Amid severe wartime food shortages in 1943, propaganda article notes that Korean laborers are not coming to work in the cities due to hunger, but suggests hunger can be a productivity booster if workers get used to it, and full stomachs are not necessary for proper nutrition

 

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) July 26, 1943

Discussing Wartime Nutritional Foods

Roundtable discussion hosted by the head office of the newspaper

Full stomachs and proper nutrition are separate things

Alaska pollock in Korea is world-class

Ms. Aiko Sue: Chenopodium album var. centrorubrum and other vegetables have a non-habitual taste when made into a paste. Stems of sweet potato also go well with miso sauce.

Mr. Kawaguchi: Once you plant Jerusalem artichoke, you grow so much that you cannot pick them all, and I am thinking of growing it in places like the hwajeon (traditional slash-and-burn farm fields) in Korea. Nowadays there is no glucose to make injectable solution, so this is used to make injectable solution instead.

Keijo Nippo Reporter: Ms. Ihara, what kinds of wild plants do the people of Korea eat?

Ms. Ihara: I don't remember the names of all of them, but in Korea, it is said that as long as they are eaten before the Iris Festival on May 5, they are not poisonous. However, it is uneconomical for city people to go to the countryside every time to pick wild plants, so you can use pumpkin leaves, bean leaves, sesame leaves, etc., which you have been growing in your small one-tsubo (3.3 square meters) garden plots. A sesame paste of tomato leaves would be a good idea.

Mr. Nishihara: It would be interesting to use not only grass leaves but also leaves of trees, such as leaves of Aralia elata and Acacia trees, in powder form.

Mr. Takagi: There are seven hundred and eight kinds of edible grasses, half of which are actually eaten by the people of Korea. Also, the roots have starch, which is also of nutritional value.

Dr. Hirokawa: We must always be careful in our eating habits, because it is a very dangerous idea to think that a full stomach is enough.

Ms. Mina Inoue: It seems that nowadays, people are trying to find ways to increase the amount of rice imported from outside of Japan. In other words, it seems that increasing the amount of rice is interpreted as meaning that more nutrients can be obtained, but I don't think we can rest easy just because the children's stomachs are full due to the increased weight of the rice that they eat. I think we should show in concrete terms that, if they eat certain kinds of food, they will be well nourished even if they are hungry.

Dr. Hirokawa: That is why we should educate people that the situation now does not amount to a famine.

Mr. Kawaguchi: As a matter of fact, free laborers are not coming to the cities these days because they are hungry.

Dr. Hirokawa: According to an experiment conducted in Kitakyushu, the lack of sufficient food caused a temporary drop in work efficiency, but once the workers became used to the lack of sufficient food, their work performance became much better than before, and no one fell asleep or yawned during work.

Ms. Mina Inoue: I think we should clearly show them the results of such experiments. Then the leaders can make strong policy decisions and the general public will be reassured.

Dr. Hirokawa: The prevailing concept that has been around for thousands of years has been that, if you are hungry, you cannot work.

Mr. Kawaguchi: As a matter of fact, children definitely need snacks. Recently, I have been thinking that it would be better to make some myself. Plant sunflower seeds in a small one-tsubo garden. If you can produce ten stalks of sunflowers, you can get about 2 shō (about 3.6 liters) of sunflower seeds. I think it would be better if we roast the sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds and let the children eat them, instead of leaving them as food for the Chinese. It is impossible not to let the children eat snacks between meals.

Ms. Mina Inoue: There are many vegetables available today, and I would like you to show them not only dried vegetable techniques but also various storage methods in newspapers and other media.

Ms. Fusa Ihara: Dried vegetables are very necessary. But I think now is not the right time. The best time is in the fall. If you carelessly do it now, they will rot and get moldy.

Keijo Nippo Reporter: What kinds of vegetables should be dried?

Ms. Mina Inoue: Spinach, radish, pumpkin, etc. In China, cucumber is also dried.

Mr. Kawaguchi: Pumpkins from Korea would be good to dry out.

Dr. Hirokawa: Bottle gourds are also good to dry out.

Mr. Kawaguchi: Japanese people have been blessed with ample food supplies for a long time, so they have not had to think about such things.

Mr. Nishihara: I think it is important to dry and store vegetables in terms of vitamins. Last year, I examined the vitamin levels of the children at elementary schools, and found that there was an enormous difference in the vitamin deficiency levels between the children in Japan proper and those in Korea. The Korean children had no vitamin C deficiency, whereas the Japanese children had vitamin C deficiency especially in the winter, when there were no vegetables to eat. I think this is because Koreans eat a lot of pickled vegetables even in the winter.

Keijo Nippo Reporter: How are the vitamins when the vegetables are dried out?

Mr. Nishihara: The amount of the vitamins is reduced by half, but it is still better than not taking them at all.

Keijo Nippo Reporter: Speaking of edible animals, other than fish, are there any other novel things that can be dried?

Mr. Takagi: Bee larva is a good example. If you boil them, steam them, dry them in the sun, and add salt, they will always last.

Keijo Nippo Reporter: How about silkworm pupa?

Mr. Takagi: Silkworm pupa have wonderful uses. They are used in a variety of products, including soy sauce, which has amino acids, and Aji-No-Moto. They are really popular. Silkworm pupa are easily cooked in oil and eaten. They have 40 to 50 percent fat content.

Mr. Kawaguchi: If the fish is bad, it is better to dry it. With dried fish, there is no need to worry. According to the results done by Mr. Nishihara, dried Alaska pollock has very good protein.

Mr. Takagi: There is a tendency to consider it to be inferior because of its low price.

Dr. Hirokawa: Dried Alaska pollock is a food that Korea should be proud of showing off to the world.

Mr. Kawaguchi: Recently, it has come to be used in households in Japan proper as well.

Dr. Hirokawa: Alaska pollock has a double advantage in that it can be frozen and then dried.

Panelists:

• Mr. Abe, Director of the Seoul Public Health Division
• Mr. Izumi, Professor of Seoul Imperial University
• Mr. Kawaguchi, Secretary General of the Korean Welfare Association
• Mr. Takagi, Engineer, Seoul Forestry Experiment Station
• Mr. Nishihara, Engineer, Seoul Public Health Laboratory
• Mr. Hirokawa, Professor, Seoul Medical College
• Ms. Mina Inoue
• Ms. Kei Ihara
• Ms. Fusa Ueda
• Ms. Aiko Su'e

(in Japanese kana order)

Keijo Nippo Head Office

• Aki [illegible]　Editorial Director
• [illegible] Director of Social Affairs Department

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-07-26

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年7月26日

戦時栄養食を語る

本社主催座談会

腹一杯と栄養は別

世界に誇る半島明太

須江氏：アカザなど、あえものに致しますと癖のない味をもっています。薩摩芋の茎も味噌のおつゆにはとてもよくうつります。

川口氏：菊芋など一回植えたら取っても取っても取り尽くせないもので、私はこれを朝鮮の火田というようなところで栽培したらどうかと思っています。いまは葡萄糖の注射液がないので、これでもって注射液が作られています。

本社側：伊原さん、朝鮮の人々はどんな野草を食べていますか。

伊原氏：その一々全部の名前は覚えていませんが、朝鮮では五月端午の節句以前の草ならば、なにを食べても毒にはならんといわれています。しかし、都会の人が一々田舎に摘草に出掛けるということは時間的にみて不経済なことですから、一坪園芸でおやりになっている南瓜の葉、豆の葉、胡麻の葉など御利用になれば結構と思います。トマトの葉の胡麻あえなどよいと思います。

西原氏：草の葉ばかりでなく木の葉、つまり山樬、あかしやの葉などを粉末にして利用することも面白いのです。

高木氏：食べられる草は七百八種類ありますが、そのうち半分を朝鮮の人は現に食べています。また根には澱粉があるので、これまた栄養価値のあるものですよ。

広川氏：我々はその食生活に於いて常に注意しなくてはならないことは、満腹したからそれでよいということは非常に危険な考え方だということです。

井上氏：いまは外米を如何にして増やすかということに腐心しているようです。いいかえますれば量を増やせば栄養も摂れるというように解釈されているようにみえますが、重が多くなって子供のお腹が一杯になったからといって決して安心は出来ないものと思います。こういうものを食べればお腹は空いても栄養は摂れているのだということをもった具体的に示していただきたいと思います。

広川氏：だから飢饉襲るるに足らずという教育をして行うべきです。

川口氏：実際問題として自由労働者など、このごろお腹がへって街に来ないというのですが―

広川氏：北九州でやった実験によると食物が不充分のため一時は能率が低下したが馴れたら却って今までよりずっとよくなり、途中で居眠りしたり欠伸をするような者もなくなったそうです。

井上氏：そういう実験の結果などをはっきりと示して貰いたいと思います。そうすれば指導者の方でも力強い方針を決めることが出来るし、一般も安心します。

広川氏：腹がへったら仕事が出来ぬというのは、何千年来の観念ですからね。

川口氏：実際問題として子供にお菓子はどうしても必要です。私は最近考えますには自分で造る方がいいと思う。向日葵の種を一坪園芸に植える。十本も出来れば二升位は取れる。それを炒って食べさせる又南瓜の種なども支那人の食べ物にしておかないで食べさせれば、いいと思う。間食させないということは到底出来ないことですから。

