Not content with merely banning U.S. and British jazz music, colonial authorities forced cafes, bars, and restaurants to throw out all phonograph records, and replaced the in-store background music with Imperial Japanese military songs and news propaganda blaring on the radio (Jongno, Seoul, 1943)

This is a story about a restaurant association in Jongno-gu, Seoul which not only banned American and British jazz music from its cafes, bars, and restaurants, but also banned all in-store music played on phonograph records and replaced it with Imperial Japanese military songs and Imperial Japanese military news propaganda. That would have certainly ruined the ambience of the restaurants and added yet another oppressive element to the miserable reality of living under Imperial Japanese colonial rule in wartime Korea.

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) February 27, 1943

Phonograph records are to be wiped out!

Listen to military news broadcasts on the radio instead!

Jongno-gu: The New Way of Business to destroy the U.S. and Britain

Under the circumstances of the war, when the people on the home front were required to make a new resolve to destroy the enemy nations, they felt that playing enemy phonograph records in this day and age would be a shame on Japan. Therefore, the Jongno Japanese and Western Restaurants Association, located at 262 Gwancheol-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, decided to abolish the use of phonograph records for business use, and instead play Imperial Japanese military marches to herald the New Way of Business to destroy the U.S. and Britain.

On February 23, led by association president Nakano, 107 members of the association gathered at the association office. The association had previously banned the use of American and British jazz recordings in cafes, bars, and other eating establishments, but believing that playing phonograph records would only arouse the intoxication of customers and would not be of any benefit at all, they agreed to wipe out all phonograph records for business use. From now on, they would only play war reports and military songs on the radio, showing their strict self-restraint.

This means that the nightly music that used to play on phonograph records on the backstreets of Jongno-gu will disappear, and the fighting national people will be called upon to show self-restraint by the military news broadcasts lauding the brilliant results of the Imperial Army's great battles.

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-02-27 (page 3)

 

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年2月27日

レコードは一掃

代りにラジオで戦況ニュース

鐘路：米英撃滅へ新商道

決戦下、敵国潰滅に銃後国民の新たなる覚悟が要望されているとき、適性流のレコードをいまなお使用することは日本の恥だと京城貫鉄町二六二鐘路和洋食組合では営業用のレコード使用を断然廃止して米英撃滅の新商道に総進軍を奏でた。

従来カフェーやバーその他飲食店では米英のジャズ音盤の使用を禁止して来たが、レコードをならすのは、ただ客の酔興を呼び起こすほかは無益だと中野組合長の音頭取りで去る二十三日、管内の百七組合員が同事務所に集合。営業用のレコード一掃を申合せ、今後はラジオによる戦報または軍歌などだけを吹奏することになり、厳然たる自粛ぶりを示した。

これで鐘路の裏町から毎夜流れ出ていたレコード演奏が消え、赫々たる皇軍の大戦果が戦う国民の自粛をよびかけることになったのである。

This Japanese teacher devoted a decade of his life going door to door preaching "You Koreans and we Japanese are brothers, so dedicating yourselves to the Imperial nation is the only way!" the Koreans initially hated him, but eventually came to welcome him with respect, allegedly (Shimonoseki, 1943)

The following propaganda article profiles one Japanese teacher in Shimonoseki who took it upon himself to organize Korean residents into neighborhood associations (Tonarigumi) to continue the indoctrination and brainwashing into the Imperial Way that they were undergoing under the Patriotic Groups (JP: aikoku-han, KR: aeguk-ban, 愛國班) in Korea.

Teacher Yoshioka with his Korean students

The neighborhood associations (Tonarigumi) in mainland Japan and the Patriotic Groups in Korea were similar, in that both were responsible for allocating rationed goods, fire fighting, public health, snitching on 'ideological criminals', and civil defense, but the latter was more focused on Imperializing the Koreans into true Japanese people. As we see in this article, the Tonarigumi for Koreans were modeled after Patriotic Groups to focus on enforcing State Shinto worship, improving Japanese language skills, and instilling Imperial Japanese patriotism.

