、今後各種の取締と併行し、これら官名詐称による不正行為に対しては厳罰主義を以て臨み断乎として検挙強圧の徹底を期する方針である。

また警察自身においてはかかる不良徒輩の暗躍に備えて、警察官が私服をもって各種取締に従事する場合は、必ず警察官たることを証明する措置を講ぜしめ、補助者などを使用する場合は、特に格別なる指導監督を加うる筈であるから、一般におかれてもこの点充分の理解を願うと共にかかる不良徒輩に乗ぜられることのなきよう自戒せらるるは勿論、万一警察官若しくは取締当局者と自称する者より、各種の取締を受くるが如き場合は、必ず相手方が真の警察官であり、取締当局者であることを慎重に確認せられ、不良徒輩に乗ぜられるが如きことのなきよう特に切望して已まぬ次第である。

京城日報　1943年12月10日

師走の犯罪撲滅へ

京畿道岡警察部長語る

年末における各犯罪の発生は勿論あらゆる物資の入手難による経済事犯の発生を未然に防止し、今年こそは明るい年末を送ろうと京畿道岡警察部長は次の如き談話を発表し、一般道民の協力を要望した。

例年十二月中旬より道内各警察署の総力を挙げ、愛国班員各位の御協力を得て歳末時の犯罪の予防警戒に努めて来たのでありますが、本年も亦凄愴苛烈な戦局の裡に年末を迎え、熟々世相を案じますに経済統制が強化徹底せらるるに伴い、生活必需物資の入手難は必然的に一般民衆の物欲を旺盛にし、之と結びつき各種の統済事犯益々増加の傾向に有りまするのみならず、年末に於いては一般購買力の旺盛なるに乗じ各方面に悪質事犯が敢行せらるるを常とし、先ず経済事犯としては一部業者の価格違反を初め暴利、売惜、規格量目の誤魔化し等銃後の経済統制を攪乱する犯罪発生の虞ある一面消費者側におきましても年末賞与等の不時の収入を貯蓄債券の消化等国策の遂行に協力せらるることなく物資の買占め、買い漁りに狂奔せる向も跡を断たないのであります。

又最近の傾向としては之等物資の購入斡旋に藉口する詐欺行為、夜間の忍び込み、窃盗乃至は強力事犯等歳末の切迫と共に益々増加し、尚最近所謂偽刑事が横行し、妄りに通行者の身体を検索して所持金を巻き上げ或いは詐欺脅迫する等の悪質犯罪の発生を見つつある状勢にありますが、この決戦下斉しく銃後の戦力増強に邁進しつつあります秋。之が基調をなす国民生活の安定を阻害する之等事犯の絶滅を期しまする為、本年は特に早目に取締警戒を開始し、之等不良徒輩の徹底的検挙に努むるは勿論灯火管制下に於ける強窃盗、猥褻等の事犯を敢行したる者は戦時犯罪処罰の特例に関する法令に依り特に厳罰を以て処断する方針であります。

申す迄もなく各種犯罪の予防は独り警察官のみが如何に取締乃至は警戒を厳重に致しましても到底其の万全を期することは至難でありまして、愛国班各位の道義に立脚した御協力に俟たなければならないのでありますから、各家庭におかれては此の際一層戦時生活の真義に徹せられ、お互いに自粛自戒して従来の歳末風景たる買占め、買い漁りの醜状の一掃に努めらるると共に十二月愛国班員の実践事項として示達されましたる家庭防犯に関する各事項を充分実践せられ、以て一点の穢れなき明朗堅実なる歳末の戦時生活を営みつつ希望に輝く大東亜戦争下第三回目の新春を迎えられんことを切望して已みません。【写真＝岡警察部長】

防犯へ協力望む

脇田龍山署長は語る

年の暮れをひかえて空き巣、掻っ払い、忍び込みをはじめ戦時必需品の不正売買など決戦生活の安定を紊す犯罪が激増の一途を辿る傾向にあり、龍山署ではこの師走にあたり全署員水も洩らさぬ防犯完璧の布陣に遺憾なきを期して年末の明朗化に努めているが、九日脇田龍山署長は歳末時防犯に関して次の如く府民の積極的自警と戦時犯罪根絶の協力を要望した。

『例年歳末期には現金の動きが目立って多くなり、これに携わる人達の心の緩みを狙って不逞徒輩が年中の稼ぎ時として鵜の目鷹の目で横行。最近では特に注意を惹くのは方法が巧妙化して居ることで、たとえば刑事肩書の名刺を偽造使用して無銭飲食遊興したり、商品を騙取したり、甚だしいのは捕縄手錠を使って通行人を束縛し、身体検査の上金銭を奪取する類である。経済事犯についても露店行商人のみならず店舗を構えながら正月用物資の需要増加につけ込んで闇の横行が増加の傾向にある。空き巣や窃盗の犯罪は府民各位の自警によって大部分予防出来ると思うから、特に年末に際しては次の二点に留意して、各自の被害を予防して戴きたい。

偽刑事の防止であるが、之は真の刑事は名刺を見せたりして無銭購買、遊興飲食はしない。若し今後こういう不審な者が居たら、見付け次第直ちに最寄りの派出所に届け出ることである。同じく捕縄や手錠を振り廻す者に対しては必ず派出所まで同行を要求し沈着を失わず届け出の時機を失わぬことが肝要だ。

次に経済事犯の防止については先ず各自が前線将兵の労苦を偲んで正月を迎えるために不必要な物資を絶対に購入しないことで、中には闇値を非難しながら自身が得意然と闇買いをする者を見受けるが、一般は闇値、闇搬入、不正配給等の事実を現認したら遠慮なくどしどし告発して戴きたい。警察はこれらの時局を弁えざる不埒者に対しては厳罰主義でのぞみ、府民生活の安定を期するものである』

Mixed marriages in 1939 Korea: a Korean teenage girl left home and married the brother of her Japanese best friend, a Korean husband and Japanese wife met at a Tokyo music school and overcame 'persecution' from friends and family to become 'pioneers of Japanese-Korean Unification'

The following two articles from 1939 profiled two mixed Japanese-Korean families: the first one had a Japanese husband and a Korean wife, and the second one had a Korean husband and a Japanese wife. In both cases, the Korean spouses took on Japanese last names, but in different ways. In the first family, the Korean wife simply Japanized her old Korean last name, Yim, into Hayashi, without adopting her Japanese husband's last name, Se'o. In the second family, the Korean husband decided to adopt his Japanese wife's last name, Suzuki.