井上氏：今野菜が沢山出ていますが、乾燥野菜だけでなしに色々貯蔵方法を新聞などでお示し願いたいと思います。

伊原氏：乾燥野菜は非常に必要です。でも今は時期が悪いと思います。一番いいのは秋です。今はうっかりすると腐るし、黴がつきます。

本社側：どんなものを乾燥野菜にすればよいのですか。

井上氏：ホーレン草、大根、南瓜などです。支那では胡瓜も乾燥させます。

川口氏：朝鮮の南瓜でも乾燥して使うといいと思います。

広川氏：夕顔などもよろしいですね。

川口氏：日本人は昔から食物に恵まれているので、そういうことを考えていなかったのですね。

西原氏：野菜を乾燥して貯蔵することはビタミンの点からも大事だと思います。私は去年国民学校の子供について二、三ビタミンの状態を調べて見たが、内地側と半島側の子供の間にはビタミン不足状態の差は甚だしい。半島側の方はビタミンCの不足がないが、内地人側にあっては不足時季が恰度野菜のない冬でしたが、朝鮮では冬も漬物をどしどし食べるからそうした関係からだと思います。

本社側：乾燥さすとビタミンの状態は如何ですか。

西原氏：半分位にビタミンの価値は減じますが、それでもとらないよりよいのです。

本社側：動物の方面で、お魚以外に乾燥させる新しいものは―

高木氏：蜂の子などよろしいね。一ぺん煮て蒸してそれを日に干して食塩を入れておくといつもでも持ちます。

本社側：繭の蛹なんかどうですか。

高木氏：繭の蛹の用途は素晴らしいものです。アミノ酸の醤油、味の素をはじめ随分色々の方面に使われています。引っ張り凧ですよ。それから繭の蛹は簡単に油で、いためて食べています。脂肪分など四、五十パーセントありますよ。

川口氏：魚は悪いものは乾燥した方がいい。干物では心配ありません。西原さんのやった成績では明太魚の干物は非常に優れた蛋白があるのです。

高木氏：値段が安いので下等なものと考える傾向がありますね。

広川氏：乾燥明太魚は朝鮮が世界に誇るべき食物ですよ。

川口氏：近頃内地の家庭でも用いるようになりました。

広川氏：明太魚は冷凍してから乾燥しているところに二重のよさがあります。

語る人：

阿部　本府衛生課長

和泉　京城帝大教授

川口　朝鮮厚生協会幹事長

高木　本府林業試験所技師

西原　本府衛生試験所技手

広川　京城医専教授

井上ミナ　女史

伊原　圭　女史

上田フサ　女史

須江愛子　女史

（アイウエオ順）

本社側

秋　？　編輯局長

？　　　社会部長

Another part of a propaganda interview of Korean comfort women who returned from a whirlwind 1943 Japan tour visiting wounded Imperial Japanese soldiers, and one of the comfort women retired to "live life without shame as a sister and mother of splendid soldiers of the Korean peninsula"

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo　(Keijo Nippo) August 14, 1943

A chorus of sincerity in response to gratitude

Receiving encouragement from the heroes in white

Performing arts comfort team

Roundtable discussion and report following their return

Keijo Nippo reporter: It seems that you went to Tokyo after that. What was your impression of wartime Tokyo?

Gil Song-ja (길송자/吉松子): I was amazed at how well Tokyo regulated its city illumination. On the night we arrived, being country bumpkins, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, and it was so dark that we wouldn't have known if our noses were being pinched. The seriousness of the air-raid drills touched our hearts so much that it made us ashamed of what we were doing. All the girls wore Monpe work pants, which were very different from those worn in Korea and more suitable for practical use. We really felt that we needed to wear them too. They were not the thin, flimsy Monpe work pants that we wear here in Korea, but they were made of simple cut fabric, and we really felt that our work pants had to be like that.

Park Sun-sil (박순실/朴淳實): We were overcome by the greatness of Japan proper and the mental strength of the people of Japan proper, as we were directly confronted by the natural scenery as well as by the men and women who lived there, who were far better people than we were. In Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyushu, we were treated like true sisters. Even the upper-class ladies were full of kindness through their humble words and mannerisms. We felt a beauty that we could never see on the Korean peninsula, and we learned about the strength of the children who grew up there. On the one hand, they are kind, but on the other hand, they are also very strong. We were deeply moved by the training activities of the women's associations and secondary school students, and we were deeply convinced that Japan had to be a strong country if they could do this so well. We strongly felt that Korean women should definitely learn from them.

Keijo Nippo reporter: You must have been deeply moved when you went to many hospitals for comfort visits.

Kim Wol (김월/金月): At every hospital, we would go around to greet seriously injured patients before the performances start. When we finished our greetings at the First Army Hospital, a soldier came to us and encouraged us saying, "I hear that conscription has finally been established on the Korean peninsula. Congratulations! We are relieved to hear that. Please do your best. We're counting on you, we're counting on you..." At that time, we became firmly determined to completely live out our lives strongly as military women.

Kim Jeon-wang (김전왕/金田旺): I believe it was at the Second Army Hospital that the Yomiuri newspaper photography team visited us. As usual, we were visiting patients in the hospital wards, and when we saw one of the patients smiling at us despite the pain of his serious injuries, we were all moved to tears and encouraged by his smile. A patient who could not get up said, "I'm fine, I'm fine," as he turned his head and waved his hand still lying on his back. We met Mr. Ōyama, who was a Korean volunteer soldier, and we were all sincerely happy to see that he was in such good spirits, not at all different from the soldiers of Japan proper. When we greeted Mr. Ōyama saying, "we will serve our nation rising up 25 million strong in the Korean peninsula", Mr. Ōyama's voice and body trembled as he responded with just one phrase, "I'm counting on you".

Yoo San-hong (유산홍/劉山紅): I think that happened at a hospital in Hiroshima. I remember a soldier wearing white who surprised me by suddenly calling out to me, "Sister...." He said to me with the same friendliness that one would show to one's siblings, "Even after you return to Korea, please do your utmost best for the nation. If I go back to the war zone, I will surely tell stories about your heartfelt comfort to my war comrades," whereupon I bowed my head.

Kim Geum-hong (김금홍/金錦紅): At the Red Cross Hospital in Tokyo, there was an isolation room where patients were not allowed to receive comfort during normal hours. The regulations did not allow it, but we were hoping that we could do it here as well for these patients. We asked them if we could give these people comfort visits. When we went to the hospital rooms, we found that all the windows in the hallways had been opened, and there were people lying on bed chairs and in wicker chairs looking out of the windows, and many nurses were lined up behind them.

It was a hot day in the courtyard, but we were about to leave after singing the Arirang chorus and the Patriotic March with all our hearts when we suddenly saw a brave warrior who could not even come to the window sill, borrowing a mirror from a nurse in the room and looking at our reflection. When we saw this, we were deeply moved. We had already said our goodbyes, but we felt that we could not leave just yet, so we asked the branch manager, "Excuse me, but please let us sing one more time", and then we sincerely sang the poem "Outside the city of Jinzhou".

Afterwards, everyone outside also sang the "Baektu Mountain Song" and various other songs before we returned home. We were truly moved by the words of the head nurse who later told the branch manager, "The soldiers are all grateful to you for singing with such sincerity. As we stood by and watched, we could understand why everyone sang so willingly even after the farewell greetings had already been made. I believe that ties between Japan proper and Korea will be strengthened when hard and fast principles are set aside, and our hearts are in contact with one other".

[Photo: The patriotic march sung by the comfort team at the Kokura Army Hospital, censored by the Shimonoseki Fortress Command Headquarters].

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-08-14

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) August 18, 1943

Here are the patriotic Kisaeng

Beautiful stories about the changes in the members of the performing arts comfort team

Dispatch from Keijo Nippo head office

Impressed by the fighting spirit in Japan proper

At the time, the head office of Keijo Nippo organized a "performing arts comfort team" composed of Korean kisaeng. The group visited army and navy hospitals in various parts of the country, offering heartfelt comfort to the brave warriors in white. One of the members, Ms. Yoshiko Kaneshiro (22), also named Ms. Kim Gang-seok (김강석/金剛石), a kisaeng of the Sanwa Kenban Agency at 107 Hunjeong-dong (훈정동/薫井洞), Jongno-gu, was deeply moved by the divine appearance of the fighting women of Japan proper who were working hard towards finishing the Holy War. She said, "I cannot stand still. I will become a serious woman on the war front and work hard for the sake of the nation". On August 17th, she reported to the Jongno Police Station and surrendered her four-and-a-half-year life as a 'red light' worker.

She submitted a notice of abandonment of the kisaeng trade, saying "Starting today, I will lead a serious life". At the same time, she deposited 100 yen in gold to the head office as consolation money for the Imperial military in commemoration of her giving up the kisaeng trade. She renewed her firm resolve to be an Imperial woman. Ms. Kaneshiro spoke of her joy at the beginning of her new life as follows [Photo: Ms. Kaneshiro].

