The modern Seoul police force has cultural continuity with the Imperial Japanese police force of the colonial period because the US occupation decided to staff the police leadership with Japanese-trained officers – here are two propaganda articles describing Seoul police culture in 1943 and 1944

The modern Seoul police as an organization descends directly from the Imperial Japanese colonial police forces which policed the Korean population during the colonial period. In recent days, we have seen some things about the modern Seoul police which may possibly be attributable to this institutional legacy, such as its strong conservative political orientation (to the point of acting to shield the Yoon government from responsibility for the Itaewon Halloween crowd crush), and its prioritization of monitoring crime over crowd control.

Indeed, it could be argued that institutional continuity with Imperial Japanese institutions ensures that some cultural attributes from Imperial Japan are difficult to erase from the police force, despite years democratic liberalization and reform. To explore this further, I'm sharing two articles, one from 1943 and another from 1944, which give us a glimpse into what Seoul police culture was like during the colonial period.

But before I delve into the articles, here is a passage from p. 38 of The Korean War by Max Hastings to provide additional context:

The suspicions of many Korean Nationalists about the conduct of the American military government were redoubled by the fashion in which the National Police, the most detested instrument of Japanese tyranny, was not merely retained but strengthened. It was the American official historians of the occupation who wrote that "the Japanese police in Korea possessed a breadth of function and an extent of power equalled in few countries in the modern world." The 12,000 Japanese in their ranks were sent home. But the 8,000 Koreans who remained—the loyal servants of a brutal tyranny in which torture and judicial murder had been basic instruments of government—found themselves promoted to fill the higher ranks, while total police strength in South Korea doubled. Equipped with American arms, jeeps, and radio communications, the police became the major enforcement arm of American military government and its chief source of political intelligence. A man like Yi Ku-bom, one of the most notorious police officers of the Japanese regime, who feared for his life in August 1945, was a year later chief of a major ward station in Seoul. A long roll call of prominent torturers and anti-Nationalist fighters under the colonial power found themselves in positions of unprecedented authority. In 1948, 53 percent of officers and 25 percent of rank-and-file police were Japanese-trained. By a supreme irony, when the development began of a Constabulary force, from which the South Korean Army would grow, the Americans specifically excluded any recruit who had been imprisoned by the Japanese—and thus any member of the anti-Japanese resistance. The first chief of staff of the South Korean Army in 1947 was a former colonel in the Japanese Army.

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) August 13, 1943

Vowing to unite the people and the police

Patriotic group leaders hold roundtable discussion

"Recently, the leaders of the town council have not been well educated. We would like to have more qualified people on board". "It's a little too much to ask a female patriotic group member to work a night patrol position". These were the first words uttered by the people at the "Urban Police Roundtable Discussion" organized by the Jongno Police Station, which was held to listen to the honest opinions of the fighting people of Seoul, to promote the unity of the police and the people, and to stabilize the lives of the people. The police station held the round-table discussion to listen to the voices of the fighting people at Whimoon National School in Anguk-dong, Jongno-gu from 2:00 p.m. on August 12, inviting more than 50 leaders from the patriotic groups and town councils in the area.

 

Following the national State Shinto ceremonies, Director Sano gave the following admonition: "We cannot win the Greater East Asia War unless the police who serve as the eyes and ears, and the people who serve as the hands and feet, completely fuse together and raise up all their strength". The High Police Commissioner Okamura issued a warning regarding counterintelligence, irresponsible rumors, and fabricated lies. After this, they moved on to the round-table discussion session, where they frankly exchanged opinions on an open and friendly basis.

The people's voices exploded incessantly trying to clearly express their feelings, with many people sharing their candid opinions, such as "The police officers do not show enough humanity towards the people as things are now," and "We want more sincerity from our leaders". The meeting was adjourned after 4:00 p.m., with the participants firmly pledging to work together as one for a concerted effort on the home front.

The roundtable discussion meetings will be held in each district (gu) until the end of September, and from now on, the Urban Police Roundtable Discussions will be held every Thursday and Saturday in order to listen to the voices of the people and to strengthen home front security.

Photo: at the round-table discussion

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-08-13

 

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) April 25, 1944

Reinforcing the principle of "trust, reward, and punishment"

Police Chief Oka: "Still Not Enough Self-Restraint by the People of Seoul"

The regular press conference with Police Chief Oka was held at 11:00 a.m. on April 24 in his office. Oka gave examples of recent police administration, self-restraint and public morals at entertainment venues, urban defense measures, and urban evacuation plans in response to questions from the press. First, he praised Sergeant Otani's "pure heart," citing the example of a man from the underworld who tried unsuccessfully to bribe the police in the cotton cloth case, and then said, "Recently, the police administration has been strengthening the principle of trust, reward, and punishment."

Police Chief Oka

 

◇．．．To produce good police officers, training is need. At the dōjō (military-style training center) in Aobachō, about 80 people are trained at a time for four days. Six hundred have already completed the training, but we will continue until all of them have participated. We are also planning to have the executive level officers of each police station participate in the training, and to extend the training to all local police stations. We can say that the effectiveness of the training is close to 100%, judging from the feedback that we have received from the participants.

◇．．． Enforcing self-restraint is a very difficult problem. The first-class restaurants were reduced in size by one-third to become smaller counter-style restaurants, but this has not been going well. We are working on a solution to the problem of 'carrying women'. The problem of the public morals with respect to laid-off and unemployed kisaeng and female waitresses cannot be ignored. The number of "women of the underworld" in the back streets of certain districts is said to be increasing dramatically, but before blaming the women, we would like to urge the public to reflect on this issue as well.

◇．．．The number of visitors to Changgyeonggung on Sunday was said to have reached 60,000, so we cannot say that the people of Seoul are restrained. Of course, these leisure seekers may be representing only a small portion of the population, but I would like the public to reflect on this issue more.

The police are determined to thoroughly crack down not only on women at entertainment venues, but also on offenses against public morals in general. After this admonition, Police Chief Oka spoke about urban defense measures and urban evacuation plans, and the press conference ended shortly after 1:00 p.m.

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1944-04-25

(Notes)

Patriotic Groups (JP: aikoku-han, KR: aeguk-ban, 愛國班) 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), the single ruling party of colonial Korea. 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 government’s request, arranging marriages, holding mandatory Japanese language classes, spying on ‘ideological criminals’, etc.

See also: The Korean War by Max Hastings, available on the Internet Archive.