These stories were presumably published to encourage Koreans to adopt Japanese last names in the wake of a November 1939 ordinance that was issued to require the creation of Japanese family names for all Koreans. Japanese-Korean intermarriages were actually relatively rare, since they were generally looked upon with disapproval by the vast majorities of both the Japanese and Korean people, so the articles may have also been published as a way to reduce the stigma of intermarriage in the public consciousness.

Unfortunately, the newspaper page was too faded on the second article to make out parts of the first paragraph, so I indicated the omitted sections with […].

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) November 11, 1939

A hopeful start toward the unification of the "family system" [1]

She will first change her name, and then join the Women's Occupational Front with excitement

Marrying into her husband's family is also Japanese-Korean Unification

"Hello Sir, my last name is Yim (林). What Japanese last name should I adopt? Would it be all right if I just went with Hayashi (林)?"

Mrs. Yim and her sister-in-law Kazuyo (inset picture).

This was the question suddenly posed by a beautiful Korean woman as soon as she entered the room accompanied by an ethnic Japanese woman. This was the police counseling center in Jongno's Whashin Department Store. She was so enthusiastic about getting rid of her old Korean name that she jumped into the counseling center, riding the whirlwind of joy caused by her freedom to change her last name.

The subject of this story is 19-year-old Yim Chang-shin (임창신, 林昌信), who lives at 2-57 Asahimachi, Seoul. Her companion was her sister-in-law, 29-year-old Se'o Kazuyo. Chief staff member Mr. Maruyama looked surprised as she related her story, her cheeks flush as though she were enraptured by her rosy future. She was born in Pyongyang. Her father was a renowned painter named Yong-hwan (용환, 用煥), who also went by the pen name Ochiyama. She was a commoner, but she had a happy family. Ever since she was little, she had a very close relationship with Kazuyo which exceeded any familial relationship. She has practiced Japanese-Korean Unification for a long time through her family.

"I graduated from elementary school, and then later on I began staying at Kazuyo's house in Seoul when I was 17. Now we have forged an alliance as sisters-in-law. Since Kazuyo is a hairdresser, I have been learning the art of hairdressing from her. I long to become a professional woman as soon as possible," said Mrs. Yim. Her first hope is to leave the Anbang behind and join the Women's Occupational Front.

"My sister-in-law is helping me get settled into married life. My father wanted me to marry a Japanese man".

Her second hope is to achieve Japanese-Korean unification through marriage.

She said, "That's why I want to change my name to Hayashi Nobuko. This morning, I received a letter from my father in our hometown, and he is also determined to change his last name to Hayashi".

"Hayashi Nobuko, Hayashi Nobuko". She said it over and over again, and then she and Kazuyo looked at each other and smiled, their pure eyes narrowed in anticipation of the future that they both hoped for.

On the evening of November 9th, the day the news of the ordinance was announced, they held an early feast, unable to wait for the New Year's holiday. [Photo: Yim Chang-shin, who will adopt the name Hayashi Nobuko. The inset photo shows her sister-in-law Se'o Kazuyo.]

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1939-11-11

 

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) November 12, 1939

A hopeful start toward the unification of the "family system" [2]

He will humbly borrow his beloved wife's last name

Now is the time to forget the disapproving eyes of the public!

Rejoice little boy, spring has arrived in our family!

"[…] we went to Tokyo, […] and we stayed at Kinshi Kaikan Hotel. I wrote my name in the guest book along with my husband's, but the hotel owner did not think we were husband and wife at first, because our last names were different. It was understandable though," calmly recalled Mrs. Suzuki Misaho, a 32-year-old teacher at Jinmyeong Girl's High School who lives at 133 Gye-dong, Seoul.

In 1930, upon graduating from the Japan Music School in Nakano, Tokyo, she and her classmate, Lee Jong-tae (이종태, 李鐘泰), who is now 29 years old, joined their souls together and encouraged each other saying, "We will keep fighting. We will refuse to succumb to whatever kinds of persecution society throws our way. Let's dedicate our hearts and souls to become pioneers of Japanese-Korean unification!" Mrs. Suzuki is the eldest daughter of Suzuki Nagahide, a retired military medical captain from Ōdate, Akita Prefecture. After graduating from Akita Teachers School, she taught at Ōdate Elementary School in her hometown for a while. However, wanting to further develop her talent for vocal music, she soon became a student of the vocal music department at the Japan Music School. Back when she was still a child in the fifth grade of elementary school, her teacher in geography class told her, "Koreans and Japanese are peoples who share a common ancestry. They came together following annexation, so they have completely become one body". Thus, the spirit of Japanese-Korean unification was instilled into her young mind early on. Over the ten years or so that followed, this spirit had always remained alive in Mrs. Suzuki's mind, even as a music school student.

At that time, Mr. Lee Jong-tae, who hailed from Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, happened to rise up in opposition to a school strike. It was at that time that their souls first came into contact.

"There are lots of women in Korea. Why did you have to bring a woman from Japan?" Mr. Lee was subjected to an unbearable barrage of persecution from friends and relatives alike. Needless to say, this persecution only made the couple's determination grow stronger. Soon, Suzuko-chan was born. She is now nine years old and in the second grade at Seoul Teachers School-affiliated Elementary School. The couple are now good parents to a total of three children. They also have another daughter, Etsuko (seven years old), and a son, Tōru (five years old). Moreover, Mr. Lee is in charge of music courses at Ewha Women's College and Buddhist College.