"I have recently visited the wounded and sick soldiers of the Imperial Military in Japan proper through the arrangement of your company. I was shown the true image of the fighting Imperial Nation, and taught the attitude of an Imperial woman. As a Korean woman, I was able to learn a great deal. In this critical time when we have to eat or be eaten, I continued the trip saddened that we had to live smiling under the 'red light' as kisaeng putting on a face that would have been more appropriate for more normal times, not able to do a thing to help our nation. After returning home to Korea safely, I reconsidered my life and decided to part with my life as a kisaeng and become a respectable family woman, so that I could send out more robust and loyal soldiers of His Majesty from the Korean peninsula, and I have done the necessary paperwork today. From now on, I will keep this inspiration in mind with the determination to live my life without shame as a sister and mother of splendid soldiers of the Korean peninsula. This is a small amount of money, but it is a part of the cost of canceling the reception that was to have been held to commemorate my abandonment of the kisaeng trade, which had been made possible by the generosity of our guests. Please use this money for the sake of the wounded soldiers who were infinitely pleased with our humble Korean performances."

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-08-18

(End Translation)

Notes:

The above articles are about a "performing arts comfort team" of 14 Korean comfort women, or kisaeng, who went to Japan in July and August 1943 to sing, dance, and "comfort" wounded Imperial Japanese soldiers in Japan. 

Kisaeng were Korean female entertainers who sang, danced, played musical instruments and wrote poems to entertain upper-class men. In earlier times, their work did not necessarily always involve sexual service, but during Japanese colonial rule of Korea, they were more closely associated with sex work. By the 1940s, the vast majority were involved in prostitution. 

I previously posted three other posts on this blog about this comfort team under these titles:

1.    Korean comfort women in a "performing arts comfort team" embarked on whirlwind July-August 1943 Japan tour visiting wounded Imperial Japanese soldiers

2.    Korean comfort women interviewed after whirlwind 1943 Japan tour visiting wounded Imperial Japanese soldiers who 'showed us again and again with their bodies, not with their words, that Japan and Korea were to be unified as one' and 'we were often moved to tears because we did not feel worthy'

3.    1943 editorial calls for Korean language to be wiped out, says Korean comfort women were touched by the noble appearance and hearts of the Imperial Japanese soldiers, and the women offered heartfelt comfort in response as their chests filled with excitement, their sincere hearts touching each other

The August 14th article precedes the August 15th article which I translated earlier under the second previous post. The August 14th article seems like it continues from a previous article, which I have not been able to find so far.

The August 18th article is notable, in that it reveals a slight hint that at least one of the comfort woman was less than happy and even shameful about her line of work, as she announces her intention to retire to "live life without shame as a sister and mother of splendid soldiers of the Korean peninsula". The propaganda articles reveal a tension between the impulse to portray the comfort women's service as patriotic and honorable, and the contradictory impulse to portray the comfort women's work as shameful. The same contradictory impulses can still be seen among Japanese historical revisionists today who deny that comfort women were coerced and even applaud them for their 'service', but at the same time deny their suffering and flippantly dismiss them as willing prostitutes. The 1943 editorial (see above link number 3) attempts to reconcile these contradictory impulses by arguing that the comfort women's service was a sort of initiation rite to turn these comfort women into true Imperial Japanese women, and suggests that this 'initiation rite' could be used more widely to assimilate more Korean women into Imperial Japan.

The First Army Hospital refers to what is now the National Center for Global Health and Medicine (NCGM) in Tokyo.

The Second Army Hospital, where the comfort team met Mr. Ōyama the Korean volunteer soldier, was in Hiroshima, and it was wiped out in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Today, there is a memorial to the former hospital at the landmark: 広島第二陸軍病院跡 (Google map link).

The poem "Outside the city of Jinzhou (金州城外)" (YouTube video of poem recitation: https://youtu.be/3_R2VkZhke0) is about the Battle of Nanshan which was fought between Japanese and Russian soldiers on the southern tip of Liaoning peninsula in 1904 during the Russo-Japanese War.

Baektu Mountain Song (白頭山節) (YouTube video of song: https://youtu.be/-p3H32BXcq4) refers to a Japanese folk song about Baektu Mountain which may be an adaptation of a Korean folk song. 

Kenban Agency (券番) refers to a management agency which manages the kisaeng and their performance fees. The Kenban agency for Kim Gang-seok was located at 107 Hunjeong-dong and is shown on this map of Seoul from 1933:

Today, the agency is gone, and the former location is now a part of Jongmyo Plaza Park.

(Transcriptions)

京城日報　1943年8月14日

感謝に応え真心の合唱

白衣の勇士から逆に激励受く

芸能慰問隊

帰還報告座談会

本社側：それから東京に廻られたようでしたが、戦時下に於ける東京をどんな風にお感じになりましたか。

吉松子：何と申しても灯火管制の行き届いているのには驚きました。着いた夜など田舎者の私共は勝手が知れませず鼻をつままれても分からぬ位でした。それから防空訓練の真剣さには胸をうたれる思いで私共のやっていましたことが今更恥ずかしいのです。女子はみんなモンペで、このモンペが半島のそれとはおよそ違った実用向きのものなんです。あれでなければいけないなとつくづく感じました。こっちで使うペラペラした薄いモンペ等ではなく、質素な切地で作ったものをはいていましたが、実際あれでなくてはならないと思いました。

朴淳實：自然の風物からも、そこに住まう男からも女からも、私共とは桁はずれに良く出来た人達をじかに見せつけられて内地の偉大さ、内地人の精神力に打ち負かされました。東京でも大阪でも九州でも全く真の姉妹のように扱って戴きました。上流婦人でも謙遜な言葉や物腰から親切心が溢れていて、半島では到底見ることの出来ない美しさを感じ此処に育つ児等の強さを知ることが出来ました。優しい反面にまだ非常に強くもあり、婦人団体や中等学生の錬成の様子を見まして、あれだけやれば日本は強い筈だと深く胸を打たれました。半島女性も是非学ばなければならぬとつくづく考えました。

本社側：沢山の病院を慰問して随分胸をうたれたこともおありでしょう。

金月：どこの病院でも慰問演芸開演前に重傷患者のために挨拶に廻るのです。第一陸軍病院で挨拶を終ると一人の兵隊さんが訪ねて下さいまして、『半島にも愈々徴兵制が布かれたそうですね。お目出度う。自分達もそれで安心した。しっかりやって下さい。頼みます、頼みます．．．』と逆に激励されました。この時には全く軍国の女性として強く生き抜かねば相済まないと堅く決意しました。

金田旺：読売の写真班が来られたのは確か第二陸軍病院だったでしょうね。例によって病棟に患者さんをお見舞いしたら重傷の痛みをこらえて苦しい中からニッコリ笑って応えて下さったのには一同感極まって泣き、逆に激励されました。起てない人が『元気だ、元気だ』と云って仰向いた儘手を振って見せました。此処で半島志願兵出身の大山さんに会いましたが、内地の兵士とちっとも変わりなく、元気な御様子に一同心から嬉しく『半島二千五百万民は総起ちとなって御国の為に奉公致します』と挨拶すれば大山さんは只一言『頼みます』と声も体もふるわせていられました。

劉山紅：あれは広島の病院でしたかしら。白衣の兵隊さんから『姉さん．．．』と突然呼び懸けられたのには面喰いました。『朝鮮に帰られても御国の為にウンと頑張って下さいよ。皆さんの真心籠る慰問の話は自分が再び戦地へ行ったら必ず戦友へ語って聞かせますよ』と兄妹同様の親しさで呼び懸けて下さるのです。私は頭が下りました。

金錦紅：東京の赤十字病院では平素慰問を受けられない隔離病室がありました。規則では許されないが、ここでもやって貰えたらというお話です。私共はこういう人達にこそ慰問をさせて戴きたいとお願いしました。病室へ行って見ますと廊下の窓の戸を全部外して寝椅子に横っている人、籐椅子によっている人達が窓から顔を出して居られ、その後の方には沢山の看護婦さんが並んで居られました。

この中庭で私共は暑い日でしたが並んでアリランの合唱と愛国行進曲を心から歌って帰ろうとしますと、ふと私共の眼に映ったのは窓辺にも出て来られない勇士の方が部屋の中で看護婦さんから鏡を借りまして、私達の姿を写しているのです。私達はこれを見るとハット胸を打たれたのです。もうお別れの挨拶の済んだ後でしたが、どうしてもこの儘帰れないという気持ちになりまして、支社長さんに『すみませんが是非もう一度だけ歌わして下さい』といって『金州城外』の詩吟を真心こめて吟詠しました。

それから外の皆さんも白頭山節やその外色々歌って帰りましたが、後で支社長さんに『ほんとに真心から歌って戴いた事を兵隊さんは皆感謝しています。私共も傍らで見ていまして、もう挨拶が済んだ後にも拘わらず皆さんが進んで歌って呉れた心持がよく分かります。むずかしい理屈よりお互いの心と心の触れ合う時に内地と朝鮮とが固く結ばれるのだと思います』と婦長さんが申されたそうですが、私達はあの時ほんとうに心に打たれるものがあったのです。

【写真＝小倉陸軍病院における慰問隊の愛国行進曲合唱＝下関要塞司令部検閲済み】

京城日報　1943年8月18日

ここに愛国妓生あり

芸能慰問隊員の転向美談

本社派遣

戦う内地に感激

さきに本社では半島妓生からなる”芸能慰問隊”を組織。内地各地の陸海軍病院に白衣の勇士を心から慰問。予想以上の好評を博してこのほど帰鮮したが、隊員のうち三和券番妓生鐘路区薫井町一〇七金剛石こと金城淑子（二二）さんは内地慰問中、戦う内地婦人達の聖戦完遂に向かって逞しく働いている聖なる姿に痛く心を打たれ、”わたしもじっとしてはおられない。真面目な銃後の女性となって御国のため一生懸命働きます”と過去四年有半の紅灯生活をかなぐり捨てて、十七日鐘路署に出頭。