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年8月13日

警民一体を誓う

愛国班長座談会開く

”最近の町会指導員は教養が足らない。もう少し有資格者を置いてもらいたい””女の班員に夜警をやらせることは少し無理です”これは戦う府民の懐に飛び込んで民衆の率直な声を聞いて警民一体の実を挙げるとともに国民生活の安定を図ろうとする鐘路警察署主催の”都市警察座談会”に於ける民衆の第一声だった。同署では十二日午後二時から鐘路区安国町徽文国民学校に同地区の愛国班長以上町会役員約五十余名を召集して決戦国民の声を聞く座談会を開いた。

国民儀礼に次いで佐野所長から”目と耳として働く警察と手と足となって働く民衆とが完全融合して総力を挙げねば大東亜戦を勝ち抜くことは出来ない”との訓示あって岡村高等主任から防諜並びに造言蜚語に関する注意あったのち座談会に移り、膝を交えて忌憚なき意見の交換を遂げた。

きょうこそ我々の気持ちをはっきりと告げようとばかり民衆の声は引きも切らず爆発され、”警察官は民衆に対する人情味がいまのままでは物足りぬ””指導者の誠意がもっともっと欲しい”等々の民意を率直に漏らし、銃後一丸となって総力運動に挺身することを固く誓って同四時すぎ閉会した。

なお同座談会は九月末日まで各地区別に行われる筈であるが、今後は毎週木、土曜を都市座談会日と定め民衆の声を聞いて銃後治安の強化を図る。

【写真＝その座談会】

 

京城日報　1944年4月25日

信賞必罰主義を強化

岡警察部長：まだ足りぬ府民の自粛

岡警察部長との記者団定例会見は二十四日午前十一時部長室で行った。岡部長は最近の警察行政、享楽部面の自粛と風紀問題、都市防衛態勢、都市疎開など記者団の質問に対し例を上げて語った。まず『最近の警察行政としては信賞必罰主義を強化している』と、さきに綿布事件で贈賄せんとして失敗した闇の男の例を上げて大谷巡査部長の『清い心』を讃えてから、

◇．．．良き警察官たらしめるには錬成が必要だ。青葉町の道場では一回約八十名を四日宛錬成している。既に六百名は終ったが引き続けて全部入場させる。更に各署の幹部級もやり、地方の各署にも及ぼす心算だ。その感想文などを見ても効果は百％に近いと言ってもよい。

◇．．．享楽部面の自粛は一寸難しい問題で、一流料理店を三分の一に縮減し割烹店としたが、それがどうもうまく行っていないらしく、問題の『運び女』について目下善後策を講じている。廃休業の妓生、女給の風紀問題も等関視出来ないことで某町の裏通りには”闇の女”が激増しているというが、これも女を責める前に大衆の反省を促したい。

◇．．．きのうの日曜、昌慶苑の入場者が六万に上るというが、これを見ても府民が緊張しているとはいえない。勿論それは一部分の有閑人であろうが、なお一層反省して欲しい。

警察としても享楽面の女ばかりでなく、一般の風紀についても徹底的に取り締まる心算だ、と警告したのち都市の防衛と疎開について述べ午後一時過ぎ会見を終った。

 

Everyone in Korea was required to immediately stop exactly at 7 am for the Kyūjō Yōhai prayer vowing loyalty to the Emperor and at noon for the moment of silence honoring Imperial soldiers, even cars and trains had to immediately stop in the middle of traffic at the same time for prayers (Aug. 1943)

In Japan-colonized Korea, everyone was required to perform the daily 7 am and 12 noon prayers. These 7 am and 12 noon prayers were mandatory in Korea, but not so in mainland Japan. There were usually loud sirens marking those two times of the day, and you had to immediately stop what you were doing and perform the prayers. As the following articles indicate, starting on August 12, 1943, even if you were driving a car or operating a train, you were required to immediately stop in the middle of the road or the tracks at 7 am and 12 noon sharp to perform the prayers.

The 7 am Kyūjō Yōhai ritual (宮城遥拝) involved deeply bowing several times in the direction of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo while standing, vowing loyalty to the Emperor. The noon prayer was a moment of silence in honor of the Imperial Japanese soldiers.

Enforcement of this rule was performed by the Korean Federation of National Power (国民総力朝鮮連盟, 국민총력조선연맹), which functioned as the one and only political party of Korea, the patriotic groups (JP: aikoku-han, KR: aeguk-ban, 愛國班), which were the local level neighborhood cells of the political party, and the police.

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) August 12, 1943

All vehicles must be stopped for the morning prayer and for the moment of silence at noon, effective today

Effective today, August 12, all vehicles must be stopped for the morning prayer and for the moment of silence at noon. At a regular press conference on August 11, Governor-General Koiso said, "Neither cars nor trains are stopping, even though they may have heard the sirens at noon," and called for the transportation authorities to look into this. The Governor-General's words were heard by the Gyeonggi Provincial Police Department, and he immediately ordered all trains, cars, rickshaws, and other vehicles to always stop for the Kyūjō Yōhai morning prayer and for the moment of silence at noon, just as ordinary pedestrians do, and he also instructed all police stations to ensure that drivers and others offer respectful prayers and moments of silence, so that his orders would be definitely executed.

Until now, government officials, merchants, farmers, and everyone else, whether at home or on foot, have always offered prayers and moments of silence. Once visitors set foot on the Korean peninsula, they voice their admiration seeing such a beautiful scene of people offering their prayers. Nevertheless, trains, cars, carts, and other vehicles have not stopped, but instead have sped along in clouds of dust past people offering their moments of silence. This unpleasant phenomenon was also lamented by the collective voices of the Korean Federation of National Power. On August 10th, the "Iron Rules for Life Fighting Decisive Battles" was issued by the Seoul Branch of the Korean Federation of National Power as a set of practical measures for the patriotic groups to follow, calling for all vehicles to be stopped to perform the morning prayer and the moment of silence. Starting today, all vehicles must stop immediately for the morning prayer and the moment of silence.

It is not too late!

Don't cause traffic accidents

Message from Mr. Isaka, Chief of the Provincial Safety Division

The chief of the Gyeonggi Provincial Security Division, Mr. Isaka, urged all drivers to be careful when stopping their vehicles for the morning prayer and for the moment of silence at noon:

All vehicles should have already stopped to observe the morning prayer and moment of silence by now. However, it is not too late if we do it thoroughly even today. It was unpleasant to see just the cars not stopping while everyone else was stopping for prayers.

We will strictly admonish drivers who do not do this in the future. Cars, trains, and other vehicles must pay attention to their surroundings when stopping in order to prevent traffic accidents if the vehicles all stop at the same time.

For example, if five or six cars are traveling in a row when the car in front stops suddenly, and the car behind carelessly forgets to stop at the same time, there is a possibility of a rear-end collision. All vehicles should pay attention to these points to avoid traffic accidents.

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-08-12

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) August 13, 1943

Moment of Silence in the Train

The train conductor will remind you when the train is stopped

From August 12, all trains, cars, carts, and other vehicles are to stop for the Kyūjō Yōhai morning prayers and at noon for moment of silence, just as ordinary pedestrians do, and drivers are to offer morning prayers and moments of silence to pray for military victory and for the long life of the Imperial Japanese Military, as well as to encourage the spirit of respect for the gods and the ancestors. The director of the Transportation Department, Mr. Sakamoto, who is in charge of transportation for the one million inhabitants of Seoul, was asked about what measures he has taken for stopping the trains in Seoul.

"We immediately gathered all the employees together and urged them to thoroughly enforce the stopping of the trains. I believe that it is a necessary act for the national people on the home front to stop their cars for the morning prayer and for the moment of silence at noon to offer heartfelt thanksgiving. However, for various reasons, it is impossible for trains to stop exactly on time with the sirens, and there is also the fear that a sudden stop could result in a traffic accident. Therefore, when the sirens sound, we stop the train as soon as possible, and the train conductor informs the passengers that it is time for the morning prayer or the moment of silence. This is technically difficult, but I believe things will gradually improve through training."