"Considering our children's future, we decided to give them Japanese names, but I wonder if I can replace my own last name with a Japanese last name".

This was the question that had never left Mr. Lee's and Mrs. Suzuki's minds. The long-awaited day finally arrived. With the ordinance issued on November 9th, spring suddenly came to Mr. Lee's household. On the third day of the cheerful family discussions, he said, "I am thinking of humbly borrowing my wife's last name and calling myself Mr. Suzuki …" Mr. Lee was in a great state of exuberance. [Photo: The family of Mr. Lee Jong-tae, who wants to take his wife's last name.]

The Suzuki family

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1939-11-12

(Transcription)

京城日報　1939年11月11日

『家族制度』一体へ希望の門出　【一】

まず名前を変え、胸躍らせて婦人職業戦線へ

お嫁入りも内鮮一体

「小父さん、わたしは林ですが、どんな姓がいいでしょうか。やはりそのままのハヤシでもいいでしょうか」

これは見るからに麗しい一人の半島人女性が、内地人婦人と一緒に入ってくるなりトタンにぶっきらぼうに出した質問だ。ここは鐘路の和信百貨店内警察相談所。「姓変更の自由」がまき起した歓喜の渦に乗って、何はさておき相談に飛びこんだ「旧姓脱却」に意気ごむ人なのである。

当人は京城旭町二の五七林昌信さん（一九）で、連れの婦人は義姉の瀬尾一代さん（二九）。面喰らった主任の丸山さんを相手に彼女はバラ色に輝く将来をうっとり抱きしめるように、頬を染めて語るところは：生れは平壌。父は雅号を落山という名のある用煥画伯。家柄は平民だが幸福ないい家庭で小さい時から瀬尾さんと親戚以上に睦ましい付き合い。家庭を通じての内鮮一体はずっと昔から。

「私は小学校を出てからのち、十七のとしに一代さんの京城のお宅に御厄介になるようになり、今では一代さんとは義姉妹の盟を結んでいます。一代さんが美容師でいらっしゃるので、私もいままで姉さんについて美容術を習ってまいりました。憧れの職業婦人、早くなりたいわ」内房を蹴って女性職業戦線進出が希望の一。

「お嫁入りはお姉さまがお世話下さることになっていますけど、内地の方をと父も望んでいます」

結婚で内鮮一体が希望の二。

「ですからアタシ林信子と改姓改名したいのです。今朝郷里の父から手紙をいただきましたが、父も断然ハヤシと改めるといっています」

林信子、林信子。何べんもいってみて瀬尾さんと顔を見合わせて希望の未来へ純粋の瞳を細めてはニッコリ笑うのだった。

制令発布のニュースのあった九日の晩は来年正月を待ちきれぬ早手回しの祝宴を張ったということだ。【写真＝「林信子」を名乗るという林昌信さんと図形が義姉の瀬尾一代さん】

 

京城日報　1939年11月12日

『家族制度』一体へ希望の門出　【二】

愛妻の苗字拝借

世間の白眼も今こそ忘れて

坊やよ、喜べ我家の春

「[…]上京しまして、[…]の金鵄会館に泊まったことがあります。宿帳に主人と列べて私の名前を書いたのですが、会館の主人は最初どうしても私達を夫婦だとは思って呉れないのです。夫と妻の苗字が違うんですもの。そう思うのも無理ありませんわ」と京城桂洞町一三三、進明高女教諭鈴木美佐保さん（三二）はしんみりと語るのである。

昭和五年東京中野の日本音楽学校を卒業と同時に、「どんな世間の迫害にも負けずに闘って行こう。身をもって内鮮一体の先駆者になろう！」とお互いにはげまし合いながら同期卒業の李鐘泰君（二九）と魂と魂を結んだのだった。鈴木さんは秋田県大館の退役軍医大尉鈴木長秀氏の長女。秋田師範を出て暫く郷里の大館小学校で教鞭をとったが、好きな声楽の才能を更にのばそうと間もなく日本音楽学校の声楽科の学生となったのである。鈴木さんが未だ幼い時―尋常五年の時だといっている。地理の時間に先生から、「朝鮮と日本とは同じ祖先の民族だ。それが合併して一緒になったのだから全く一体である」と幼い頭に早くも内鮮一体の精神をすっかり刻み込まれたのである。それから十何年、音楽学校生徒の鈴木さんの頭からもこの精神はいつも生きていた。

この時たまたま学校のストライキに反対して起ち上ったのが慶北金泉出身の李鐘泰君だった。二人の魂がはじめて触れ合ったのはこの時。

「朝鮮にも沢山女はいるじゃないか。何を好んで内地の女を連れて来なければならなかったのだ？」と李君は友人からも親戚の者からも堪え得られない迫害、迫害の連射を受けた。而し二人の意志は迫害を受ける度に強くなって来たのはいうまでもない。間もなく生れた鈴子ちゃんは今では九つになって京城師範附属小学校の二年生になっており、越子さん（七つ）、徹君（五つ）と三人の子供達のいい父、いい母となった。しかも李君は梨花女子専門、仏教専門で音楽講座を担当している。

「子供達の将来のことを考え、名前だけは内地式にしたが、苗字は内地式にかえられぬものだろうか」

これが李君と鈴木さんの脳裡から一刻も離れなかった問題であった。その待望の日が遂に来た。九日発布された制令と共に李君の家庭には俄かに春が訪れた。何としようかと朗らかな家庭会談三日目：「家内の苗字を拝借して鈴木ともしようかと考えているところですが．．．」と李君はひどい張り切り振りである。【写真＝奥さんの姓を名乗りたいという李鐘泰氏の一家】

Korean and Japanese kindergartners holding rising sun flags shouting 'Banzai!', schoolchildren worshiping at Shinto Shrine chanting 'defeat the U.S. and Britain', high school girls ice skating on Chundangji Pond in Changgyeonggung Palace grounds - photos of student life in Seoul, late January 1943

The third and final school semester (January to March) began in Seoul in late January 1943, and the Keijo Nippo news cameramen took photos of student life from many different angles as they started school. Some scenes look ordinary enough: students walking to school, boys practicing Kendo in the cold mornings, schoolgirls working on science projects, high school girls ice skating in the old palace grounds. But look more closely, and you can see some disturbing scenes and elements too - the wartime militaristic propaganda enforced by mandatory visits to Shinto Shrines and celebrations of the Flag of the Rising Sun.