”きょうからわたしも真面目な生活を営みます”と芸妓廃業届を提出する一方、妓生廃業を記念して金百円を本社へ皇軍慰問金として寄託。皇国女性の固き覚悟を新たにした。金城さんは新しい生活の門出の喜びを次のように語る【写真＝金城さん】

『私はこのたび貴社の御計りで内地の皇軍傷病兵の慰問を行いました。私は戦う皇国の真姿を見せていただき、そして皇国婦女の態度を教えられ、半島女性としてこのうえもない勉強をさせていただきました。喰うか喰われるかといわれるこの重大な時局に私達は何一つ御国のため役立つこともなく、却って非時局的な面で妓生なるが故に紅灯の下に笑いながら暮さねばならないことを一人悲しみながら旅を続けたのでございます。無事に帰鮮致しまして、自分の生活を考えなおし、私共の半島から、より逞しい、より忠良な陛下の兵隊を送り出すため妓生生活と別れて立派な家族婦人に帰ることを決心し、今日その手続きをとりました。今後はこのたび感激を肝に銘じて天晴れ半島出身兵士の姉としてまた母として恥ずかしくない生活を営む覚悟でございます。誠にこれは些少ですが、妓生廃業に際しまして皆さんからの因襲で行われていました廃業披露宴会を取り止めた費用の一部でございます。私共は拙い半島演芸を限りなく御喜び下さった傷痍軍人のために御処理願います』

This Korean father made sure his family and employees exclusively spoke Japanese, he ran a store supplying residences of Imperial Japanese Army officers in Yongsan, said he got triggered seeing 'bold gentleman types speaking to each other enthusiastically in Korean' inside the trains (Seoul 1942)

 

Photo: Ikeyoshi family: Tokuji (41) and his wife Sachiko (31). L-to-R: daughter Masako (10), sons Fumio (8), Masao (6), Toshio (3).

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) May 20, 1942

Japanese-Korean unification starts with the Japanese language

Store employees also 'speak Japanese exclusively'

No need to call us a 'Japanese-speaking family'

Mr. Tokuji Ikeyoshi tells his story

"Please don't call us regular Japanese speakers - that's such a stuffy phrase. All our store employees are using the Japanese language as you can see here. Ha, ha, ha!"

The word "regular Japanese speaker" sounded especially funny to Mr. Ikeyoshi. Indeed, Mr. Ikeyoshi's use of the Japanese language is literally not only regular, but also exclusive. Mr. Tokuji Ikeyoshi (41) has run his business selling food supplies, miscellaneous goods, rice, grains, firewood, and coal on 11 Hangang-daero for 10 years. Thanks to his persistence in speaking Japanese, he has been able to gain people's trust, and he has been exclusively entrusted with supplying the living quarters of Imperial Japanese Army officers.

He is an "expert in the Japanese language". Even his children speak Japanese at home, and they make a happy family. Mr. Ikeyoshi learned Japanese from the time he was 7 or 8 years old. By the time he was 11, he had already begun a full-fledged life speaking the Japanese language, and he went to work for Shiozawa Shop within the grounds of the Imperial Japanese Army base.

"... so I have been speaking Japanese regularly for the past 30 years", said Mr. Ikeyoshi. The lifestyle of Mr. Ikeyoshi's family does not differ at all from Japanese families. He has four children with his wife Sachiko (31): Masako (10), the eldest daughter, who attends Hyochang National School; Fumio (8), the eldest son, who attends Yongsan National School; Masao (6), the second son; and Toshio (3), the third son. Of course, since their marriage, they have been involved in raising all of their children thoroughly in the Japanese language.

It does not stop with the children. The store employees are not allowed to speak Korean at all, not only when greeting customers, but also in their conversations with each other. That is why it feels very good listening to the store employees when they speak.

The way they speak Japanese so fluently and without hesitation, it is hard to believe that they are Koreans. They are so fluent in Japanese that even the regular customers are inclined to doubt that they are Korean. 

On the other hand, those who speak lots of dialect are shameless wretches. "In the trains, I often see these bold gentleman types speaking to each other enthusiastically in Korean. Every time I see them, I wonder if it is really OK for them to be this way", said Mr. Ikeyoshi, who has become a true Imperial Japanese person, as he tilted his head and looked at the reporter intently. [Photo: Mr. Ikeyoshi's family]

(End of translation)

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1942-05-20

The Ikeyoshi family ran their business at 11 Hangang-daero (otherwise known as the 11th Area), which was right inside the grounds of the Imperial Japanese Army's military base and very close to the Governor-General's mansion and the command center of the Imperial Army. Today, this area is associated with the Yongsan Garrison of the United States military, as well as the Ministry of National Defense of South Korea, which is near the new office of President Yoon.

Below is a 1933 map of Seoul of 11 Hangang-daero compared to a Google map from today.

(Transcription)

京城日報　1942年5月20日

内鮮一体は『国語』から

店員も”国語専用”

常用家庭などいわないで呉れ

池吉徳治さん語る

「今更国語常用だなんて四角張ったことを言わないで下さいよ。御覧の通り店員達もみんなこの通り国語でやってるんですからね。ハッ、ハッ、ハッ」

国語常用だなど池吉さんにとっては殊更らしくて可笑しな話だった。ことほど左様に池吉さんの国語常用ぶりは文字通りの常用であり専用だ。”国語常用の家”池吉徳治さん（四一）は漢江通一一に食糧雑貨米穀薪炭商を営み十年来、国語をもって押し通し、お陰で信用も出来、専ら陸軍官舎の御用を承っている。

”国語玄人”である。家庭も子供に至るまで国語で話し、楽しい団欒ぶりだ。池吉さんは七、八歳の幼い頃から国語を習い、十一歳の時には既に本格的な国語生活に入り、陸軍構内の塩沢商店に奉公に上がったのだ。

「．．．ですから私の国語常用はもう三十年も前からのことなんです」という池吉さんの家庭は生活様式だって総て内地人と変わりはなく、佐千子夫人（三一）との間に長女政子ちゃん（一〇）＝考昌国民学校＝長男文男君（八つ）＝龍山国民学校＝二男正男ちゃん（六つ）三男利夫ちゃん（三つ）の四人の子供があるが、勿論結婚以来子供たちの育成には一から十まで国語で押し通した。

育児方面ばかりではない。店の奉公人達もお客さんの応待は勿論のこと、お互いの会話にも一切朝鮮語は使わせない。だから店員諸君の話し振りを聞いていると、実に気持ちがいい。

よどみなくスラスラ話し合っている姿はどうみても半島の人とは思われない。得意の人々も疑いたくなる位の流暢さで、方言を多く使うなどかえって顔負けのていたらくだ。

「堂々たる紳士タイプの方が電車の中などで盛んに朝鮮語で話し合っておられるのをよく見かけるんですが、その度に、あれでよいのかと思うのですよー」　心から皇民になり切っている池吉さんは、首を傾けて記者の顔をじっと窺っていた。【写真＝池吉さんの一家】

As food shortages deepened in Korea by 1943, Imperial propagandists encouraged Koreans to eat wild grasses as meat substitutes, which they insisted were nutritionally comparable to meat, and follow food quack Horace Fletcher's advice to chew food 30 times to make up for the lack of food quantity

 

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) July 18, 1943

The way to solve the food problem

Wild grasses are also nutritious

They can become a staple food with just a little ingenuity

By Taiji Toyoyama, lecturer at Sookmyung Women's College

To build a life fighting decisive battles, we depend on the ingenuity of the housewife. Even food problems can be solved in a moment by making the most of everything and devising ways to use what we have. Weeds growing in the mountains and fields can be a great substitute for staple foods. What kinds of wild edible weeds are there? What are these wild edible plants like, and how should they be prepared to be eaten? We ask nutritionist and lecturer at Sookmyung Women's College, Mr. Taiji Toyoyama.

We must win the war, no matter how much suffering we must endure, but to win this war, we must also have a strong and indomitable physical strength. There are many things that have the greatest impact on physical strength, but we must first consider the food problem. The general public is saying that food is very scarce today, but is it really? It is true that, from the point of view of the people's stomachs, food seems to be scarce, but I must say that we should be thankful that both the rich and the lower classes are able to eat the same way nowadays due to the rationing system. The mere thought of having less food in the world makes us feel hungry and insecure to a certain extent, which is a selfish thing.

How will this affect our health? We must carefully examine our lives and reflect on what measures we should take to deal with this. In fact, our lives have not yet reached the point where we are ready to fight decisive battles, and we are still living wasteful lives.

First of all, we wash rice too much, and this wastes important nutrients. Many housewives are generally indifferent to this and do not find it strange, and many are still doing it. What is regrettable is that when we cook rice, we sometimes turn up the heat too high, causing us to rinse away the starchy solution and throw away important nutrients by the slightest carelessness.

Chewing is the first step in the digestive process. Chewing is the first stage of digestion, so it is natural that we digest more when we chew well. We usually swallow food after a few chews without chewing enough, but this is not the way to obtain proper nutrition.