Shimonoseki, a port city in Kyushu, Japan which served as a gateway to Korea, had segregated Korean neighborhoods during the colonial period. Major companies, such as construction, mining, and logistics firms, hired Korean workers to do the most undesirable work, back-breaking work lifting heavy loads. There was forced recruitment of Korean workers directly from Korea, especially for sensitive military projects, like the Kanmon Tunnel, fortresses, and airports, since the long-term Korean residents of Shimonoseki were considered to be unreliable. Korean workers lived in substandard company housing without running water in undesirable areas, such as in areas close to pig manure lagoons. The Korean neighborhoods were organized into Kyōwa-kai, which were neighborhood associations under police control. The Japanese police put the bosses of the housing complexes and brothels in charge of the Kyōwa-kai, and these collaborator bosses reported directly to the Special Higher Police, which established a heavy presence in these Korean neighborhoods through police booths and brutal detention centers. The collaborator bosses acted like the mafia and treated the residents like slaves, especially if they were escapees from forced labor camps elsewhere in mainland Japan.

[The above information comes from the first-hand accounts of a first-generation Zainichi Korean resident of Shimonoseki, Gang Hae-su (강해수/姜海洙) whose testimony given in 2002 is published in Japanese in Chosyu-Journal, an anti-militarist, pro-worker newspaper in Japan.]

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) February 27, 1943

Ten Years of Efforts Dedicated to the Imperialization of the Koreans

A beautiful story from Shimonoseki about a teacher

[Shimonoseki telephone report] A moving, beautiful story is told about an elementary school teacher and a group of Koreans living in mainland Japan who are looking forward to the day of honor that is about to come, just before the joyous implementation of wartime conscription.

The main subject of the story is Mr. Ken'ichi Yoshioka (35), a teacher at Enoura National School in Deshimatsu town, Hikoshima district, Shimonoseki city, and the Koreans living in the same town who have always admired him. The population of Hikoshima district has increased rapidly over the past decade with the establishment of factories and the frequent arrival and departure of ships. In particular, the dramatic increase in the number of Korean residents has led to the sudden formation of a settlement, and more than half of the children at Enoura National School are Koreans.

Here, differences in customs and inadequate language skills have caused some misunderstandings. Every time this happened, the young teacher Yoshioka pondered deeply, "Are things really alright this way?" It was November 1933 when he decided to take action, not content with just standing by and doing nothing. From then on, Yoshioka visited the Korean settlement day and night. Going door to door, he told them, "You Koreans and we Japanese are brothers, so dedicating yourselves to the Imperial nation is the only way!"

But there were initially many difficulties, and the Koreans hated him and refused to engage with him. However, by the end of the first year, the Koreans began to welcome him with respect. In this way, the Kōjō-kai was established in the settlement to provide neighborhood support, ahead of the establishment of the Kyōwa-kai. The Kōjō-kai holds regular meetings several times a month, similar to today's neighborhood association (Tonarigumi) meetings, to emphasize respect for the gods and the ancestors, to improve Japanese language skills, to encourage frugality and work ethic, and to produce good citizens.

In the meantime, when the digging work for the Kanmon Tunnel began, industrial warriors arrived one after another from the Korean peninsula. The small settlement became a larger town, and ten neighborhood associations were formed. Twice a month, there was vocational training in resource conservation and waste collection. They performed heartfelt activities including war donations and contributions, comfort visits to frontline soldiers, and mutual savings bonds. They have also formed neighborhood associations for the children, and they are striving to become worthy Imperial subjects. All of this is the result of 10 years of efforts under Yoshioka's guidance. Now he and all the members of the neighborhood associations are determined to send out splendid young men from the neighborhood associations as "humble shields protecting His Majesty the Emperor". [Photo: Yoshioka instructing Korean children at a regular meeting = censored by Shimonoseki Fortress Command Center]

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-02-27

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年2月27日

半島人皇民化に捧ぐ十年間の努力

訓導繞る下関の佳話

【下関電話】決戦下よろこびの徴兵制実施を目前に控えて国民学校一訓導と内地在住半島人の一団とがやがて来るその光栄の日を待ちわびているという感激美談がある。

下関市彦島地区弟子待町居住、江之浦国民学校訓導吉岡憲一氏（三五）と氏を敬慕して已まない同町在住半島人達がその話題の主である。彦島は僅々十年急激に工場設置や船舶出入りの頻繁につれて人口も増加し、殊に半島人の激増は忽ち一部落を形成するに至り、江之浦国民学校もその半数以上は半島人児童という有様となった。