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) January 16, 1943

We won't be defeated by the cold!

Dashing young kendo athletes rampage during a cold morning practice session

Spiritedly shouting "Omen!" and "Okote," the youthful kendo athletes valiantly trained barefoot from 7:00 a.m. in an extremely cold morning. Here at Seoul Migeun-dong National School, 100 boys in the fifth and sixth grades were selected to participate in a martial arts cold practice session every morning from 7:00 to 8:00 a.m. at the school's auditorium from January 15th to January 20th. On the first day of training, the principal, Mr. Terada, the male school staff, and the children arrived at the school on time.

After the national worship ritual, the students were divided into groups and began sparring, full of energy. After the first day of practice, the students said, "It felt so good! It was cold, but that was nothing when you consider what the soldiers protecting the northern borders have to go through. Studying martial arts like this will help a great deal when we become soldiers," they said, smiling with cheeks like apples. [Photo: Migeun-dong National School students practicing in the cold]

Everyone is in good spirits going to school (article published on January 17)

Today is the beginning of the last school semester

The sounds of strong footsteps of the third school semester are heard at the school gates, which open quickly to the left and right. After a long winter break for training, this group of young students is ready to valiantly fight decisive battles for the final semester of the school year, and they will start school today.

Seoul Teachers College-Affiliated National School, which was the first in all of Korea to end its winter break, will beat the opening drum and rush into the final semester of the school year on January 16th.

After that, the students will move on to the next grade level. The first day of their decisive battle has begun today. [Photo: Students of Seoul Teachers College-Affiliated National School arriving at school after the winter break]

Vigorous young maidens in fierce competition like flying swallows (article published on January 17)

The Ice Competition of Seoul No. 1 Girls' High School, rich with a wartime spirit

The brightness of the silvery ice surface was reflected in the bright blue winter sky. No matter how many degrees below zero it was, the skaters glided over the ice with the lightness of flying swallows.

The Seoul No. 1 Girls' High School Ice Competition were held at a special competition venue set up at Chundangji Pond in Changgyeongwon from 9:00 a.m. on January 16, and the competition began with classroom teams paired against each other in relay races, which was a befitting format for a wartime training event for maidens on the home front. The cheerleading squads were stomping on the ice and cheering enthusiastically as the girls engaged in powerful offensive and defensive battles, as if the relay races were establishing an air defense posture. The girls on the home front were cheerful and lively. The competition ended at around 2:00 p.m., the girls having shown off their vigorous spirit which blew away the winter and the cold. [Photo: The Ice Competition]

Well-behaved young children studying science (article published on January 19)

Wartime education at the Women's Teachers School-Affiliated National School

"Why does this propeller turn?" asked a cute first grader with a bowl haircut as she eagerly fiddled with a model airplane, her eyes filled with curiosity.

"The propeller spins because there is an elastic rubber band, and the propeller spins as the elastic band unravels. Real airplanes have engines," explained a bigger girl in the sixth grade. On the other side of the room, second grade girls were tinkering with paper tanks and cars, expressing their adorable admiration and gratitude for the Imperial Military Science Corps, which has performed brilliantly in the Greater East Asia War. This group of scientific youngsters consists of students of the National School affiliated with Seoul Women's Teachers School. These are the products of the homework projects that each of them worked on during the recent winter break, twisting their young minds with creativity. These homework projects of one hundred promising 'well-behaved children of science' were set up for display in the school work room.

Among the projects made by the older students were a wooden "charcoal box" and a wooden "book stand", as well as beautiful playing cards featuring '100 patriotic poems' made by sixth graders with all their hearts and souls. Surrounded by the happy children and their works, Mr. Watanabe said,

"These are all works that the students voluntarily created during the winter training period as a result of their scientific education, so to speak. I try to nurture the children's creativity as much as possible. I believe that this kind of scientific training will also help them to become highly qualified mothers of healthy soldiers." [Photo: Students at Seoul Women's Teachers School-Affiliated National School performing science]

We will not lose either (article published on January 20)

Hinode National School students pledge to bless the nation with their academic work

The four warm breezes crossed the pine trees on Mount Namsan. But the shrine head was covered with frozen snow that had fallen some time ago. A group of schoolchildren walked up the stone steps of the shrine head. The city of Seoul was spewing morning smoke as the day's activities got underway to fight decisive battles. The group of schoolchildren lined up in front of the Shinto shrine. The children were beginning their third semester of studies at Seoul Hinode National School on January 19th after their winter break. After the opening ceremony at 9:00 a.m. that day, Principal Etō and three other teachers led the children to Keijō Shrine to worship the shrine's guardian deities.

Bowing deeply before the shrine, they let their Imperial blood surge in their young hearts. They vowed with their adorable voices, "We will study even harder with our strong hearts to defeat the U.S. and Britain! We will not lose to British and American children!" They clapped their cute hands and prayed for the longevity and military success of the Imperial Japanese military. They earnestly vowed to serve on the home front as schoolchildren. [Hinode National School students worshiping at Keijō Shrine]

[Note: This Japanese-language academic paper from Kyushu University indicates that Hinode National School only enrolled ethnic Japanese students and few, if any, ethnic Korean students.]