Horace Fletcher saved one-fifth of his food by chewing 72 times. We need to chew more than 30 times to make up for the lack of nutrition in quantity. This will solve the problem of quantity with a little attention on our part, but we must also think about the problem of food quality.

Some city dwellers complain about the lack of beef, but 80% of the Korean population lives without eating meat. Most of them are farmers, but if there is anyone complaining about the lack of meat in this emergency, he or she should consider the farmers who are living without eating meat at all. What then, do these farmers eat?

They mainly eat green vegetables. Chestnuts, barley, miso, and greens are their staple foods throughout the year. Among the greens are wild grasses that city dwellers throw away without a second thought. In fact, these wild grasses have become a meat substitute for the farmers. When we look at the nutritional situation of these people, it is at least comparable to that of city dwellers.

City dwellers have conventionally used green vegetables in hot pots, mixed stir-fries, or as main dishes. However, these greens do not necessarily have to be eaten with rice. They can also be used as an appropriate staple food or substitute food due to the shortage of grains.

There are many ways to use wild grasses as a staple food, but I would like to tell the public that "boiled vegetable dumplings" can be eaten as an excellent staple food. With this little ingenuity, wild grasses can be eaten as a staple food at least once a day. Boiled vegetable dumplings can also be found in the cities and suburbs these days.

Edible wild grasses such as Chenopodium album var. centrorubrum, Amaranthus tricolor, Portulaca oleracea, Commelina communis, and Plantago asiatica are gathered, boiled, soaked in water for about 30 minutes, drained, and chopped into small pieces. Mix in an appropriate amount of condiments such as green onions, chili peppers, sesame seeds, salt, pepper, cooking oil, etc. Then, measure out grain flour amounting to one-fifth of the size of the mixture, add half of the flour into the mixture, roll the mixture into small dumplings, then dip the dumplings into the remaining flour and put them into boiling water. Take out the dumplings when they float to the surface in the boiling water. If soy sauce is added to the dumplings, they make fine boiled vegetable dumplings.

Various other wild grasses can be used to make staple and substitute foods, but the most important thing is for housewives to be willing to gather wild grasses, cook them in creative ways, and make them into staple foods.

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) July 18, 1943

Eat wild grasses too

Wild grasses cooking class at Sookmyung Women's College

To encourage housewives to be more creative and creative in their kitchens, the Seoul city government, in cooperation with the Seoul Branch of the Patriotic Women's Association, held a "cooking class for wild edible grasses" at the auditorium of Sookmyung Women's College at 2 p.m. on July 17th. Under the guidance of Mr. Taiji Toyoyama, a lecturer and nutritionist at Sookmyung Women's College, 250 executives of the Patriotic Women's Association cooked wild edible grasses. After everyone enjoyed the dishes that they had prepared by the end of their class, and having become more aware of the future uses of wild grasses, the event ended at 4 p.m.

[Photo: Wild grasses cooking class].

(End of Translation)

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-07-18

On a personal note, as a Japanese person, this article reminded me of my grandparents' experiences in mainland Japan during World War II. They also went through severe food shortages and learned what kinds of wild plants were edible. Later on, I met some Chinese friends who experienced the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, and they showed me their deep knowledge of edible wild plants. I find it sad that North Koreans still forage for edible wild plants to survive.

Although Horace Fletcher was an American, the Imperial Japanese regime adopted his quack chewing ideas as their own and spread them throughout Imperial Japan. Educated in the Imperial Japanese educational system, my grandparents also believed that chewing food long enough would extract more nutrition, so I remember them emphasizing the importance of proper chewing, which my parents also parroted.

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年7月18日

食糧問題をこうして解決

野草も栄養満点

工夫一つで主食になる

淑明女専講師：豊山泰次氏談

決戦生活の建設は主婦の創意工夫一つである。食糧問題も総てを活かして使う工夫をすれば忽ち解決出来るのだ。山野に生い茂る名もない雑草が立派な主食代用食ともなる。この野生食用草はどんなものであろうか。またどう調理すればよいか淑明女専栄養学担当講師豊山泰次氏に聞いてみる。

戦争には如何なる困苦を偲んでも勝ち抜かねばならぬが、それにはどうしても強靭不屈の体力が要請される。その体力造成に最も影響するものは色々あるが、先ず食糧問題について考えねばならぬ。一般は今日食糧が非常に少ないと洩らしているが、果して少ないであろうか。尤も腹の工合から見れば少ないようであるが、今は配給制によって金持ちも下層階級も等しく食べて行かれることは有難いことと言わねばならぬ。食糧が少ないような気がしただけ腹加減にひもじさを減じ、或る程度の不安にかられるまことに人間は勝手なものだ。

これが健康の上に及ぼす影響はどんなであろうか。又これに対する対策はどうあるべきか我々の生活をよく検討し、反省せねばならぬ。実際我々の生活が未だ決戦生活とまで行かず、多く無駄な生活をしている。

第一に米を洗うにしても余りにとぎすぎて大切な栄養分を擦り減らす。こういうことは一般に無関心で、これを不思議とも感ぜず、未だに行っている主婦が多数である。全く惜しいことは、まだ米を炊くとき火を強くし過ぎて、おねばを流し大切な栄養をちょっとの不注意で捨ててしまうことがある。

食物を食べるにしても、よく咀嚼するのとしないのとは栄養上から見て大分違う。咀嚼は消化の第一段階であるから、よく噛むと消化されるのは自然である。とかく我々は嚙まないで二三度位で呑み込むが、これでは栄養がとれる筈がない。

フレッチャーは七十二回噛むことにより、食糧の五分の一を節約したという。我々も三十回以上は咀嚼して量的に不足していたところを栄養で取り戻す必要がある。これで量的問題は我々の僅かな注意で解決することが出来るが、食糧の質の問題に就いて考えねばならぬ。

今では牛肉が無いと言って都会人は不平を洩らしている者もあるようだが、朝鮮人口のうち八割が肉食なしで生活している。これらの殆どは農民であるが、この非常時に肉不足などで不満をいう者があったとしたら、全然肉食せずに生活している農民達を考えるべきだ。ではこちらの農民は一体何を食べて生活しているであろうか。

主として青物を食べている。栗、麦、味噌、青物を年中主食物にしているが、この青物の中では都会人が捨てて顧みない山野草がある。実はこの山野草が農民達の肉の代用食ともなっている。これらの人達の栄養状態を考えて見ると、少なくとも都会人に比して遜色はない。

従来青物というと、都会人はお汁の実にしたり、和物にしたり、お菜として用いているが、この青物は何も御飯に付属して食べなくても穀物不足の折柄主食、代用食としてもよいのだ。

これに就いて色々と工夫されているが、”菜円湯”というものを立派な主食物として食べ得るものであることを公にしたい。それに要する山野草は少しの工夫で立派に主食として一日一食だけでもとり得る菜円湯に就いては近ごろ都会での郊外でも到るところに見受けられるが、

食用とされる野草アカザ、ヒユ、スベリヒユ、ツユ草、オウバコ等を採取して来て、これをゆでたのち三十分位水にひたし、取り出して水をすっかり切って細かに刻み、これに薬味としてねぎ、唐辛、胡麻、塩、胡椒、食用油などを適度に取り交ぜて、その後原料の五分の一の穀粉を半分だけ交ぜ、小さく団子に円めて、これを粉につけ煮え立った湯に入れて浮かんだ時取り出す。これに醤油の汁を用うれば立派な菜円湯となるのである。

他の色々と野草を用いて主食、代用食を作ることが出来るが、主婦がすすんで野草を採取し、創意工夫の上、料理して主食とする心掛けが最も肝要である。

京城日報　1943年7月18日

野草も食べる

淑専で野草調理講習

決戦生活には、なによりも台所を預かる主婦達の創意工夫が大切だと京城府では日婦京城府支部と共同主催で”野生食用草調理講習会”を十七日午後二時から、淑明女専講堂で開催。同校栄養学担当講師豊山泰次氏指導のもとに日婦幹部二百五十名は野生食用草の調理を行い、一同は最後に調理した料理に舌鼓をうって今後の野草利用の認識を昂めて同四時終了した。

【写真＝野草調理講習会】

Propaganda story of Japanese couple adopting poor Korean girl, raising her to become a "respectable" Japanese woman, and marrying her off to a model Japanese-speaking Korean man (Seoul, 1942)

 

This is my translation and transcription of a news article from Keijo Nippo, a propaganda newspaper and mouthpiece of the government of Japan-colonized Korea. This has never been republished or translated before, to the best of my knowledge.

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1942-05-28

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) May 28, 1942

Japanese-Korean unification starts with the Japanese language

A Japanese policy-type "married couple"

A model marriage linked by the Japanese language

'If you don't know the Japanese language, I won't become your wife'. Both the bride and the groom were equally insistent that they wouldn't marry anyone unless they knew the Japanese language. After a secret investigation, it was discovered that the bride and groom were both from Japanese-speaking families. Here is a story about a model marriage in which the Japanese language was tied into everything from the Takasago play in which they performed to the conclusion of their marriage ceremony.