そこにはお互いの習慣の相違や言葉の不充分から何やかの行き違いが出て来る。その度毎に若い吉岡訓導は”これでよいのか”と深く考え込み、じっとして見逃すことが出来なくて起ち上ったのだ。それは昭和八年十一月。それからの吉岡訓導は日毎夜半島人部落を歴訪：「君達も俺達と同じ同胞だ。皇国の為に尽くす道は唯一つだよ」と一戸一戸を説いて廻るのだった。

然し人々はそこには幾多の困難があった。しかし一年目には今まで嫌って相手にもしなかった人々が尊敬をもって迎えてくれるようになった。そうして部落には協和会より一足先に隣保扶助の役割をなす『向上会』が出来た。向上会は毎月数回今の隣組常会に変わらぬ常会を開いて敬神崇祖の念を強調、正しき国語の熟達、貯蓄皆労と善き国民たらむと精進が続けられたのである。

一方、関門トンネル鑿掘工事着手となるや半島から続々と産業戦士が入りこんで来て、今では部落も町とかわり十組合の隣組合が出来、月二回資源愛護、廃品回収授産実習等を行って、その得たるところは、献納に、寄付に、前線勇士の慰問に、共同貯蓄と涙ぐましい活動を続け、なお子供隣組も出来て只管立派な皇国臣民になるのですと励んでいる。それらのすべてが吉岡訓導十年間の努力の結果であり、今その訓導と隣組合全員は、この組合からも”大君の醜の御楯”として立派な青年を送り出すのだと張切っている。【写真＝半島人子供常会を指導している吉岡訓導＝下関要塞司令部検閲済み】

80 years ago today, Korean women were making gloves for the Imperial Japanese Army at a factory run by Wakōkyōen, a nonprofit of the Japanese Jōdo Buddhist sect operating in Korea since 1893 and contracting with the colonial regime to rehouse, educate, and employ evicted Seoul slum residents

This is a photo of Korean girls and women manufacturing gloves at a factory in Gwansu-dong, Seoul exactly 80 years ago today.

They were former slum residents employed by Wakōkyōen (和光教園), a social welfare organization of the Jōdo Buddhist sect, which started its activities in Korea in 1893. It was one of two Japanese Buddhist social welfare organizations which were operating in Seoul during the colonial period, the other one being the Kōjōkaikan (向上会館) run by the Ōtani-ha Buddhist sect, which started its activities in Korea in 1878. When the Seoul government was clearing the slum areas of the city, these social welfare organizations were charged with rehousing them and giving them jobs and education. However, the main goal of these efforts was actually to push the slum residents out of sight in the name of 'beautifying' the city, rather than to improve their living standards. Therefore, the living standards of the former slum residents remained relatively poor. The public housing projects of the former slum residents were substandard and unsanitary with poor sewage systems.

Professor Nozomi Akizuki at the Institute for International Studies at Meiji Gakuin University wrote a well-researched Japanese-language blog page about this topic, in which he presents Japanese-language and Korean-language source materials from the colonial period to fill in the details. https://ameblo.jp/onepine/entry-12466055220.html

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) November 17, 1942

Military gloves which grip the five continents

◇… Five fingers grip the five continents. Gloves that protect the fingertips from the threat of cold weather are the spearhead of production expansion this winter. At the Wakōkyōen Knitting Factory in Gwansu-dong, Seoul, 50 female workers devote themselves all day long to the task of working on the knitting machines to produce military gloves.