Banzai to the Flag of the Rising Sun!　(article published on January 28)

On this day, when you peek into the Patriotic Kindergarten in Seoul, you can see 285 Japanese and Korean children, some as young as six and some as old as seven, lined up in the bright winter yard, holding the "Rising Sun Flag" in their hands. Principal Asagara said to the children:

"Look everyone! This is the flag of Japan, the strongest country in the world. This flag is used by the soldiers who are fighting in the Great War to defeat the soldiers of the United States and Great Britain. Today is the anniversary day of this flag."

Then the "Hinomaru March" began, followed by the lyrics "the Rising Sun is dyed red on white …" which was performed with great energy and enthusiasm. Then, the children celebrated by shouting "Banzai to the Flag of the Rising Sun!" in a loud voice, led by Principal Asagara. [The Rising Sun Flag celebrations at the Patriotic Kindergarten]

[Note: According to this 1942 brochure from the actual kindergarten, there were a total of 287 students: 176 ethnic Japanese students (61%), 108 ethnic Korean students (38%), 2 Chinese students, and 1 Turkish student.]

Source 1: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-01-16

Source 2: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-01-17

Source 3: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-01-19

Source 4: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-01-20

Source 5: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-01-28

 

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年1月16日

寒さに負けるものか！

朝の寒稽古に颯爽少年剣士の乱撃ぶり

『オメン！』　『オコテ！』裂帛の気合も若々しく少年剣士は、凛冽の寒朝、午前七時からその素足も健気に錬武する。ここ京城渼洞国民学校では同校五、六年生男子百名を選抜して十五日から二十日まで毎朝午前七時より同八時まで講堂を道場として武道寒稽古を行っている。その初日寺田校長初め男子職員、児童達は定刻に参集。

国民儀礼ののち、各組に分れて元気一ぱい剣道開始。火花を散らして天晴れ銃後学童の意気を見せ猛稽古を行ったが、その初日を終えた児童達は、「とても気持ちがよいのです。寒さですが、北の護りの兵隊さん方のことを思えばなんでもありません。こうした武道の勉強が僕らが兵隊となるときの大きい役割をつとめることでしょう」と林檎の様な頬をさせてニッコリと笑う。【写真＝渼洞国民学校生徒の寒稽古】

みんな元気に登校　(1月17日)

きょう最終学期始め

さっと左右にひらいた校門へ、第三学期の逞しい足音も勇ましい。鍛錬の冬休みを終えた少国民の一群が決戦学期への構えも雄々しく愈よきょうから登校開始だ。

全鮮で一番早く休みを切り上げた京城師範附属国民学校では十六日から始業の太鼓を打ち響かせて最終学期への驀進だ。

これが過ぎれば進学だ。いよいよ僕らの決戦第一日もきょうから始まったのだ。【写真＝冬休みあけて登校する京師附校の児童達】

溌剌乙女ら”飛燕”の熱戦　(1月17日)

戦時色も豊かに第一高女の氷上大会

まっ青な冬空に映ゆる銀盤の輝かしさ。その上を零下何度、何十度あろうと物かは身を飛燕の軽やかさで滑る。

京城第一高女の氷上大会は、十六日午前九時から昌慶苑春塘池の特設競技場で開催されたが、競技は各組対抗継走に幕を切っておとした。継ぐ競技種目も戦時下銃後乙女の錬成にふさわしく時局色を盛った氷上行進。防空態勢を整える聯絡競争などと力強い攻防戦を展開すれば、応援団は氷を踏み鳴らしての熱援。まこと銃後の女生徒達は明朗快活。冬も、寒さも吹き飛ばした溌剌たる意気を誇示して午後二時ごろ終了した。【写真＝氷上大会】

科学するヨイコドモ　(1月19日)

女師附属国民校の決戦教育

”このプロペラはどうして廻るの？”一年生の可愛いおかっぱ頭が模型飛行機を熱心にいじくりながら好奇心にみちた目差しで尋ねる。

”それはね、弾力性のあるゴム紐があってプロペラを廻してよれたゴム紐がほどけるため廻るのよ。本物の飛行機は発動機”と六年生らしい大きいおかっぱの嬢ちゃんが教えているのだ。その側では二年生のお嬢ちゃんたちが紙の戦車や自動車をいじりながら大東亜戦で赫々たる武勲を樹てている皇軍科学兵団への可憐な思慕と感謝を寄せている。この科学する幼い群は京城女子師範学校附属国民学校の生徒たちで、先ほどの冬季休暇中、各自が幼い頭をひねて創った家庭作業の収穫で、それを同校工作室に陳列して全校児童百名が決戦下”科学するヨイコドモ”の頼母しさを見せているのだ。

高等科の生徒たちが作った木工細工の『炭箱』、『本立』そうかと思えば六年生の丹精をこめての作品、綺麗な”愛国百人一首”もある。このほほ笑ましい作品と児童の中に埋まって渡辺主事は語る。

「これはみんな生徒たちが自発的に冬季鍛錬期間を利用して作ったもので、謂わば科学教育の成果です。私の方ではできるだけ子供達の創作意欲を育んでやりたいと努めているのです。こうした科学的錬成も招来健兵の母として高い素質となることを信じます。【写真＝科学する女師附属国民校生】

僕らも負けずに　(1月20日)

日出国民校生学業報国の誓い

四温の風が南山の松を渡る。でも社頭にはいつの日にか降った雪が凍ってついている。学童の一隊がその社頭の石段を上ってゆく。京城の街は朝煙を上げて決戦今日の活動に入っている。学童の一隊は神前に整列した。決戦態勢下に学びながらすくすく伸びて、皇国の輝かしい将来を担って起つ小国民の意気を見せて京城日出国民学校では冬休みも明けた十九日から第三学期の学業をはじめたが、この日午前九時児童たちは始業式後江藤校長先生ほか三名の先生達に引率せられ、氏神の京城神社へ参拝。

神前に深く頭を垂れて幼い胸に沸り上る皇国の血潮を波たたせて”米英撃滅の強い心で僕らも一層勉強します。米英の子供に負けませぬ”可憐な誓いをたて、更に可愛い手で拍手を打ち皇軍の武運長久を祈って学童としての銃後奉公を固く固く誓った。【京城神社参拝の日出国民校生】