Now, let's look into this admirable young couple and see what kind of lady this young bride is. The excellent bride is Ohana-chan (23), a housemaid employed by Mr. Sakuji Matsumura, managing director of Korea Transport at 404 Sindang-dong. She was born in Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do. Because her family was poor, she was wearing only a dirty jeogori and chima when she was hired by Mr. Matsumura in February, the coldest month of the year, when she was 14-years-old. Mrs. Misae Matsumura was at first worried about how to raise a girl who did not even understand the Japanese language.

She initially bought her a first grade textbook and taught it to her, showing her unchanging compassion and treating her as her beloved child. Accordingly, Hana-chan, who was naturally clever, picked up the Japanese language at an astonishingly fast pace in less than half a year. She learned Japanese to the point where she was able to do her daily chores without any trouble. As Mrs. Misae taught her how to do calculations on the abacus, even Mr. Matsumura threw up his hands in amazement at this country girl's unusual, robust memory.

Ultimately, Mrs. Matsumura taught Hana-chan how to tailor Japanese-style clothes, and at the same time, she took her by the hand and instructed her in Japanese manners. This is how Hana-chan grew up not as a Korean girl, but rather as a respectable Japanese woman.

"She is now sewing even silk fabrics with ease! There is no other girl like her. She has become a true Japanese person. She is number one in Japan when it comes to devotion to her parents", said Mrs. Misae, who praised Hana-chan with narrowed eyes and is now showing her affection as her true daughter. Hana-chan has sent all the money she has earned over the past ten years to her father Chui-wol, who is now a self-sufficient farmer with a farm of 4 tan and 7 bu (4,023 square meters, or about 1 acre). Of course, this is thanks to Hana-chan.

It was last spring when Mr. and Mrs. Matsumura started to have headaches worrying, "Hanako has reached an age where she needs to get married somewhere..." Respecting Hana-chan's wish that "I will not marry anyone unless he is from a Japanese-speaking family", they finally found a model artisan, Kenji Mishima (27) of Nagasakiya, a pastry store in Honmachi 5-chome famous for its kasutera sponge cakes.

This world number one groom is a genuine native of Seoul, and he started his career at Nagasakiya in 1933. He is now a fine artisan and one of the most treasured disciples of his master, Mr. Mori.

Hana-chan made a wish to her fiancé saying, "my husband, please be sure to make me a Japanese-speaking wife in our family". To make this wish come true, their wedding took place as soon as possible, with the groom's master as the matchmaker and party leader of the patriotic organization as their witness. They will prosper and children will be born to this 'national policy' couple. All of their children will eventually become second-generation Hana-chans and Kenji-kuns.

As a final note, both Hana-chan and Kenji-kun received Korean names at the times of their births, but at the request of both of them, their Korean names will not be listed here. Photo: Mrs. Misae Matsumura with Hana-chan.

(End of translation)

Earlier, I posted another article (A Korean father spent 8 years looking for the right prospective husband who only spoke Japanese) in which a Korean father arranges a marriage between his daughter and a Japanese-speaking man. These kinds of articles were apparently placed in this propaganda newspaper to encourage Japanese-speaking Koreans to marry each other in hopes of increasing the population of Japanese-speaking Koreans in Korea. 

This article mentions a party leader of the patriotic organization acting as the witness for the couple. This refers to the Korean Federation of National Power (国民総力朝鮮連盟, 국민총력조선연맹), which functioned as the one and only political party that you could belong to in totalitarian Japan-colonized Korea, spreading the regime's Imperial Way ideology across Korea and reinforcing Imperial rule over Korea.

The groom worked at Nagasakiya, a pastry shop in Seoul which was famous for its kasutera (sponge cakes). The store is visible in this 1933 map of Seoul:

This store appears to have disappeared from modern Seoul:

(Transcription)

京城日報　1942年5月28日

”内鮮一体は『国語』から

国策型の”めおと”

国語が結ぶ模範結婚

国語常用の人でなければお嫁にいきません。国語を知らなければ嫁には貰わぬと双方が同じようにいい張って、さて内密に調査してみたらお互いに国語の家の男女だったというので、ここにめでたくも高砂や、あと結納が取り交わされたという国語が結ぶ模範結婚の話。

さて、その感心な花嫁御寮とはどんな婦人であろう。新堂町四〇四朝鮮運送常務取締役松村作二氏の下に使われている女中お花ちゃん（二三）がその優れた国語花嫁である。お花ちゃんは全南務安郡の生れて家が貧しいために、十四の年の寒い二月に汚れたチョゴリとチマ一枚で松村氏宅に雇われたのだ。みさ江夫人は、この国語も解せぬ一少女を”どんな工合に育てたものか”とまず苦心した。

取り敢えず小学一年生の読本を買い与えて夫人自ら講師となって教えこんだ。愛児へ対する少しも変わらぬ夫人の慈しみに生来利発な花ちゃんは半年経たぬ間に驚く程の速さで国語が解るようになり、日常の用務には事欠かぬ程度となったので更に夫人は算術算盤を次々と仕込んでゆく中にこのまれにみる田舎娘の記憶力の旺盛さに流石の松村氏も手を上げた。

かくして最後は和服仕立てを教えると同時に日本式の作法について夫人が手を執るようにして指導したので見る見る花ちゃんは半島娘としてではなく、立派な内地婦人の如く完成されて行ったのである。

『今は絹物でも平気で縫いますよ。こんな珍しい娘はありません。全く日本人ですよ。そして親孝行なことは日本一です』と目を細めて花ちゃんを賞めるみさ江夫人は今は真実の娘として慈愛を垂れているのだ。苦節十年頂いた給金は全部父翠月さんに送って、その父も既に四段七歩の自作農となっている。これも花ちゃんのお陰であることは勿論のことだ。

『花子も年頃となったから、どこかお嫁にやらなくては．．．』と松村氏夫妻が頭を痛め出したのは去年の春からだったが、『私は国語の家でなければお嫁に参りません』という花ちゃんの意志を尊重して漸くこのほど探し当てたのが本町五丁目カステラで有名な長崎屋の模範職人三島健次君（二七）だった。

この三国一の婚鑑は生粋の京城っ子で長崎屋に年期を入れたのが昭和八年。今では立派な職人として主人毛利氏の秘蔵弟子の一人だ。

『御主人、私の家は是非国語婦人にして下さいよ』という願い叶って、めでたく双方は来る早々結婚式を挙げることとなったのだが、仲人は水入らずの主人夫妻、立会人は愛国班長に頼もうという今からの取り極めだ。やがては栄え行くであろうと、この国策夫婦の間に生れる子等のすべては何れは二世花ちゃんや健次君になることであろう。

最後にいい残したが、花ちゃんも健次君も生れた時の朝鮮名は持っているが、御両人の希望によって、ここには載せぬこととする。【写真＝松村みさ江夫人とお花ちゃん】

Korean comfort women in a "performing arts comfort team" embark on whirlwind July-August 1943 Japan tour visiting wounded Imperial Japanese soldiers

 

There was a "performing arts comfort team" of 14 Korean comfort women who went to Japan in July and August 1943 to sing, dance, and "comfort" wounded Imperial Japanese soldiers in Japan. I previously posted two articles from August 1943 on this subreddit about this comfort team, one (Korean comfort women interviewed after whirlwind 1943 Japan tour) was an interview with the comfort women after they returned to Korea from this trip, and another (1943 editorial calls for Korean language to be wiped out) was a government policy editorial saying that this comfort team demonstrated that these Korean women learned Japanese so well because they interacted with Imperial Japanese soldiers as comfort women, so this lesson should be applied in all of Korea so as to "directly bump sincere hearts with each other". 

I've also added some links to Youtube videos that I found of the songs and dances that they performed. Most appear to be Japanese folk songs, but their repertoire also includes some Korean songs in a slight nod to their Korean heritage. Judging from the music selection, I'm thinking these Korean comfort women must have had very specialized music instructors from Japan come to Korea to teach them these very regional Japanese folk songs and dances.

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo), July 14, 1943

Giving comfort singing Doraji Taryeong

Korean performing arts comfort team working hard

Burning with heroic determination to serve again, the "Korean performing arts comfort team of the Army and Navy Hospital in Japan proper", organized by the head office of this newspaper and consisting of 14 members including Kim Geum-hong (김금홍/金錦紅), is to depart Seoul Station on the morning of July 14th for Japan proper. By comforting the brave soldiers in white who are single-mindedly focused on recuperation, the comfort team expresses their deepest gratitude to their fellow compatriots for their immense trust and affection toward the Korean peninsula. Prior to their departure, at a little after 2:00 p.m. on the afternoon of the 13th, they visited the Korea Army guided by Mr. Suzuki, Director of the Planning Department of the Head Office of this newspaper. After giving a departure speech to Mr. Kuramo, Director of the News Department, they immediately went to the main hospital of Yongsan Seoul Army Hospital to visit the injured soldiers and held a "performing arts comfort party" rich with the sentiments of the Korean peninsula in the Patriotic Hall in front of 200 soldiers in white.

Following the opening address by the group director Mr. Suzuki, Kim Jeon-wang (김전왕/金田旺) spoke on behalf of the entire group by saying, "We have decided to comfort the wounded soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy with our humble performances as a way of thanking our compatriots in Japan for their kindness on the eve of the glorious conscription order. Today, instead of a departure address, we will hold a performance in front of you, and although we are not sure if we will be able to comfort you all, we will do our best. We are reminded of the fact that we have been your sisters in the front lines as members of the glorious Imperial Army, and we are all filled with joy standing in front of you all and giving you comfort. We pray non-stop that you will all recover completely and that the day of your re-entry into the service will come sooner than expected", giving her kind and sincere opening speech in fluent Japanese. Then the group started the performance.