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-08-13

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年8月12日

諸車の運転を停止、きょうから実行

朝の遥拝、正午の黙祷に

きょう十二日から『朝の遥拝と正午の黙祷には諸車一斉に停止の事』。十一日小磯総督と記者団との定例会見で総督は『正午のサイレンがきこえないのかもしれないが自動車も電車も停まらない』と述べ、交通機関への注意を喚起した。その声は打てば響くが如く京畿道警察部に伝わり、直ちにきょう十二日から電車も自動車も人力車もその他の一切の車が一般通行人と同様、朝の宮城遥拝と正午の黙祷には必ず停車し、運転手等も敬虔なる遥拝と黙祷を捧げるよう各警察署に指令し、必ず実行することになった。

これまで官公吏も商人もお百姓さんも誰でもが家にいても歩いていても遥拝と黙祷は必ず捧げており、一度半島に足を踏み入れた者は、この美しい姿に感歎の声を放っていたのだ。それにも拘わらず電車、自動車、荷車等の諸車は停車せず、静かに黙祷を捧げている人々を尻目に砂塵を巻いて疾走していたのだ。この不快の現象は総力結集の上からも嘆じられていたことであり、十日国民総力京城府聯盟から愛国班の実践事項として呼びかけた『決戦生活の鉄則』にも諸車停止の上遥拝、黙祷を行うようになっているのだ。さあ、きょうから直ちに車は停止して、遥拝、黙祷を捧げるのだ。

今からでも遅くない

交通事故を起こさぬように

伊坂道保安課長談

朝の遥拝と正午の黙祷に諸車停止の実践に入るに際し、伊坂京畿道保安課長はつぎの如く語り、諸車の注意を促した。

諸車が停止して遥拝黙祷を捧げることは既に今までに実行していなければならなかったのである。だが、きょうからでも徹底的に実行すれば遅くはないのだ。全部の人が停止しているなかを車だけが停まらないのは見苦しいことだった。

今後これを実行しない車に対しては厳重に説諭する考えであるが、自動車、電車、その他の車は一斉に同時停車することになれば交通事故防止の上から、停止する場合よく周囲に注意することが必要である。

例えば五台、六台と続いて進行中、前の車が急停車し後の車が不心得にも同時に停車を忘れた場合は追突の虞があるのだ。こういう点に諸車は注意し、交通事故を起こさないようにすべきである。

京城日報　1943年8月13日

車内の黙祷

停車して車掌から知らせる

十二日から電車も自動車も荷車も、その他すべての車が朝の宮城遥拝と正午の黙祷時間には一般通行人と同様に必ず停車し運転手等も遥拝と黙祷を捧げ、皇軍の武運長久を祈願するとともに敬神崇祖の精神を昂めることになったが、百万府民の足を預かる京電側の停車対策を坂本運輸部長に訊く。

早速従業員一同を集めて停車の徹底実施を促しました。朝の遥拝と正午の黙祷時間に車を停めて心からの感謝をこめて黙祷を捧げることは銃後国民の必遂行為だと思います。だが電車は色々な事情でサイレンとぴったり合うようには停車が不可能であるとともに、急停車は却って交通事故の発生を招来する憂いもあるので、サイレンが鳴ればなるべく早く車を停めて車掌から乗客に対し遥拝や黙祷時間を知らせるように致しました。これは技術的に困難なことであるが、訓練によって漸次よくなって行くことと思います。

 

A back-to-school article telling Korean parents what their children would expect on their first day at Imperial Japanese elementary school: Shinto prayers to the Emperor, a free piece of bread for lunch, students were encouraged to earn their own money to buy some school supplies (April 1944, Seoul)

Imagine you are parent in 1944 Seoul and it is April, the beginning of the new school year. You are about to send your children to their first day of National School, which was equivalent to elementary school. To allay your anxieties, you may have picked up the newspaper and read this article to learn what to expect, and how to prepare your children for school. But this was Imperial Japan, so your children were going to be indoctrinated into State Shintoism. That meant bowing in the direction of the Imperial Palace every morning, praying in a moment of silence at noon for Imperial Japanese soldiers, and praying to the kamidana miniature Shinto shrines that were set up in the classrooms. The morning and noon prayers were mandatory in Korea, but not in mainland Japan. In addition, there were regular field trips to local shrines.

Textbooks and notebooks were provided free of charge. Free school lunch was provided, consisting of one 157-gram piece of bread, roughly equivalent to 1 and a half bagels, but parents were apparently expected to supplement it with food brought from home. Each piece of bread cost 13 sen, or roughly 2 to 3 US Dollars today.

In addition to memorizing their own names and home addresses, the children were also expected to memorize the names of their own Patriotic Groups, which would have been something like 'the Fourth Patriotic Group of the Fifth Team of Sajik-dong'.

Patriotic Groups (JP: aikoku-han, KR: aeguk-ban, 愛國班) 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), the single ruling party of colonial Korea. 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 government’s request, arranging marriages, holding mandatory Japanese language classes, spying on ‘ideological criminals’, etc.

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) April 1, 1944

Fighting Families

Discipline for school children

Be strong, honest and cheerful!

With the joyous first day of school for the children finally approaching, we asked teacher Ms. Nakajima Ei of Seoul Sakurai National School about how to prepare the children at home.

Ms. Nakajima Ei, teacher at Seoul Sakurai National School

☆ … Discipline for children starting school

The three desirable qualities in children starting school are (a) a strong body, (b) an honest and cheerful nature, and (c) orderly discipline. However, not all children are educated in a uniformly excellent manner at home, so if your child lacks even one of these three qualities, please take the opportunity to correct his or her shortcomings as soon as possible.

In the area of child discipline, above all, we must instill in our children the education and awareness of being Imperial subjects from the time they are children in order to raise them to become capable citizens who will fight decisive battles. To this end, we should remind them of the dignity of the Imperial family and cultivate a spirit of reverence for the gods and the ancestors, so that they will not neglect daily routine national disciplines such as the Kyūjō Yōhai ritual [7 a.m. bowing several times in the direction of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo while standing], a Moment of Silence at noon [to honor Imperial Japanese soldiers], visiting Shinto shrines, and worshipping at the kamidana (miniature Shinto shrines inside rooms).

Let's also make it a habit to change the carefree lifestyle of the past and have our children wake up early, go to bed early, and go to and from school properly according to the rules. We must also teach them how to greet people in the morning and evening and how to respond to adults in a courteous manner. In addition, although it may seem trivial, it is important to give your child the confidence to do what he or she can do on his or her own without help from adults, so that he or she can pay for school supplies on his or her own after entering school.

☆ … Preparation at home before school starts

There is no need to teach your child various complicated things, but it is a good idea to have your child practice reading and writing his/her own name, learn the names of his/her parents, their address, and their patriotic group.

☆ … School supplies and other belongings

The school will take care of the necessary school supplies such as textbooks and notebooks, so there is no need to worry. It is advisable to avoid new or extravagant clothing, and to wear only what you have on hand or recycled clothing. It is also a good idea to get into the habit of taking good care of things such as pencils and paper.

☆ … Correcting children's selfishness, pettiness, bashfulness, nervousness, etc.

There are many causes for these problems, and it is difficult to say exactly what they are, but the National School is a training ground to build a character which is appropriate for Imperial subjects. Of course, selfishness is unacceptable, but petulance, bashfulness, and nervousness will gradually improve as they spend their lives together as a group at school. If parents consult with their children's teachers and take appropriate measures, then it will be possible to correct their children's behavior.

To this end, please encourage your children to think of school as an interesting and fun place when you drop them off and pick them up in the morning and evening. When they come home from school, be sure to talk to them about their day at school, even if it is just to review the day's activities.

In short, the home and school should work together to help children grow up brightly and strongly, and to teach them to have the determination to win the war as little national people of Japan fighting decisive battles.