日の丸の旗バンザイ！！　(1月28日)

この日京城府内愛国幼稚園を覗けばまだ六つ、七つといういたいけない園児達が内鮮合せて二百八十五名、手に手に”日の丸の旗”を持って冬の明るい園庭に並んでいる。園長の麻柄先生が、

「みなさん、これは世界で一ばん強い日本のお旗ですね。この旗が今大戦争をしていらっしゃる兵隊さんと一緒にアメリカやイギリスの兵を攻めたいらげているのです。今日はこの旗の記念日です」とのお話。

ついで”日の丸行進”が始まった。それから”白地に赤く日の丸染めて．．．”の遊戯が元気一杯に行われて麻柄先生の発声で”日の丸の旗バンザイ”と声高らかに祝われた。【愛国幼稚園の日の丸遊戯】

Imperial Army general describes crowded movie theaters and cafes in Myeong-dong where Japanese and Korean 'young people in flashy overcoats would flow into coffee shops, chatting with their friends using exaggerated American gestures' in his January 1943 essays about daily life in Seoul

I found these four 'slice-of-life' personal essays written by an Imperial Army general in the Imperial Army press department describing his personal thoughts and observations about life in Seoul, which ultimately veer into propaganda exhortations for Korean youth to come to their senses.

Crowded streetcar scene in Seoul, November 28, 1939.

Lining up to ride the streetcar in Seoul, November 28, 1939

• In the first essay (January 16), the author describes how he sweeps the streets every morning and criticizes the perceived bad manners of the passersby, as well as the uncleanliness of Seoul in general.

• In the second essay (January 17), the author exhorts people to reduce food and energy waste by throwing away less, even if it means eating the leaves of daikon radish.

• In the third essay (January 18), he complains about how crowded the streetcars are and how people should walk whenever possible, railing against drunk passengers and idle people who take the streetcar just to hang out at cafes.

• In the fourth essay (January 19), the author describes the bustling scenes at coffee shops, cafes, and movie theaters where Japanese and Korean young people freely mix, which the author is not very happy about. He gets very judgmental, declaring that coffee shop fans must be exterminated somehow.

This is an ominous prelude to what would follow later on in 1943 and 1944, when jazz music would be banned in cafes, bars, and restaurants (February 1943), and cafes would be raided to catch 'idle people' (August 1943).

(Translation)

New Year Essays by Shūzō Kuramo, Chief of the Korean Army Press Department and Major General of the Imperial Army

Sweeping the Streets (January 16, 1943)

When I wake up, I routinely sweep the street in front of my house. This is for the sake of my health, and first of all, it is very hygienic.

There is an old saying that discipline begins at the front entrance at home. A neat and tidy front entrance gives a good impression to visitors. On the other hand, if the front entrance and the street in front of the house are cluttered, then it is as though the visitors can peer into the house and see the unpleasantness inside.

There is a Senryū poem that says, "They carelessly clean the reception room for visitors". I don't appreciate this.

If you are going to clean anyways, then you should clean the reception room thoroughly. Especially when I look at how Korean people clean, it seems that many of them adopt careless cleaning methods.

When it comes to cleaning, you should clean every nook and cranny, and the most important thing is the finishing touches. All that cleaning will be for nothing if the finishing touches are not tidy. Even if you wipe the top of the desk clean, it will be ruined if you carelessly put an ashtray on it.

It is obvious that there are two ways to arrange things: perpendicularly or in parallel. Otherwise, it is not tidy. The house staff and housewives should remember this.

Now, let's talk about street sweeping. I always sweep the streets every morning. Of course, people pass by while I am sweeping.

As I sweep with brooms and rakes, dust is generated. Some people, usually lazy young men or idle women, pass by with frowns on their faces. If the street is even half swept, they prefer to walk on the clean side of the street. It is obvious that these people have never cleaned the streets themselves.

There are also people like the following. When I am cleaning, they walk on the dirty side of the street that has not been cleaned yet, not on the clean side that has just been cleaned. When they walk by, they never forget to thank me for my hard work. I believe that such people have cleaned the streets before themselves, and they are very conscientious people who do not want to make the cleaned side of the street dirty.

It is human nature that no one would want to pollute something that is beautiful.

People coming from mainland Japan say that Seoul is "an incredibly dirty town". They are always pointing out the pitifully dirty condition of the streets, with phlegm spattered everywhere, paper scraps strewn about, and finally, the public restrooms that are so dirty that you have no choice but to urinate standing right next to them.

If people in each household would take responsibility and clean up even just the street in front of their own homes, then the city would be much cleaner. At least some of the filth would disappear, and there would certainly be fewer illnesses.

Let's clean up the streets together.

On conserving supplies (January 17, 1943)

Japan is not the only country that has supply shortages in wartime. Not only our German and Italian allies, but even the U.S. and Britain, which boasted of their material power, have recently been complaining of supply shortages, especially when it comes to food.

At first, there were some very unhappy complaints that there were not enough supplies, but these days, such complaints are not heard so often anymore. Is it because they know that it is useless to complain? I don't know exactly what is going on, but I think that Japanese people are patiently enduring the inconveniences of daily life with the mindset of 'never complain until we reach victory'.

As you can see, food is also in short supply these days. By the way, what kinds of measures are being taken in the kitchens to cope with food shortages? If we continue to cook the same way as we did in the past, when there was an abundance of food, then the food shortages will continue to grow.

A quick peek into the trash bin makes this point clear. The leaves of daikon radish are thrown away without a care in the world, and a lot of coal is thrown away mixed in with coal combustion scraps. It is a shame. It is wasteful both in terms of conserving supplies and in terms of the labor of the trash collectors.