All the performers, dressed in their traditional Korean clothes, sang "Arirang", a well-known Korean folk song. The beautiful melody of the ancient folk songs of the Korean peninsula thrilled the white-robed warriors to their hearts' content, and the Doraji Taryeong, a dance unique to the Korean peninsula, was performed with graceful Korean-inspired dance moves. The audience gave thunderous applauses to "Yasugi-bushi (安来節)" and "the Mother of Kudan (九段の母)" performed by Kim Geum-hong (김금홍/金錦紅).

The comic storytelling of the "New Family Scene" brought a whirlwind of laughter, followed by enthusiastic performances of "Sado Okesa (佐渡おけさ)" and "Night in Suzhou (蘇州の夜)", and everyone sang a lively rendition of the "Patriotic March (愛国行進曲)", bringing the comfort performance to a close at 3:30 p.m. [Photo: The performing arts comfort party]

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-07-14

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo), July 15, 1943

A trip to comfort the brave wounded soldiers.

Performing arts team departed for Japan proper this morning

After the send-off party and the visit to the Army Hospital to comfort the wounded soldiers on July 13th, the 14 members of the "Korean performing arts comfort team of the Army and Navy Hospital in Japan proper", organized by the head office of this newspaper and led by Kim Geum-hong (김금홍/金錦紅), visited Seoul at 8:00 a.m. on July 14th to make a departure speech, and then departed from Seoul Station at 10:05 a.m. The team members were in high spirits as they were seen off by many executives of the head office of this newspaper as well as friends and relatives, and they made their way onto the "Nozomi" train, with the crimson-red circle Hinomaru insignia on the left sides of their chests shining brightly to protect them on their 24-day trip. They left waving their hands in the air and saying, "See you later! We'll do our best". Kim Geum-hong (김금홍/金錦紅), a member of the group, spoke in clear Japanese recounting the excitement of the departure.

"We are not used to this kind of trip, so we are all talking to each other about trying to compose ourselves and avoiding any trouble as much as possible. If the songs and dances of inexperienced people like us can offer even a little comfort to the white-robed warriors in Japan proper, we will be very happy. We will do our best with all our hearts. Most of the members in this group are excited because it will be the first time for them to visit Japan proper. I am also very grateful that we will be able to pay homage to the Imperial Grand Shrine at Ise and other precious places, and to see the beautiful Mount Fuji". [Photo: the Korean performing arts comfort team departing Seoul Station]

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-07-15

Song Links:

Arirang Dance: https://youtu.be/Bms4dx9ayhQ

Doraji Taryeong: https://youtu.be/o36IFUfTCMg

Yasugi-bushi: https://youtu.be/e3eMaefRU1s

Mother of Kudan: https://youtu.be/F8kVbUNsOs0

Sado Okesa: https://youtu.be/qYt7ax54eXI

Night in Suzhou: https://youtu.be/4HB-kzjWc8U

Patriotic March: https://youtu.be/2CpcztEOSrs

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年7月14日

トラジで慰める

張切る半島芸能慰問団

雄々しくも再起奉公の決意に燃え、只管療養に専念する白衣の勇士の慰問を通じて内地同胞の我が半島に寄せる絶大の信頼と厚情に満腔の感謝を表する本社主催『内地陸海軍病院半島芸能慰問団』一行金錦紅さん以下十四名は愈々十四日朝京城駅発、一路内地に向かうが、晴れの出発に先立って十三日午後二時過ぎ、団長鈴木本社企画部長に引率されて朝鮮軍を訪れ、倉茂報道部長に出発の挨拶を述べたのち、傷兵慰問のため直ちに龍山京城陸軍病院本院に向い、愛国館で白衣勇士二百名を前に半島情緒を豊かに盛った『芸能慰問会』を開催した。

鈴木慰問隊長の挨拶に次いで、金田旺さんが一同を代表して『輝かしい徴兵制を目睫に控えて内地同胞の方々にお礼の意味で陸海軍傷兵を私達の拙い芸でお慰めすることになりました。本日は出発の挨拶に代えて皆様の前で慰問芸能会を開かせて戴きますが、果して皆様をお慰め出来るか心配ですが、一同ははり切って慰問致します。私達同胞が栄えの皇軍の一員として皆様の弟となって前線に起ったことに思いを致し、こうして皆様の前に立って慰問することに私達一同は無上の喜びに胸一ぱいです。何卒全快されて再起奉公の日一日も早からんことを祈って止みません』と優しい真心こもる開会の言葉を流暢な国語で述べ、それより演芸に移った。

楚々とした朝鮮服に着替えた全員はお馴染みの”アリラン”を斉唱。美しい半島古来の民謡の旋律に白衣の勇士を心ゆくまで陶然とさせ、半島独特の舞踊トラジでは優雅な半島情緒纏綿とした踊りを繰展げる。金錦紅さんの十八番”安来節”、”九段の母”には一同割れるような拍手を送る。

漫談新家庭風景はドット爆笑の渦を巻かせ、かくて”佐渡おけさ”、”蘇州の夜”など熱演があり、全員愛国行進曲を活発に斉唱、同三時半心からなる慰問演芸の幕を閉じた。【写真＝同慰問演芸会】

京城日報　1943年7月15日

勇躍傷兵慰問の旅へ

芸能一団行、けさ内地へ出発

十三日壮行会、陸軍病院傷兵慰問を終えた本社主催”内地陸海軍病院半島芸能慰問団”一行金錦紅さん以下十四名は鈴木団長に引率され、十四日午前八時本府を訪問して出発の挨拶を行い、同十時五分京城駅発”のぞみ”で本社関係幹部並びに友人縁故者など多数の見送りを受け、勇躍壮途に上がったが、団員一行は左胸に二十四日間の慰問の旅を守護する如く耀く真紅の『日の丸』の胸章も晴れやかに展望者に現れ、”ではいって参ります、しっかりやってまいります”と手を打ち振りながら出発した。一行中の金田旺さんは、その出発の感激の中にハッキリとした国語で語った。

「慣れない旅ですが、皆心を引き緊めてできるだけ御厄介をかけないように努めましょうとお互い話し合っています。私たちのような未熟なものの歌や踊りがもし内地の白衣の勇士の方々を些かでもお慰め申しあげることが出来ますれば、こんな嬉しいことはありません。真心をこめてやって参ります。それから一行の中には内地行きは初めての方が大部分ですので、皆さん胸をワクワクさせています。それに伊勢の皇大神宮初め尊い御ところにお詣り出来ますことや、綺麗な富士山をみることの出来ますことを心から感謝いたして居ります」【写真＝京城駅出発の半島芸能慰問団】

In 1943, Japanese company bosses discussed how to 'train' Korean workers to work even harder - one punished workers who suffered heat exhaustion by making them run, pushed them to work until they collapsed, strictly reprimanded them for consuming a 10-day food supply in only 3 days

 

Notes: It is July 1943. Imperial Japan, including Japan-colonized Korea, has been mobilized in total war against the United States and Britain for over a year and a half, and the strains of war are starting to show. Food shortages are starting to show up, Korean workers are going hungry, and hungry workers cannot work as hard. Here, Japanese company bosses from across different industries are gathered together exchanging ideas about how to 'train' their Korean workers to work even harder. The company boss of RIKEN Research Institute, which still exists today, boasts that he punishes workers who space out from heat exhaustion by making them run, and also pushes his workers to work until they collapse from exhaustion. 

The last comment at the end of the article about two Korean workers developing 'teething fever' is made as a joke infantilizing Koreans as babies. Unfortunately, these kinds of jokes are still circulated around in Japan today. Recently, Hideaki Kase, director of the Alliance for Truth about Comfort Women, and a major supporter of denialist causes, made a comment calling Koreans 'cute' like children. The infantilization of Koreans has a dark history of being used to justify the oppression of Koreans, including the abuses of colonialism and Imperialism in the Korean peninsula. 

Source: https://archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-07-14/page/n3/mode/1up

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) July 14, 1943

Responding to the demands of the nation in wartime

Willing to die on the production line

The spirit of fierce warriors who increase production

Seongdong-gu Industry Roundtable

First Roundtable Discussion

Mr. Yoshida: Invention and discovery can be true or false. For them to be true, one must start from "divinity". There are so-called mathematical inventions as well as philosophical inventions, and only when "divinity" is added to an invention can great effects be expected.

From my own point of view, it is difficult to accept a materialistic view such as Darwin's theory of evolution. We should not start with the sun. Rather, we should look at what existed before the sun. Therein lies a mysterious and unfathomable world, and a divine age is discovered in which the universe was formed from the power source (electrons) of yin and yang. I believe that, without the "mind of God", there would be no modern age, and discoveries and inventions in advanced modern chemical warfare would not be possible.

In short, I would like to say that, in order to make inventions and discoveries in decisive battles, you must raise your spirit to a high level. "Polish your spirit instead of figuring things out" - this is my creed, and I believe that one's own inspiration will spring up there, and inventions and discoveries will then be possible.

Chief Fukuda: I think your very profound words are enlightening in many places. Now, let's talk about training methods. How about you, Mr. Moriya?