School Lunches

The new school year will see the start of school lunches for the children of the National Schools. For the time being, each student will be given one loaf of bread of 42 monme (157.5 g) each until the cooking facilities have been set up. This is equivalent to about 7 shaku (70 ml) of brown rice. This is an expression of concern by the parents determined not to let the growing little national people feel hunger. However, there are apparently some families where the adults take advantage of the fact that 13 sen was paid to buy bread for the children, by eating up the rice that they used to provide in their children's lunch boxes.

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1944-04-01

(Transcription)

京城日報　1944年4月1日

戦う家庭

就学児童の躾

強く素直で明るく

お子さんたちの楽しい入学の日もいよいよ近づきましたから、家庭での心構えを京城桜井国民学校の中島エイ先生におききしてみました。

☆．．．入学児童の躾について

入学するお子さんたちに望ましいのは（イ）丈夫な身体（ロ）素直な明るい性質（ハ）規律正しい躾の三つの事柄ですが、皆が一様に立派な家庭教育を受けているとは限りませんから、今申しました三つの中の一つでも欠けておる場合には入学を機会に子供さんの欠点を思いきって直すようにつとめて下さい。

その中で児童の躾については、何よりも決戦下りっぱな国民に育て上げるために子供の時分から皇国臣民としての自覚と教養を植えつけるようにしなくてはなりません。それには皇室の尊厳を心に銘じさせ、敬神崇祖の精神を培うよう、宮城遥拝、正午の黙祷、神社参拝と神棚礼拝など日常の手近な国民的躾を怠らないようにしましょう。

また今までの気ままな生活を切り替えて早起き、早寝を実行させ、登校、下校は規則正しくするように習慣づけましょう。それから朝晩のご挨拶や大人に対する返事の仕方など礼儀を正しくするように導かねばなりません。そのほか些細なことですが、入学後に学用品代などはお子さんが自分一人で納められるという風に、自分の力で出来ることは大人の手を借りずにやりとげるという自信を持たせるようにしつけましょう。

☆．．．学校がはじまる前の家庭での準備

いろいろむずかしいことを教えこむ必要はございませんが、自分の名前は読み書きできるように練習させ、御両親の名前と住所、愛国班の組くらいは覚えさせたら結構だと思います。

☆．．．学用品その他の持物

教科書、帳面など必要な学用品は学校の方でお引き受けしておりますから御心配はございませんが、服装などは新調のものや華美なものをさけて、なるべく有り合わせのものや更生品を利用された方がよいでしょう。また鉛筆や紙など物を大切に扱う習慣をつけるようにしましょう。

☆．．．子供の我儘、小心、はにかみ、神経質などの矯正

原因がいろいろあって一概には申されませんが、国民学校は皇国臣民にふさわしい素地をつくる錬成の道場ですから、我儘などは勿論許されませんけれども、小心、はにかみ、神経質などは学校で団体生活をしていくうちにだんだんよくなりますから、何よりも保護者のかたが受け持ちの先生とよくご相談のうえ適当な方法を講じて矯正されるよう努力されたらなおせるものです。

それにはお子さんたちに学校は面白くて楽しいところだと思いこませるよう、朝夕の送り迎えの際など元気をつけてやり、学校から帰って来ましたら、おさらいの意味からでも必ずその日の学校生活の様子を話させてお聞き取り下さい。

要するに家庭と学校が一体となって、お子さんたちが明るく強くのびていくようにして幼いながら決戦下日本の少国民として勝ち抜く気概を持たせるように指導しなくてはならないはずです。

学校給食

新学年度国民学校児童のお昼給食がはじまるそうである。さしあたり炊爨設備がととのうまでは、一人について四十二匁のパン一つづつが渡されるという。之は五分搗き米約七勺にあたる栄養価をもつもので、育ち盛りの少国民たちにひもじい思いをさせまいとする親心からである。ところがこれをいいことにして、こどもには十三銭出してパンを買ってやったからとて、今までこどもの弁当をつつんでいたお米を大人たちが食いこむような家はなかろうか。

Imperial Japanese penal official said Korean 'ideological criminals' (independence activists) were 'not well made as human beings', but 'if only their thoughts could be corrected, then they will get better' so they can be 'used' for wartime labor, but 'this is not the case with ordinary criminals'

The following are parts 3 and 4 of an interesting roundtable discussion by Imperial Japanese colonial officials discussing how to best utilize the incarcerated juvenile criminals, ideological criminals, and common criminals under their control for wartime production purposes. Please see this previous post for parts 1 and 2 of this roundtable discussion. Apparently, colonial officials believed that ideological criminals, who included Korean independence activists, could have their thoughts corrected, so they had more labor potential than common criminals, who were perceived to be less reformable. One gullible penal official was apparently duped into paying in part for the Korean clothes of one laborer who had a criminal record for theft, and the official's home was later burglarized, presumably by the laborer himself.

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) September 12, 1943

Talking about Judicial Protection

Roundtable discussion organized by the head office of Keijo Nippo newspaper - Part 3

Guidance for Increasing Military Strength

Encouraging Prisoners in the Construction of Airfields

Speakers (in no particular order)

• Mr. Fukuzō Hayata, Director of the Legal Affairs Bureau of the Governor-General's Office
• Mr. Michiyoshi Masuda, President of Seoul Law School
• Major Nishida, Director of Seoul Naval War Office
• Mr. Norimitsu Ohno, Director of the Seoul Court of Inquiry
• Mr. Yūzō Nagasaki, Director of Seoul Probation Office
• Mr. Utarō Sakafuji, Administrative Officer of the Legal Affairs Bureau's Criminal Affairs Division
• Mr. Yasunori Miyazaki, Secretary of the Criminal Affairs Division, Bureau of Justice
• Mr. Shizuo Kojima, Director, Ideology Division, Korean Federation of National Power
• Mr. Shōichi Fujii, Seongam Academy
• Mr. Masataka Ōkubo, Director of Yasaka Youth Dōjō
• Keijo Nippo: Mr. Akio, Director of Editorial Department, Mr. Mine, Director of Social Affairs Department

Roundtable discussion scene

Keijo Nippo Reporter: No matter how earnestly we give guidance with love and fervent instruction, I think that there will still be people who will cause trouble for the Bureau of Justice. What are the views of those in the military as to how the subjects of judicial protection should be mobilized?

Naval Major Nishida: I think it would be fine if they are readily used under the firm guidance of companies in the production area that believe that what they are doing is directly useful to the nation. There may be a security issue or two, but in the context of the war, these issues are not so important, and I think this is the quickest way to meet the demands of the nation.

We have used prisoners to build certain airplanes, but I have heard that most of the prisoners were so enthusiastic and happy to know that their work in a place without any comfort services was helping to protect Japan. I have also heard that they were more efficient than those who were used from one group.

I think it would be very good if you could supervise them and assign them to such areas, rather than just suddenly releasing them out of the blue.

Keijo Nippo Reporter: As a specialist, what is your opinion on the problem that crime is preventing the increase in military strength in wartime?

Mr. Miyazaki, Secretary of the Criminal Affairs Division: Recently, the public has been paying a great deal of attention to the issue of production buildup. This is the people's mindset of responding to the current stage of the war, and anyone who stands in the way must be resolutely removed. Judicial protection is playing a significant role in removing such obstacles.

So far, the goal of judicial protection has been to passively maintain public order, but from now on, it must also get involved in the wartime aspects of life which are directly involved in the production buildup.

The number of Korean subjects of general judicial protection is estimated at around 3,000, and even though it is difficult to figure out what to do once we gather them together, it is not effective to handle them as a dispersed group. The most important thing is to gather them together and use their combined strength towards the goal of increasing production.