If you don't have enough supplies, then you have to use 100% of what you don't have enough of. The leaves of daikon radish, trimmings from a sweet potato, or a piece of carrot as fine as a whisker are all fine foods. If we just concentrate on conserving rice, then we tend to forget about the other foods. If we do not make the most of what we have, then we are just not being wise enough.

Let's send a green signal to the kitchens, telling them to switch to a wartime stance as soon as possible!

Walk! Walk!　(January 18, 1943)

Not that the Railway Bureau or Seoul Railways asked me to say this, but when the trains are crowded, as they are these days, walking is the only way to go. The trains have many long-distance passengers, so it is impossible to ask them to walk, but it would be better for them to walk if they were on a streetcar. If you are in Seoul, you are encouraged to walk on your way to work in the morning and especially in the evening when you leave work.

It is a great way to stay healthy and reduce congestion.

If you are a woman or a person with children, you will have a hard time getting on the streetcar. No one is kind enough to give you priority, and the conductor would ring the departure bell even though you are in the middle of boarding the streetcar. I am amazed that no one gets hurt. We all need to be a little kinder to each other. It is just very embarrassing.

Of course, there are people on the streetcar who have some urgent business, but there are also people who seem to have nothing better to do than to go out for a cup of tea in the Honmachi area (as you can imagine from the way they talk about it). You should try to avoid riding the streetcar, regardless of whether it is crowded or not. If you walk, you will no longer want to drink tea. Such people, in particular, don't worry about inconveniencing others at all. Let's look at the actual situation on the ground.

One of the things that concerns me is the scene on the last streetcar. Ruddy-faced young or middle-aged gentlemen (?) would get on the last streetcar of the night together with ruddy-faced women who look like they are waitresses from bars or cafés, shamelessly reeking of alcohol. Such completely embarrassing scenes, which bring shame upon subjects of Imperial Japan in a time of war, can still be seen in Seoul.

These are disgusting scenes that I hope will disappear soon!

Maybe if the train conductor had the right to refuse boarding to such people, then the cold nightly breeze would sober them up a little.

Coffee shops, bars, cafés, movie theaters, etc. (January 19, 1943)

I'm not sure how to say this, but let me try to explain. I have no intention of interfering with the business of the coffee shops, bars, cafés, and movie theaters, but I am amazed at how prosperous they are these days.

The coffee shops are packed as soon as they open at around 10:00 a.m., and they continue to be packed until they close. The majority of customers are young people of working age.

When the cafés open for business in the evenings, there are bustling scenes of activity showing 'Japanese-Korean unification'. However, I am not very happy to see 'Japanese-Korean unification' being practiced in such places.

It is no different at movie theaters, where people wait in long lines even before the doors are opened.

Why in the world are the entertainment businesses so prosperous? It makes me feel somewhat ashamed.

Especially on the busy streets of Honmachi and Myeong-dong, young people in flashy overcoats would flow into coffee shops, chatting with their friends using exaggerated American gestures.

They listen to music records, drink coffee and tea (the drinks at such coffee shops don't even taste good these days), and kill precious time. What a waste. It is true that not all of them are idle people, but most of them certainly are.

I hope that these young people, whose blood ought to be boiling with inspiration, will come to their senses in a big way about the current situation. It is not that there is anything wrong with going to such places. However, I believe that the so-called coffee shop fans (silverfish) must be exterminated somehow. Comfort and entertainment are not easily available at bars and cafés. That is indeed the reality of "Japan at war today". Even if we have to do without comforts for one or two years, or even for 50 or 100 years, that is something that we must endure.

We must close our eyes and strive for victory.

This is our present mission. We must only move forward. What can we do in the time that we usually spend at the coffee shop? If you have free time to drink alcohol with women and other such nonsense, then use that time to accomplish something else instead. The scale of my outrage at the apathy of some of the youth is proportionate to the scale of the mission that is entrusted to them.

I pray that the youth of the entire nation will rise up to the occasion.

Source 1: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-01-16

Source 2: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-01-17

Source 3: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-01-18

Source 4: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-01-19

(Transcription)

新春随想　倉茂周蔵　朝鮮軍報道部長、陸軍少将

道路掃除　（1943年1月16年）

私は起きると、習慣として家の前の道路を掃除する。これは健康のためだし、第一衛生的に甚だよろしい。

昔から躾は入口からということがある。玄関口がきちんと整理整頓してあることは外来者によい印象を与えるだろう。反対に、玄関口や家の前の道路が散乱していると、どうも家のなかまで見透かされたようで気持ちの悪いものだ。

川柳に「居候かくい座敷を丸く掃き」、というのがある。これは感心しない。

せっかくやるなら、かくい屋敷は角く掃除してもらいたいものだ。特に半島の人の掃除ぶりをみると、このかくまる式が多いようだ。

掃除というからには隅から隅までやるべきである。そして肝腎なのはこの仕上げだ。せっかく掃除しても仕上げの整頓が悪ければ何んにもならない。机の上を綺麗に拭いても、その上に煙草盆を出鱈目に置いたのではぶちこわしだ。

物を置く、置き方はわかりきったことだが、直角か、平行かの二つである。それ以外は整頓にならない。給仕君や主婦たちはよく覚えておいて頂きたい。

さて、道路掃除である。私はきまって毎朝掃除をする。道路だからもちろん掃除中にも人が通る。

箒や熊手でせっせと掃いていると埃もたつ。この埃を嫌いな顔をして通り抜ける人がある。のらくらの青年か、有閑らしい御婦人にきまっている。そしてこの人たちは、もし道路が半分でも掃除してあれば、その綺麗な側を好んで通る。自身で掃除などをしたことのない人だな、ということがよくわかる。

またこんな人もある。私が掃除をしていると、開いた方の綺麗な方は通らないで、まだ掃除してない方を歩く。そして、通り抜けるときに、御苦労さんの一言を忘れない。こんな人は自分でも掃除したことのある人だし、綺麗になった道路はなるべくよごしたくないという甚だ心掛けのよい人だと思っている。