◇… Clang, clang. Each time the machine shakes, the fingertips of black gloves and white gloves sprout out, and each worker produces 45 pairs of gloves a day, or 28,000 pairs a year, making a pile of snow-white gloves. A poster in the corner of the factory encourages workers to "be aware that this is work that was entrusted to you by the state". These gloves produce a revenue of 30,000 yen a year. These gloves are the warm friends of the winter production warriors. [Photo: Wakōkyōen's glove factory]

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1942-11-17

(Transcription)

京城日報　1942年11月17日

五大洲を掴む軍手

◇．．．五指はもって五大洲を掴む。大事な指先を寒波の脅威から護る手袋は冬季生拡の尖兵だ。京城觀水町和教園編物工場では五十名の女工さんが終日編物機械と取っ組んで『軍手の生産』に余念がない。

◇．．．ガチャン、ガチャン．．．と機械が身ぶるいする度に白や黒の手袋の指先がニョキニョキと生れ出て一人一日四十五組、年間二万八千組が雪のように真っ白な手袋の山を築く。工場の隅には貼紙があって『国家から委託された仕事である自覚をもて』．．．と工場訓が激励している。年額三万円の手袋。これが冬の生産戦士の温かい友なのだ。【写真＝和光教園の手袋工場】

Korean schoolgirls standing in front of Seoul Whashin Department Store in 1943 as Korean women make some stitches in Shinto cloth amulets to be gifted to Imperial Japanese soldiers

In Imperial Japan, schoolgirls would stand around public places like department stores and hold white strips of cloth, and then female passersby would take turns making stitches with red thread on the cloth. Once one thousand different women have made knots or stitches on the cloth, then it becomes a Senninbari shinto amulet, a strip of cloth stitched a thousand times and given as Shinto amulets by the women to Imperial Japanese soldiers going away to war. The stitches may form patterns or images of flags, patriotic slogans, etc. 

This photo was taken in front of the Whashin Department Store, an old landmark of Jongno-dong which was eventually demolished in 1987. You can see a passerby in a Korean-style chima dress making a stitch or knot on a white strip of cloth that is held by a schoolgirl in Monpe work pants. 

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) November 13, 1943

Sending Senninbari Shinto amulets as parting gifts to clear the way for students marching off to battle

Students of women's colleges and girls' high schools in Seoul took to the streets to receive Senninnbari Shinto amulets as gifts of encouragement to the students marching off to battle. In the streets of Jongno-dong at Whashin Department Store, Mitsukoshi Department Store, Chojiya Department Store, and Honmachi-suji, beautiful whirlpools of people soon surrounded the maidens in school uniforms.

◇．．．Cotton cloth and threads were provided with the efforts of the Korean Federation of National Power. There was a woman in a Japanese kimono who poured her heart into stitching the amulets. She approached the students in a modest manner and asked them, "Are your brothers going off to war?" "Yes, the Korean students are all going off to war!" one student responded, looking at the knots on the amulet and bowing with gratitude, as if the woman had really sewn it for her brother.

◇．．．There were three working women who had apparently dropped by during their lunch break. As they took turns sewing and finished their stitches, all three of them stood upright and immobile, and then bowed politely to the Senninbari Shinto amulet that they had just stitched. They bowed silently, as if to say, "We wish you the best going off to war. We hope that you will perform many heroic deeds". The recipient of the stitches returned the bow with a gleam in her eyes. It was a very moving scene. [Photo: In front of Whashin Department Store]

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-11-13

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年11月13日

晴の出陣に千人針の餞

学徒の出陣へ激励の千人針を餞しようと起ち上った京城府内の女専、高女学生生徒達は街頭に進出した。鐘路の和信、三越、丁子屋前、本町筋などでは制服の処女を囲んで忽ち美しい渦を巻く。

◇．．．総力聯盟の骨折りで綿布も糸も揃った。”あなたのお兄さんが出征なさるのですか”といい乍ら寄って来て虔しやかに、しかも心を籠めて縫う和服姿の奥さんがある。”ええ、半島学徒の総出陣ですわ”と、結び目を見ながら、女学生も本当にわが兄の為に縫って貰ったような感謝でお辞儀をする。

◇．．．お昼の時間に出て来たらしい三人づれの若い勤労女性、番を待って縫い終わると、三人が揃って直立不動の姿勢で、いま自分が結んだ千人針へ丁寧に最敬礼をした。よくぞ征って下さいます。どうぞ充分お手柄を立てて下さいとの心を無言のお辞儀に示したのである。縫ってもらった方も、眼にきらりと光るものを見せて礼を返す。感激の場面であった。【写真＝和信前にて】