Mr. Ohno, Director of the Seoul Court of Inquiry: I have been thinking about what you said earlier, and although I think that people who commit ideological crimes are not well made as human beings, if only their thoughts could be corrected, then they will get better. However, this is not the case with ordinary criminals. In the fall of the year before last, I had some work to do at home, so I hired three laborers from the Seoul Educational Foundation.

I took notice of these laborers who had relatively good potential, so I invited them back to my house several times, so I could work with them and guide them. I thought to myself, if it went well, then there would be much to gain. My wife also felt this way and did various things, such as serving them dinner before sending them home, and letting them take some fruits home.

One of them was 17 years old and had one conviction for theft, but he was completely repentant and said he would do anything to get back on his feet. He said he would figure out something to do even without my prompting, but he eventually came to me and asked if I had a relatively preferential job for him. As New Year's Day approached, he asked me, "I found this store selling some Korean clothes for 17 yen, but I only have half the money to pay for it. I'm wondering if you could provide me with the rest of the money to help pay for it?" He was just a small 17-year-old child with no parents, so I decided to help him purchase it.

However, he never came again. After a while, my house was burglarized. I cannot believe that my way of doing things was a success in any way, even as a joke. I think it is a difficult question to answer as to why I failed. The judicial protection program is designed to guide and rehabilitate subjects by showing them compassion. It is extremely easy to first show them compassion, but it is extremely difficult to guide and rehabilitate them.

Mr. Miyazaki: Mr. Ohno mentioned that judicial protection services are very difficult to manage. I think that it is very difficult for judicial protection services to remake a subject's personality into a perfect person.

However, it is not enough for today's protection services to merely strive towards the perfection of the subject's personality. When human resources are in dire need of replenishment, it is not enough to perfect the human personality. Instead, I believe that the most important demand for judicial services today is to directly contribute to the buildup of production.

I believe that this is, at the same time, the goal of judicial protection. In this respect, juvenile protection seems to be very easy. There is a possibility that the trial court can place a juvenile in a juvenile reformatory institution or in a judicial protection group and firmly deal with them. Furthermore, ideological criminals under judicial protection also have the probation office to watch over them, so it is possible to put all of their cases together there. But there are difficulties when it comes to general judicial protection.

Mr. Ohno: It's just two sides of the same coin, isn't it?

Mr. Satō, Chief of the Protection Division of the Legal Affairs Bureau: That requires organization.

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-09-12

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) September 14, 1943

Talking about Judicial Protection

Roundtable discussion hosted by the head office of Keijo Nippo newspaper - Part 4

Rehabilitated prisoners who are sent south

Futaba Cram School, a juvenile protection school with an attractive reputation

Keijo Nippo Reporter: I would like you to share your thoughts from the standpoint of judicial punishment.

Mr. Sakafuji, Officer of the Criminal Affairs Division: I am in a position directly related to judicial protection, and from that standpoint, I believe that judicial protection must always move in the same direction as judicial punishment. However, simply viewing things in light of the ongoing current war situation, we find ourselves needing to cooperate in all aspects to increase military strength. In terms of its essential and systemic aspects, judicial punishment has been very passive in nature.

However, in order to break through these various restraints to some extent, and to actively embark on this project, we are currently dispatching a considerable number of people to the south. We have received a large number of requests from those who wish to be dispatched to the south. In general, the volunteers want to gain redemption by serving during wartime, and there is a significant feeling that this desire for redemption can be used towards the purpose of increasing military strength. However, for this reason, we do not send any number of people who wish to join us, but rather we select and train from among those who wish to join us.

At present, prisons also provide special training and technical training for this purpose, but I believe that an organizational plan must be established to mobilize subjects under judicial protection to increase military strength based on the Imperial Way of Labor.

Since subjects under general protection are dispersed, it is acceptable to organize a few protection groups for all of Korea. Labor groups can be organized, and they can become the basis for increasing military strength through work. This is where the way forward for judicial protection can be found.

Keijo Nippo Reporter: Now, Mr. Satō will give us an overview of judicial protection in the past year.

Mr. Satō: Judicial protection can be divided into three parts: juvenile criminal protection, ideological criminal protection, and general criminal protection. The system for juveniles was established for the first time in Korea on March 25 last year, but the law was promulgated on March 23 and came into effect on March 25. That left only two days to implement the law, which did not leave enough time to actually implement it. I must say that most of last year was spent in preparation for the implementation of this law.

Last year, we started by appointing juvenile protection officers. The Juvenile Court asked the chief public prosecutors in the six provinces within the jurisdiction of the Seoul Court of Inquiry to recommend suitable juvenile protection officers, and we appointed 151 of them as commissioned juvenile protection officers. The appointments were made on September 18, and it took a considerable period of time just to select the juvenile protection officers. The Juvenile Protection Center has established an organization called Futaba Cram School Foundation with the idea of providing direct guidance for the actual judicial protection of juvenile ideological criminals.

We are in the process of renovating buildings that have been confiscated from enemy states, but when this is completed, we plan to accommodate 200 juvenile offenders in both Incheon and Gongju, and if we give them focused training for two months, just as we do in mainland Japan, we will be able to train about 1,000 people five times a year. If we do not do this, we will not be able to provide actual judicial protection for the approximately 20,000 juveniles in our jurisdiction. In this way, we would like to have them serve in projects related to the current war situation and, if possible, become industrial warriors. The Seoul Juvenile Training Center is currently under construction. It is currently housed in a temporary building in the town of Ahyeon. It began operation in January of this year, but it has a capacity of about 20 students, which is inadequate.

The Juvenile Court began to handle all cases in January of this year, and from January to June of this year, the number of cases it has handled is 980. Since the facilities for the internment judicial protection of these juveniles are not yet complete, they are left in the hands of the protection officers, and we are in a hurry to add collective training as soon as possible.

Keijo Nippo Reporter: What about ideological crimes?

Mr. Satō: Currently, we have [redacted] people under judicial protection for ideological crimes. In the six years since the system started, the number of those placed on judicial probation has totaled 3,500, of which 45 were prosecuted for committing further crimes during their probationary period, so the number of recidivists is small. Our aim is to have passive allies and true converts alike devote themselves to the service of our country. When I see such admirable things, I am struck by their seriousness. They remake not only themselves, but also embark on the Imperialization movement, so that there are 44 Japanese language institutes and 12,000 graduates of those institutes, with 6,500 people currently attending lectures. In addition, we are making considerable efforts to ensure that the purpose of the conscription system is thoroughly understood.

Next, I would like to mention the activities of the Judicial Protection Commissioners. Last year, we appointed 4,500 commissioners in all of Korea. As of the end of June, there were 3,513 subjects under the oversight of the commissioners, of which 34 have been found to have committed a second offense. Considering the fact that the number of so-called previous offenders who committed a second offence during the probationary period is one third the number in previous years, I think 34 is a good result.

Keijo Nippo reporter: Lastly, what are your hopes for the general public regarding judicial protection?

Mr. Hayata: It is thought that judicial protection has always been considered to be important, but in the past, the critical importance of judicial protection was forgotten. Although the general public has become more aware of this issue, it is still not enough. I would like to see this point thoroughly raised, especially in newspapers and magazines.

In particular, I believe that the most important thing in this emergency situation is to maintain security in the home front. I am glad to see that the judicial protection activities have made considerable progress, but I think it is most necessary to secure human resources as well as to maintain security.