美しいものは誰もよごしたくないのは人情だ。

京城の街は内地から来た人にいわせると「あきれかえるばかりによごれた町」である。そこかしこに痰が吐き散らしてあったり、紙屑が散乱していたり、遂には共同便所の横で立小便をせざるを得ないほどの哀れむべきよごれ方であると決まって指摘される。

一軒の家が責任を待って自分の家の前の道路だけでも綺麗にすれば、街は明粧され、不潔さの幾分かはなくなり、確かに病気も減ってくると思う。

みんなで街を綺麗にして見ようではありませんか。

物の節約に就いて　（1943年1月17年）

戦争になって物が不足するのは日本だけではない。盟邦独伊はもとより、あの物質力を誇った米国や英国でさえ最近は物不足、特に食糧不足で悲鳴をあげているようである。

最初はものが足らぬと随分不満な苦情の声もあったが、最近ではその声をあまり聞かなくなった。言っても無駄だから、言わないのか。足らぬ中を不平をいわずに切り詰めてやり抜こうというのか、そこのところははっきり判らぬが、日本人なら「不平はいわぬ、勝つまでは」の気持ちで日常生活の不便をじっと耐え忍んでいることと思う。

なるほど、食料品も最近はかなり不足している。ところでお台所の方では不足した食料品にどういう手段をとっているかが問題だ。あり余った昔と同じような料理方法を考えては、足らない品物はますます足らなくなる。

ちょっと塵芥箱を覗いて見ると、このことがはっきりわかる。大根のなっぱが平気で捨ててあったり、石炭の燃焼屑の中に多くの石炭が混ざって捨てられたりしている。惜しいもんだ。物の節約という点からも、塵芥運搬人の労力から考えても、共に無駄なことである。

物が足らなければ足らないものを百パーセント利用しなければならぬ。大根のなっぱも甘藷の切れっぱしも、ヒゲのように細かい人参の一本でも立派な食料だ。お米だけを節約しても、副食物の方はとんと忘れがちである。生かして物を利用することをしないで足らぬ足らぬでは、これは智恵が足らぬと申しあげるほかはない。

戦時生活への切り替えを示す青いシグナルを、一日も早くお台所に揚げて頂きたい。

歩け！歩け！　（1943年1月18年）

別に鉄道局や京電から頼まれたわけではないが、最近のように乗車物が混雑するときには歩くに限る。汽車は長距離客が多いので、これは歩けというのが無理だが、電車ならもっと歩いた方がよさそうだ。京城市内なら、朝の出勤も、殊に退勤退社の夕方などは、大いに歩いて頂きたい。

健康と混雑緩和に一策であること間違いなしである。

婦人や子供づれの人が電車に乗ろうとすれば、これは一苦労である。誰も優先的に乗せてくれるような気の利いた親切な人もいないし、乗りかかっているのに車掌も平気で発車のベルをならす。よく怪我をしないものだと感心させられる。もう少しみんなお互いに親切にしなくちゃ。まるでこれではお恥ずかしい次第である。

電車に乗っている人の中には、もちろん忙しい用件の人もあろうが、どう見ても用のなさそうな、本町あたりにお茶でも飲みに行こうという恰好（これは連中の話ぶりで想像出来る）の人がある。これなんか混雑しているようとなかろうと電車など遠慮すべし。歩いて行けばお茶など欲しくなくなること請合だ。こんな徒輩に限って人の迷惑なんかちっとも考えない。実際どうかと思う。

どうかと思うことの一つに終電車風景がある。赤い顔をした若いあるいは中老の紳士（？）が、これもまた赤い顔をしたバーやカフェーの女給らしきものと、平気で酒の匂いを発散させながら乗り込んで来る。戦時下の日本帝国臣民としては全くお恥ずかしい風景がいまだに京城にはある。

”早く消えて欲しい嫌な風景だ”

こんなのは車掌に権利を持たせて、乗車お断りとやれば冷たい夜風で少しはこたえるかも知れない。

喫茶店、バー、カフェー、映画館など 　（1943年1月19年）

いや全く何と申してよろしいか。これでは困ります。喫茶店やバー、カフェー、映画館の営業妨害をするつもりはいささかもないが、最近この方面の盛況ぶりには漫ろかされる。

午前十時ごろ、開店と同時に喫茶店は満員となり、閉店までつづく。若い働き盛りの青年がお客さんの大多数を占めている。

カフェーはこれまた夕方の開店を待ちかねるようにして賑やかな内鮮一体風景を描く。こんなところの内鮮一体はあまり嬉しくはない。

映画館も御多分に洩れず開場前から一列励行の長蛇の列。

一体全体、何故かくもかかる享楽面が繁栄するのか。私はいささか情けない気持ちになる。

特に本町や明治町あたりの目貫街で、派手なオーバーを着た若い青年たちが、大げさなアメリカ式の身振りでその友人と語り合いながら決まって喫茶店へと流れ込む。

音盤を聞き、コーヒー、紅茶を（最近はこれら喫茶店の飲物は決して美味ではない）飲みつつ貴重な時間を潰している。勿体ない話だ。全部が全部これら閑人ばかりではないことは事実だが、ほとんどが閑人であることに間違いはない。

時局柄、奮起すべき熱血のたぎっている青年層の大きな自覚を望む。こんなところに行くのが悪いというのではない。しかし、いわゆる喫茶店ファン（銀魚）は何とか退治しなければならぬと思っている。慰安や娯楽はバーやカフェーに転がってはいない。まして『決戦日本の現在』だ。一年や二年、よしんば五十年百年慰安がなくても我慢しなければならぬ。

目をつぶって必勝へ。

これがわれわれの現在の任務だ。ただ前進あるのみだ。喫茶店でトグロを巻くひまに何かすることはある。女ども相手に酒など悪意味に飲む暇にやることは果して頂きたい。青年に課せられた今後の使命が大きければ大きいほど一部これら青年の無気力さには憤慨せざるを得ない。

いざ全国青年の奮起を祈ってやまない。