Onerous regulations prescribing long lists of permissible and forbidden types of clothing were imposed on Koreans in 1943 to promote a 'minimalist lifestyle' of 'Japanese beauty and simplicity' in the name of wartime resource conservation

In September 1943, almost two years into waging war against the United States and Britain, facing extreme shortages in everything from food to clothing, Imperial Japan imposed some draconian clothing restrictions regulating what Koreans can and cannot wear, framing these regulations in the name of promoting a 'minimalist lifestyle' that would conserve resources and eventually win the war. Enforcement of the regulations 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, and the patriotic groups (JP: aikoku-han, KR: aeguk-ban, 愛國班), which were the local level neighborhood cells of the political party. 

It was very difficult to translate all the clothing-specific terminology, so I did my best to add outside images and links to Wikipedia and other online resources to make sense of what was being referred to in these articles.

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) September 22, 1943

The War Lifestyle Reader Series: Clothing

Men are to wear National Uniform Type B

Short sleeves and maru-obi for women are abolished

Modern warfare is a total war in which all domestic resources are concentrated on achieving the objectives of the war. Therefore, the national people on the home front are no different from the front-line combatants, and their daily lifestyle is literally a war lifestyle. This transformed form of war lifestyle, which cannot be governed by the peacetime assumptions of what a war lifestyle is supposed to be like, is not to be lived under the meager goal of 'stabilizing the lifestyles of the people'. Rather, it is to be lived under the goal of enduring the 'minimalist lifestyle', which is truly ruthless and merciless. The 'minimalist lifestyle' is a way of life in which food, clothing, and shelter, the three essential conditions for human existence, are reduced to the minimum. The last victors of modern warfare will be the people who can endure this simple lifestyle and succeed in waging this war, which is the great objective of the nation. This column is an attempt to describe this minimalist lifestyle from an economic perspective, and is entitled the 'War Lifestyle Reader'.

In order to win the Greater East Asia War, everything in the nation is being rapidly shifted to a decisive war-fighting posture, and the most urgent issue at hand is the complete simplification of food, clothing, and shelter, the largest elements of national life. Among these, the simplification of clothing was decided upon at a regular cabinet meeting held on June 4 this year with the "Outline for the Simplification of Wartime Clothing", and this was implemented in mainland Japan on August 10. Therefore, in order for Korea to follow suit, the Governor-General's Office issued a statement on August 22, clearly stating the policy to secure essential clothing and thoroughly conserve clothing materials. The main points were the following:

(1) Essential items necessary for the people's clothing are to be selected.

(2) Simplification is to be done without regard to mere hobbies, tastes, fashions, or business customs, as had been done in the past.

(3) Goals have been set to rationalize yarn consumption, improve quality, and rationalize production.

(4) In consideration of the difficulties in supplying materials and reconfiguring facilities, the best use shall be made of existing facilities as much as possible.

Before, there were 135 types of wide fabrics and several thousand types of narrow fabrics, but the standards were reorganized into 6 types of rayon fabrics, 13 types of mixed rayon fabrics, 64 types of silk fabrics, and 30 types of mixed silk fabrics, for a total of 113 types.

The Korean Textile Association, the Korean Federation of National Power, the Patriotic Women's Association of Korea, and other related organizations will soon play a central role in the "wartime clothing simplification campaign" to simplify the clothing of the people in all of Korea. The policies, guidelines, and outlines are the following:

▲Policy: Simplify the general clothing of the people, abolish luxury goods, raise morale, and improve the physical condition of the people while considering the special circumstances of Korea. Mental tension must be maintained to strengthen and renew the wartime lifestyle while not losing the sense of simplicity and beauty of the Japanese people, and clothing materials must be actively conserved in light of the current supply and demand situation for textile materials.