This is a particularly important issue in the current decisive war situation. In this sense, I would like to ask the general public to firmly pull those who are subject to judicial protection in the right direction. If we do so, we will be able to maintain public order and secure scarce human resources, which will immediately help to strengthen our armed forces. I would like the general public to be well aware of this.

Keijo Nippo Reporter: Thank you very much for your time.

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-09-14

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年9月12日

司法保護を語る

本社主催座談会3

戦力の増強へ指導

飛行場の建設に囚人の奮励

語る人　（順序不同）

• 総督府法務局長　早田福蔵氏
• 京城法学専門校長　増田道義氏
• 京城海軍武官府　西田少佐
• 京城覆審法院部長　大野憲光氏
• 京城保護観察所長　長崎祐三氏
• 法務局行刑課事務官　坂藤宇太郎氏
• 同刑事課事務官　宮崎保典氏
• 朝鮮聯盟思想課長　小島倭夫氏
• 仙甘学園　藤井祥一氏
• 弥栄青少年道場長　大久保真敬氏
• 本社側：秋尾編輯局長　嶺社会部長

本社側：指導が如何に切々たる愛情と烈々たる教導を以てしても、やはり司局の手を煩わす人間が出て来ると思うのですが、それら司法保護の対象者を動員しようとする場合、軍の方ではどういう風にお考えですか。

西田海軍少佐：自分のやっていることが、直接国家のお役に立つという生産方面の会社あたりでしっかりした指導のもとにどしどし使って頂いたら結構だと思います。その中には治安的な一、二の問題もありますが、戦うという意味においてそれらの問題はそう重要視すべきものではなく、これが一番手取り早い国家の要求に応ずる途だと思います。

ある方面の飛行機を作ります際、囚人を使用したこともありますが、そこに来て居った大部分の囚人は何等慰安もないところで自分達の働いていることが日本を守る力になるのだという非常な熱意と喜びを以って、却って一班から採用しました者より能率をあげているような話も耳にしております。

こういうようにいきなり放すのではなく、一面監督しつつそういう方面にあたらして行くようにされたら非常にいいんじゃないかと思います。

本社側：犯罪が決戦下の戦力増強を欺く妨げておるという問題につきまして専門の方から。

宮崎刑事課事務官：最近は生産増強という問題に非常に国民の関心が向いて来ています。それは戦争の現段階に応じようとする国民の心持であり、その邪魔をする者は断乎として除去されなければならないのでありますが、それを取り除けるために司法保護が相当大きな働きをしております。

司法保護の行き方も大体今までは消極的な治安の維持というようなところにその目標があったが、今後はそれに加えて生産増強に直接ぶつかって戦争生活にまみれるという行き方で行かなければならないのではないか。

朝鮮の対象者は一般保護の方は三千幾らということですが、これを集めてどうするということは困難であるにしても、これを分散したものとして取り扱って行くことは効果的でない。集めて綜合された力を発揮することが一番必要で、而もその目標は生産増強に向けることです。

大野京城覆審法院部長：先程から色々御話を伺って考えて見ますのに、思想犯を犯す者は大体人間が出来ているのではないが、その思想さえ直せばよくなるのではないかと思うのです。ところが普通犯はそうは行かない。一昨年の秋、私の家庭に仕事があったものですから、京城教護会から三人の人夫を傭って使って見ました。

その内比較的見込みのある者に目をつけまして、その後再三家に呼んで見て働かせると共に出来たら導いてみよう。うまく行ったら儲けものだという気持ちでやって見たのです。家内もそういう気持ちで夕飯を食べさして帰したり、果物を持たしてやったりして色々とやっておりました。

その中の一人十七歳で窃盗前科一犯のものがいましたが、すっかり悔悟し何とかして立ち直りますと言います。なってこちらが呼ばなくとも何かそうすると。しまいに、私のところで比較的優遇というような形に仕事はないかと言って遊びに来る。そのうちお正月が近くなったが、何処そこに朝鮮服のいいのが十七円であるけれども、半分だけ自分が持っているけれども、あとの半分は何とかならんでしょうかというので、ついこちらも十七位の小さい子供であるし、親もないというので、そうかといって買わしたのです。

ところがそれきり来なくなった。暫く経って、私の家に泥棒がはいった。この事実を考えて見て自分のやり方が冗談にも成功だとは思えない。何故失敗したか、これは却々難しい問題だと思うのです。司法保護事業というのは対象者に憐憫の情けをかけて導いて更生させてやることですが、最初に憐憫の情けをかけることは極めてやさしいが、それを指導し更生させるということは極めて難しい。

宮崎氏：今大野さんから司法保護事業が大変難しいというお話があったのですが、一人の対象者を人格的に完全な者に創り直すということは、保護事業にあっては非常に困難だろうと思います。

しかし、今日の保護事業は人格の完成に向かって行くのでは足りない。現下人的資源の充足が切望されているとき、人格の完成を持っても間に合わない。それより、生産の増強に直接役立って行くということが現下の司法事業に対する最も大きな要請ではないかと思います。

これは同時に司法保護の目標ではないかと考えます。その点少年保護は非常にやり易いように思う。審判所で少年院、或いは保護団体に預けて一応固めてやれる可能性がある。更に思想保護も保護観察所があって一応そこで引っくるめることが出来るからです。一般保護に至っては困難であります。

大野氏：それは結局裏と表で、同じことではないですかね。

佐藤法務局保護課長：それは組織が必要なんですね。

京城日報　1943年9月14日

司法保護を語る

本社主催座談会（完）

南に更生の刑余者

名も床しい少年保護の二葉塾

本社側：そこで行刑の立場から伺いたいと思います。

坂藤行刑課事務官：私の方は司法保護に直接関係の深い立場にあるのですが、その立場から常に行刑の一つの方向に司法保護も向かって行かなければならぬ、と考えておりますので、行刑の方から簡単に申しますと、決戦連続の現下の情勢に於きまして、どうしても戦力増強の方面に全面的に協力して行かなければならないという立場にありますので、行刑方面に於きましても相当その方面に進出しているつもりでありますが、もともと行刑というものは制度的に見まして或いは本質的に見ましても非常に消極的に出来ている。

併しそうした色々な拘束をある程度打ち破って、積極的に乗り出そうということから、今南方へ相当派遣しておりますが、希望者を募って見ると相当多数の希望があるのです。大体に於いて決戦下贖罪の気持ちを戦力増強の方面に役立たして貰いたいという気持ちも多分に含まれておる。併しそれがために何人でも彼人でも希望者を送るのではなく、その希望者の中から錬成して遣っております。

現在刑務所においても、そのために特別の錬成を施すとか、或いは技術訓練を授けるという方法でやっていますが、司法保護においても皇国勤労観というものに立って戦力増強の方面に動員するという組織計画が樹てられなければならないのではないか。

それには一般保護方面は分散していますから、これを数個の保護団体或いは全鮮を通じてもよいが、勤労班というものを組織して、それに基いて一つの戦力増強方面の作業に就かしめる。そこに司法保護の進歩する道が発見されるのではないか。

本社側：では、佐藤課長さんから過去一年間に於ける司法保護の概要について。

佐藤氏：少年と思想と一般の三分野に分けて申しますと、少年については昨年の三月二十五日に朝鮮で初めて制度の創設を見たが、法令の公布が二十三日で、施行が二十五日、その間二日しかないため、実際施行にはなったが実施は出来ないのであります。それで昨年中は殆ど実施の準備中であったというように申さなければならないのであります。