Mr. Moriya (Idemitsu Kosan Company, Ltd.): I would say that all our workers are involved. At first, they were not very enthusiastic about the training, and they said they couldn't help but go hungry during training when they eat just rationed rice (laughter). But gradually they got used to it. We told them to follow the example of Greater Japan Riken Research Institute next door, which is conducting intense training. Nowadays, they are training voluntarily, and it has been quite effective.

Mr. Shirakawa (Japan Anthracite Coal & Steel Co., Ltd.): Starting June 1st, we have organized units in a military style, and each unit leader (plant manager) and others below them assume their duties to perform morning assembly and recite our mission statement aloud every morning. Instructions are also given to underlings at this time, and it has been effective.

In addition to providing lunch and rubber-soled work socks, company housing and dormitories are also provided for the employees. The workday is ten hours, but a 20% bonus is given for two hours of overtime.

We give awards to those who do little good deeds, such as covering up important wartime supplies to prevent them from getting wet when it rains, and we also give awards to excellent technicians and workers.

The other day, we sent ten of our employees to a training center for mid-career workers hosted by Gyeonggi Province, and the employees were very impressed, saying "We never knew such a good place even existed. For the first time, we touched on what the Japanese spirit was, and we were just excited". 

Mr. Mobara (Korea Pharmaceutical Co.): We have about 70 male and female employees. There is nothing unusual about our methods, but we take extra precautions by holding morning meetings to give encouragement and conducting daily mental training at every opportunity.

Mr. Watanabe (Korea Shoes Co.): As you know, we have a lot of buildings and no vacant land, so training has been very difficult. We have been using others' vacant lots for military unit training and wooden sword exercises. Everyone is passionate and always thinking about introducing shinai (bamboo swords) and teaching kendo soon, and the 100 employees are very enthusiastic about it.

Mr. Koyama (Korea Petroleum Co.): Because of our location, fire is very dangerous, and working in such a place is a kind of training in itself, so our daily lives are quite tense.

Mr. Yoshida (Greater Japan Riken Research Institute): Manners and training are included in our company policy, and we strictly enforce polite bowing, even if it causes discomfort. It is totally inappropriate for employees at work to stare at visitors' faces. If a worker is lazy, he is punished by being made to run at full speed.

When people run, all distracted thoughts disappear (laughter). Therefore, whenever I feel that the heat is getting to them and they are feeling a little spaced out, I immediately make them run (laughter). Whenever we assemble, we practice fire drills. At our company, training is part of our job. We shouldn't think that work and training are separate.

We have our staff go to work at 7:00 in the morning, but we make sure they arrive at the office ten minutes before 7:00. Then we do ten minutes of intense naval exercises to strengthen our bodies. Of course, at noon, they train for 30 minutes as well, which seems to have become quite popular.

Those who are foolish or lukewarm are told, "You must work until you collapse. Do not fall short compared to the soldiers on the front lines. You must work hard until you collapse just like the soldiers for whom you take absolute responsibility, vowing that you won't let them die in vain". Thanks to this, they seem to have become more aware of the current situation.

The workers would grumble that there is not enough food, and when I asked why, they told me that they ate up a ten-day supply of food in just three days (laughter). I strictly reprimanded them that this was not OK. We serve miso soup for lunch, which is effective in replenishing calories, but miso is in somewhat short supply these days.

We also strictly enforce bathing. We set up a bathhouse in the factory and encourage them to bathe. If a person gets sick to his stomach, we immediately send him to see a doctor. Our policy is for a worker to see a doctor as soon as possible so that he can be cured quickly.

Recently, we sent about 10 people on a field trip to Japan proper, and it was very effective in helping them acquire the Japanese spirit. For example, on the way to the Ise Grand Shrine, a member of the group was talking to an old farmer and asking him how he was cultivating his fields. It was a nice scene.

When I later asked them about their impressions of their visit, they all said in a curious tone of voice, "There was not a single person in Japan proper who was playing around". This was the most eye-opening thing for them. After studying and returning home, two of them developed severe 'teething fever' (laughter). To be continued...

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年7月14日

戦時下国家要請に応う

喜んで生産陣に斃れん

烈々、この増産戦士の気魄

城東産業座談会

第一回座談会

吉田氏：発明発見には真作と偽作とがあり、真作たらしめるには『神性』から出発しなければならぬ。いわば数学的発明と哲学的発明とがあり、発明に『神性』が加えられてこそ、初めて素晴らしい効果が期待出来るでしょう。

私自身の考え方からすると、ダーウィンの進化論など唯物的な観方は承服出来難い。いきなり太陽から始まるのでなく、太陽以前はどうであったか。そこに神秘不可思議な世界があり、陰陽の電源子（エレクトロン）から宇宙が成り立つ神代が発見される。その”神の心”を切離しては現代は無く、高度化された近代化学戦に於ける発明発見は覚束ないと信じます。

要するに決戦下に於いての発明発見には霊魂を高度に昂めよーと申し上げたい『物を考え出すより魂を練れ』。これが私の信条であって、そこには自らづと霊感が湧き、発明発見も可能なりと信じています。

福田署長：仲々含蓄のあるお言葉に啓発される處が多いと思います。では、錬成の方法に就いてお話を伺いましょう。盛谷さんの方は如何でしょう。

盛谷氏（出光興産）：労務者が全部と云っていいでしょう。三十名ばかりで月数回教練を実施していますが、最初は気乗りせず配給米で教練では腹が減って仕方ありませんという（笑声）。段々慣れて来たが、お隣の理化学研究所では猛烈な訓練をやっている。あれを見習えというわけです。昨今は自発的にやり、相当効果を挙げています。

白川氏（日本無煙炭製鉄）：私共では六月一日から軍隊式に部隊を編成して部隊長（工場長）以下夫々分担して毎朝朝礼を行い、綱領を斉唱します。指示事項なども、この際示達して効果を挙げています。

厚生施設の中に昼食の給与や、地下足袋の配給の他、社宅や合宿の整備にも気を配り、十時間勤務ですが、居残り二時間に対し二割の手当を出します。

一寸した善行、例えば雨が降って命ぜられなくても物をかぶせて、その大事な戦時物資の濡れることを防ぐ等の善行者或いは優良技術者、工員には表彰することにしています。

先日京畿道主催の中堅労務者訓練所に私共からも十名ばかり入所させましたが、『あんな良い所とは知りませんでした。日本精神というものに就いて、初めて触れて只々耀くばかりです』と工員達は非常な感激振りです。

茂原氏（朝鮮売薬）：私共には男女七十名程の従業員が居り、別に変わった方法としてありませんが、朝会の励行と日常の精神訓練には凡ゆる機会を通じて充分意を注いでいます。

渡辺氏（朝鮮製靴）：御存知の様に、建物が敷地いっぱいで空地がないもんですから錬成の苦心は一通りでありません。それでも方々の空地を利用して部隊教練、木剣体操をさせていますが、皆が熱心で近く竹刀を導入して剣道も教えたいと念頭しており、百名の工員も大張切りという按配です。

小山氏（朝鮮石油）：場所柄火気が非常に危険で、そんな所で仕事すること自体が一つの錬成で相当緊張した日常を送ります。

吉田氏（大日本理化学研究所）：礼儀と訓練は社是に包含されており、きざのようでも敬礼は厳格に励行させています。仕事中に見学者でも来るとジロジロ顔を見るのなど全くいけませんな。時に怠け者などありますと、罰に駈け足をさせます。

人間走っていると一切の雑念はケシ飛んで了うものです（笑声）。ですから暑さに負けて少しボンヤリしたなと思うと、すぐ駈け足をさせます（笑声）。集合の際は常に防火訓練の行動です。私共では訓練も立派に仕事の中にはいるんです。仕事と訓練とは別だという考え方がいけないんですね。

朝は七時出勤なんですが必ず十分前に到着せよと実行させています。それから十分間猛烈な海軍体操で身体を鍛えます。勿論正午にも三十分間同様猛訓練でこれは相当評判になっているようです。

愚図愚図したり生温かいことを言っている者等には『君達倒れるまでやれ。前線の将兵に負けてはならぬ。そのかわり工場で倒れた以上犬死はさせぬ、絶対の責任をもつから兵士と同様倒れるまで頑張るんだぞ』と励まします。近頃はお蔭で大分時局を認識して来たようです。

御飯が足らぬとこぼすから、わけを聞いて見ると十日分を三日位で食う（笑声）。こんな事ではダメだと厳しく戒めます。昼に味噌汁を給与しますが、これはカロリー補給に効果がありますが、昨今はやや味噌が不足しています。

それから入浴は厳重にさせています。工場内に浴場を設けて励行させる。腹でもこわした時は直ぐ医者に診せます。早く診せて早く治す方針です。

先般内地見学に十名程やり、日本精神体得に非常な効果を挙げました。例えば伊勢参宮の途中、一人の隊員が内地人の年老いた農夫に懸命に話かけて田畑の耕作振りに就いて聞いているのです。いい風景でしたね。

隊員に後で内地見学の感想を聞いてみると一様に『内地では只の一人も遊んでいる者がありませんね』と不思議相に言うのです。之が一番眼に着いたらしいですね。勉強が過ぎて帰ってから二名程高度の智恵熱を出しましたよ（笑声）（つづく）。