▲Guidelines:

1. In addition to greatly simplifying the types and standards of textiles, a designated production system will be implemented across the board to greatly minimize the production of high-end and non-urgent products.
2. In dyeing, the use of flamboyant colors shall be avoided, and color schemes shall be limited to plain colors of the highest quality.
3. In the tailoring of clothing, the amount of fiber shall be reduced as much as possible, while at the same time making it more active and hygienic.
4. Organizations shall avoid the establishment of new uniforms from now on, and take measures to utilize national uniforms or plain clothes (even in cases where uniforms have already been established, measures shall be taken to permit the wearing of non-regulation clothing, unless there are particular obstacles to this).
5. With regard to personal effects and other household articles, their types and standards shall be simplified as much as possible, and the manufacture of luxury and non-urgent items shall be prohibited.
6. The manufacturing of new clothing shall be suppressed, and the rehabilitation of whatever clothing is on hand shall be thoroughly promoted as much as possible, and the ceremonial dress for weddings, funerals, and other general ceremonies shall be simplified.

Guidelines for the Simplification of Clothing

I. The following points shall be taken into consideration with regard to fabrics

1. For the Kijaku type of silk fabrics, production shall be concentrated on products in demand by the masses as much as possible.
2. For narrow fabrics and fabrics for obi, widths and lengths shall be shortened to conform to those of mainland Japan, and the production of luxury and non-urgent products shall be prohibited.

II. Regarding dyeing, the use of ornate colors and patterns shall be abolished in favor of plain colors of high quality, and the number of colors shall be limited to three or less.

Right: National Uniform Type B, Left: National Uniform Type A

III. The following guidelines shall be applied to the tailoring of clothing for both men and women.

1. Men's clothes: (a) The ceremonial clothes and activewear of adults (21 years of age and over) shall be based on the National Uniform Type B, and newly tailored suits shall be prohibited (b) New home clothes shall not be made at all, and they shall be limited to the tanzen kimono in the winter and military clothes (yukata) in the summer (c) For Korean-style clothes, sleeveless vests shall be abolished, and the string fasteners of upper and lower garments shall be replaced with buttons (d) The activewear for young men (including secondary, vocational, and college students from 14 to 20 years of age) shall be made in the same way as that of adult men 21 years of age and older (e) The home clothes of young men shall be replaced with activewear, and all new tailoring shall be of the National Uniform Type B (f) The home clothes of school children (from 7 to 13 years of age) shall be replaced with school children's uniforms, and the uniforms shall not be particularly limited to a certain type (g) Infants (6 years old and under) shall be dressed in infants' clothes. (h) Newly tailored cloaks shall be single-breasted and have a stand-up collar.
2. Women's clothes: (a) Ceremonial clothes shall not be newly manufactured. For celebratory and somber occasions, an insignia shall be applied to turn the clothes into ceremonial clothes (b) Japanese-style clothing shall be tailored with short sleeves, and standard women's clothing (Western-style type 1, Western-style type 2, and activewear)   shall be worn as much as possible (c) For Korean-style clothes, all string fasteners shall be replaced with buttons, and chima dresses shall be tubular (d) For young women's activewear, blouses, skirts, and one-piece dresses shall be worn in the summer, and jumpsuits and skirts in the winter (e) For adults and young women, standard women's clothing (Japanese-style type 2) and Monpe work pants shall be the main type of home clothes (f) Nagajuban kimono underwear and other ready-made kimono items should be abolished as much as possible (g) Maru-obi and fukuro-obi shall be abolished, and the use of Nagoya-obi, katagawa-obi, and hitoe-obi shall be with shorter widths and lengths (h) Embroidery and shibori dyeing on lapels shall be discontinued (i) Schoolgirl uniforms shall not be particularly limited to a certain type, and the removal of decorative parts shall be in accordance with the standard women's clothing as far as possible (j) The clothing of school children and infants shall be in accordance with those for male school children and male infants.

Left to right: woman in jumpsuit, woman in tubular-style chima dress, woman in Monpe workpants, man in National Uniform Type B

Women's activewear

 Japanese-style Type 2

Western-style type 1

Western-style type 2

IV. Others

1. Dress shirts shall be with single cuffs.
2. The manufacture of new neckties shall be prohibited.
3. Underwear shall be mainly made of woven fabrics for summer wear, and mainly made of knit yarn for winter wear.
4. Socks shall be plain in color and short in length.
5. New hats shall be military hats.
6. Summer gloves shall be discontinued for both men and women.
7. Women's hats shall be abolished.
8. Socks for female students shall be short socks in the summer.
9. Underwear shall be simplified in their varieties and standards, and the chemise shall be abolished.