昨年先ず少年保護司の任命から開始したのでありますが、少年審判所は京城覆審法院管内六道に亘って各地の検事正にお願いして少年保護司の適任を推薦して戴き、その中から百五十一名を嘱託少年保護司として任命致しました。これが九月十八日で相当の期間を、少年保護司を選択するだけでも要したのであります。少年保護団体は思想犯保護の実際に鑑み直接指導するという考えの下に財団法人二葉塾という団体を作りました。

最近漸く仁川と公州に敵産を借り受けて修理中ですが、これが完成すると両方で少年犯二百名を収容する予定で、これを内地でやっているように二ヶ月間錬成一点張りで鍛えて行きますと、年に五回、約千名位の錬成が出来ると思う。そうしないと管内約二万位保護を要する少年があるので、実際の保護は出来ない。このようにして時局に関係のある事業に奉仕させ、出来れば産業戦士としたい理想をもっている。京城少年院は目下建築準備中である。現在阿峴町の方に仮庁舎があって、本年一月から収容を開始しているが、収容定員が二十名位で、これでは不十分であります。

少年審判所が一切の事件を処理し出したのは本年一月であるが、本年一月から六月まで処理したものが九百八十件である。これらの少年を収容保護の施設が未完成なため、保護司の手に委ねている状態で、一刻も早く集団的修練を加えたいと焦っております。

本社側：思想犯はどうでしょう。

佐藤氏：現在〇〇名の対象者を保護しています。制度開始以来六年間に保護観察処分に附した者が三千五百名になっていますが、その内観察中に更に犯罪を犯して起訴されたものは四十五人です。かく再犯者が少ないというのは、消極的な味方であって、本当に転向した者は一身を捧げて御国のために奉公することが狙いです。そうした感心なものを見るとその真剣さに打たれます。自分だけの再生ではなく、それらのものが皇民化運動に乗り出していて、その国語講習所が四十四ヶ所ありますし、そこの修了者が一万二千、目下講義をうけているものが六千五百名という状態であります。その他徴兵制の趣旨徹底ということには相当尽力しているのです。

次に特に申し上げておきたいのは司法保護委員の活動であります。全鮮で昨年四千五百名の委員を任命しました。委員の対象者が六月の末に三千五百十三名、その中再犯の明かになった者は三十四名。従来所謂前科者の三分一が再犯者になっていた事実から申すと三十四名はよい成績と思います。

本社側：最後に司法保護に対する一般民衆への希望を早田局長にお願いします。

早田局長：司法保護のことはもとより重要なことに考えられていたが、大体従来は一番大事な保護というのを忘れていた。一般にもこれに関する認識が大分強まっては来たが、まだ十分だといえない。この点については特に新聞や雑誌などによって大いに徹底せしめて貰いたいと思います。

殊にこの非常時局に於いて一番大切なことは銃後の治安維持であると思います。これが司法保護の活動によって相当の成績が挙げているということは嬉しいが、その治安の保持と共に人的資源の確保ということが最も必要であろうと思います。

今の決戦態勢下、特にこれが重要な問題であります。その意味に於いて一般社会の人々が司法保護の対象になる者をその方面にしっかり引っぱっていって貰いたい。そうすれば治安の維持も不足している人的資源も確保され、直ちに戦力の増強に役立つと思うのであります。このことを一般大衆によく知って貰いたく思うのであります。

本社側：長い間有難うございました。

Young Korean teachers teach children the 'will to fight and destroy the U.S. and Britain' and the Imperial Way of Labor where 'every stalk of grass and every tree' is connected to the Japanese nation and everything in the villages is 'all solely dedicated to the Emperor' (Sosa, 1943)

This is a 'feel-good, heartwarming' story of a novice teacher who gradually gets used to teaching her fourth-grade students in the farm village of Sosa and builds up her confidence. The story sounds ordinary for the first few paragraphs, until she starts to talk about the 'will to fight', defeating the U.S. and Britain, dedicating everything to the Emperor, and other Imperialist propaganda points. Today, Sosa is part of Bucheon, a city located 25 kilometers away from Seoul.

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) October 11, 1943

"The story about the acorns" is filled with a will to fight

Teachers' appreciation for the lovely children

Farm village schools are fighting

Report by a trainee of Seoul Women's Teachers College (2)

It was now dawn at the farm village school. Today was the day the trainees would finally begin their full-scale training. We had spent a night in an unfamiliar room. Although there was a little bit of discomfort, life with my 51 classmates was pleasant. When I opened the window, a gentle breeze came in over the golden ears of rice soaked in the night mist. In the fresh air, we ate breakfast made with freshly picked daikon radish and bok choy cabbage.

The trainees waited, their hearts racing with new hope for the day ahead. "What kinds of facial expressions will the children have when we meet them?" we wondered.

Soon, it was 8:30 in the morning. It was time for the trainees to go teach for the first time at Sosa North Public National School. They only had to walk from the waiting room to the staff room, but everyone was tense. "Good morning, teachers," said a large sixth-grade boy, raising his hands in a bow. After responding back saying "Good morning," I felt somewhat relieved.

At 8:45 a.m., we had our staff morning assembly, a recital of a prayer to the gods, and other announcements. Then the children's morning assembly began. As the sound of four children blowing their horns reverberated in the air as an admonition, the children, who had been running around the school yard, gathered around the assembly area in front of the school and tried their best to line up quickly, which was a very encouraging sight.

During the morning assembly, we introduced ourselves. When my name was called out as the teacher for the second class of the fourth grade, I involuntarily responded in a loud voice, "Present!" When I stood in front of the children, I got worried, since many things could happen. I looked at the fingertips of the child in front of me and involuntarily stood immobile. The cute little children with bowl haircuts were all lined up in a row. The thought of living with these children for the next sixteen days made me want to talk to them.

I walked up the polished and shining stairs and entered the classroom of the second class of the fourth grade. When I saw the children properly sitting in their chairs waiting for me, I was reminded of my own elementary school days. I was then filled with emotion, realizing that I was now in a position to teach them.

Not long after I calmed down, it was time for me to give a lesson to the students. The students were children from rural villages. I had no idea what kind of knowledge they would have. I was teaching a class on spoken Japanese. Since it was an hour of instruction with children whom I had just met, my heart was aflutter. But I could not let them think that my podium was too high. The children stared at me more and more, as if they did not know of my inner turmoil. However, now that I was at the podium, I was the teacher. I had to be firm. I stared into the dark, shining eyes of each of the nearly 80 children who were seated in rows. My self-awareness of the fact that I was a "teacher of Japan at war" firmly supported me in my heart.

As to how they speak, listening to the five or six students that I had picked, I realized that their topics of conversation were different from those of the urban children. They spoke of "acorns," "pulling grains out of barley ears," and other topics that smelled of earth and sunlight. While children in the city read picture books, children here go out to work in the fields and mountains. This kind of life on the ground comes alive in the classroom.

Their way of speaking was rough, but I thought it was precious that the children of the soil had such a healthy spirit and were proud to share their experiences in front of everyone. When I said, "Sosa is a beautiful place," they all smiled and said, "Yes, it is". I couldn't help but think how sweet it was to see a child from a pure farm village so happy to be praised for his or her hometown.

Another thing that surprised me was the fact that the topic of "acorns" and "stories about pulling grains from barley" often included the fact that Japan is now fighting hard to defeat the U.S. and Britain. The stories of the children are not merely "natural life experiences" in the midst of nature in the farming villages. Indeed, the "will to fight" and to destroy the U.S. and Britain permeates and boils over in every acorn and in every ear of barley in everyday life. I was infinitely happy to see this "will to fight" in the lives of the children of today's farm villages, and as a national teacher, I was grateful and honored to see it.

In the peaceful and tranquil nature of the farming villages, people live with the sun, the sky, the crops, the cows, and the horses. Life in a farming village where people enjoy nature is now a dream of the past. The true meaning of the Imperial Way of Labor lies in the fact that every stalk of grass and every tree is connected to the nation, and that every hoe and every kiln, the crops and labor in the farming villages are all solely dedicated to the sovereign Emperor alone. It is only natural that the will to fight is now clearly evident in the minds of the children of the farming villages of today, and in the topics that they talk about.

I shouted out in my heart, "Oh, children of the fighting farming villages of Japan! I cannot help but admire your fierce and burning will to fight that is reflected in your pure faces."

It was recess. My love for the children was boundless, so I couldn't help but join hands with them in the schoolyard. The autumn sun's rays were pouring down like a bright rain all over the schoolyard. Oh, the joy of playing hand in hand with those children who were burning with the will to fight! I couldn't help but think to myself, how could I not feel the joy of an educator here?

In the afternoon, I returned to the waiting room for an afternoon event. Lunch was a delicious dish of kinpira gobo. From 1:00 p.m., Mr. Watanabe gave an instructional lecture on practical training.

• 1. Train individual students with the goal of instilling sincerity.
• 2. Train individual students with the purpose of increasing promptness.
• 3. Train jointly with the students to work organically together.
• 4. Train students as group to work as an organized team.
• 5. Conduct specialized training for emergency situations.

After listening to the above, I went to the practical training site and watched the fourth graders work on point #1.

(By Ayako Hoshimura)

Photos: Children's play (above) and children in the classroom (below)

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-10-11

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年10月11日

戦意籠る”団栗の話”

可憐な子等に教師の感謝

戦う農村学校

京城女子師範実習生報告記（２）

夜が明けた。農村の学校の夜が明けた。いよいよ今日から本格的実習に入るのである。馴れない部屋での一夜。そこには少しは気苦しさもあったが、五十一名の学友と一緒の生活は愉しい。窓を明けはなてば、夜霧に濡れた黄金の稲穂の上を渡って来る風がさやかに流れこんでくる。その新鮮な空気のなかで、とりたての大根や白菜でつくった献立の朝食をすました。

”子供達は、どんな顔で私達を迎えて呉れるのでしょう”教育実習生の一同は、今日の新しい希望にその胸を躍らせながら待つ。

やがて、午前八時三十分となった。さあ素砂北公立国民学校に初の登校出勤というわけである。それは控室から職員室までではあるが、みな張切っている。”先生おはようございます”と大きな六年生の男の児が挙手の礼をする。”おはよう”といった後、何かしらほっとするのであった。

午前八時四十五分、職員朝礼、神拝の詞奏上、通達事項などがあって、児童朝会に移る。四人の児童がふき鳴らす喇叭の音が諌暁とひびき渡れば、今まで校庭一ぱい走り廻っていた児童達は、正面の号令台を中心に集って、早く整列しようと一生懸命なのも頼母しい姿であった。

朝会で紹介式が行われたが、四年二組配当として私の名が呼び上げられたとき、私は思わず大きな声で”はい！”と返事をした。児童の前に立つといろんなことがあるもので心配になる。一番前の児童の指先を見て思わず不動の姿勢をした。可愛いお河童がずらっと並んでいる。その児童達と十六日の間一緒に暮すのだと思うと早くも話がしてみたい欲望に駆られてならなかった。

私がみがき上げられて光っている階段を上って、四年二組の教室へ入った。そうして早きちんと席にかけて待っている児童を見たとき、ふと自分の小学校時代を思い出した。そうして今自分がこうして教える立場にあることが感無量であった。

落ち着く間もなく授業をすることになった。相手は農村の子供である。どんな知識があるのか、ちょっと見当がつかない。国民科国語（話し方）の授業である。会ったばかりの児童と一時間の勉強なので、心ばかりが焦るのであった。教壇が非常に高いように思われてならない。私の内心の不安を児童は知らないのか、ますます私の方を見つめるのであった。しかし私も壇上に立ったからは教師である。しっかりしなくてはならない。私は居並ぶ八十名に近い児童の一人一人の黒い輝く瞳をじっと見つめたのである。”戦う日本の教師”というような自覚が私の心中を凛と支えて呉れるのであった。

話し方：指名した五六人の児童の話を聞けば、都会の児童とは違った話題であることに今更訊いた。”どんぐり””麥の穂抜きをしたこと”など、土の匂いが高く、太陽の光が滲んだ話題ばかり。それは都会の児童が絵本を読む間、こちらの児童達は野山に出て働く。そうした土についた生活がそのまま教室に躍動するのである。

話の仕方はまずいが、しかし自分の体験したことを皆の前で発表することを誇りとしている土の子たちの健康な気魄を私は尊いと思った。私が”素砂はきれいな處ですね”といったら、児童達はそろってみるがニッコリと笑って”そうです”と答えるのであった。自分の郷土をほめられて心から喜ぶ純な農村の子をいとしく思わずにはいられなかった。

もう一つ驚いたのは、話題の中に今日本が米英撃滅に一生懸命に戦っているのであるということがその”どんぐり””麥を抜く話”などの中に、しばしば語られることであった。農村の児童の話が、只単に農村という自然の中に於ける生活としてだけの”自然的生活体験”にとどまらないで、どんぐり一個、麥の穂一本の生活の中にも、戦いが、米英撃滅の意志が、自ら滲み、いや烈々と沸るという現下農村の児童の”戦える心意”というものに、私は限りない嬉しさを、国民教師としての立場に於いて有難く、尊く思わせられてならなかった。

平穏な、平和な自然の中に、太陽と空と作物と牛や馬と暮す農村。自然を楽しんだ農村の生活など、もう過去の夢である。一茎の草、一本の木、すべてが国家に通ずるものであり、一うちの鍬、一ふりの利窯、農村の耕作、勤労のすべてが上御一人に帰一さるる處に、皇道勤労観の本義が在る。現下の農村、その農村の児童の心意に、今あきらかに、戦意がその語る話題の中に発露することは寧ろ当然であろう。

”戦う日本の農村の子よ。あなた達のその素朴な顔に燃ゆる烈烈たる戦意をあがめずにはいられない”私は心の中でそう叫び上げるのであった。

休み時間になる。校庭に出た限りなき愛情がその子達と手をつながずにはいられない。校庭一ぱい秋の太陽の光りは明雨のように降り注いでいる。ああその中で、その戦意に燃ゆる児童達と手をとって打ち戯むるることの喜び。ここに教育者の愉悦がなくてどうしよう。私は教育者に思わずにはいられなかった。

午後は午後の行事のため控室に帰る。昼食は金平牛蒡のおかずでおいしくいただいた。一時から渡辺先生より本格の作業訓練について補導講話があった。

• 一号は各個訓練により真心入念を目的とす。
• 二号は各個訓練により速度を旨とする。
• 三号は共同訓練により有機的に働かせる。
• 四号は集団訓練により整隊をなしての作業。
• 五号は特別訓練により火急な場合のため。

以上のお話をきいたのち、職業科実習地へ行き、第四学年の一号による作業を見た。

（星村綾子記）

【写真＝子供達の遊戯（上）と教室の子供】