As described above, both men and women are required by the national government to thoroughly simplify their clothing. Originally, humanity was born naked, and they used to wear grass and leaves over parts of their bodies, but as human culture improved, they began to wear clothes covering all parts of their bodies. Subsequently, people have come to compete over flamboyant fashion trends. However, in a time of war, it is unacceptable to wear clothing that merely satisfies one's vanity. This is why there are calls for the simplification of wartime clothing, but in practicing such simplification, it is necessary to change to wartime clothing suitable for Japan the fighting nation without losing the Japanese sense of simplicity and beauty.

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-09-22

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) August 31, 1943

Farewell to the old chima dress! Go with the new tubular style of the chima dress!

"Chima dress which is inappropriate for fighting decisive battles"

Let's cut off the long sleeves of Japanese-style clothes. Of course, the chima dress of Korean-style clothes will also be changed to a tubular style. The meeting of the Patriotic Women's Association held at the Seoul Citizens Hall on August 30 had a serious tone. It is no longer the time to walk around wearing a long chima dress, holding it in one hand and waving it around. We Korean women are strongly determined to stand firm. We will save the long string fasteners that hang down from our chests and replace them with buttons, and we will donate the string towards the war effort, gathering all our strength to stop the United States and Britain from attacking us. Such is the powerful initiative of the Patriotic Women's Association. [The inserted image is that of a chima dress which is not appropriate for fighting decisive battles]

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-08-31

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) October 17, 1943

Which is more appropriate as activewear? Let's get dressed for battle!

The "change of clothes for battle" started with the national uniform for men, followed by widespread calls for improved clothing for women, with 'Genroku sleeves' for men and 'tubular-style chima dresses' for Korean women being seen at home and on the streets. It is encouraging to see the 'Genroku sleeves' for men and 'tubular-style chima dresses' for Korean women in homes and on the streets, but there are still people wearing old 'fashionable clothes' or uniforms which are inappropriate for fighting decisive battles. Is this the right thing to do? On the front lines, bloody battles are being fought over and over again. In order to march forward on the road to victory, everyone must be deployed into a battle posture in "fighting clothes".

The Gyeonggi-do Branch of the Patriotic Women's Association included the question, "Are you wearing battle clothes?" in its October circular, and circulated it to all patriotic groups to encourage women to reflect and get inspired. However, some households began to mistakenly believe that Monpe work pants are to be worn only for special occasions, and others began to buy new, fashionable clothes spending more than 100 yen per piece. These battle clothes are the only daily activewear that should be worn.

Monpe work pants

Non-active type Kimono

Which of these two pictures show old clothes which must be remade as much as possible into true activewear? Let us all march forward, wearing our Monpe work pants as battle clothes, to destroy the United States and Britain! [Photos: the top photo shows an active type of Monpe work pants; the bottom photo shows old-style clothes of a non-active type]

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1943-10-17

Credit to むかしの装い http://blog.livedoor.jp/mukashi_no/archives/35803975.html

 

(Transcription)

京城日報　1943年9月22日

戦争生活読本：衣の巻

男子は国民服乙号

婦人は短袂、丸帯廃止

現代戦は国内の凡ゆる事物を一切合財挙げて戦争目的完遂に集中する総力戦である。だから銃後国民と雖も、前線の戦闘員と何ら異なるところなく、その日常生活は文字通りの戦争生活であり、従って生活様式も戦争生活という平時の常識をもっては到底律することのできぬ相貌を持つこの変貌した戦争生活は、曾ての『国民生活の安定』などというような微温的な目標の下に営まれるものでなしに、真に無慈悲仮借なき『最低生活』に耐えることにある。『最低生活』とは人類生存における三大不可欠条件たる衣食住をとことんまで引き下げた生活様式と云うのであり、この簡素な生活をものともせず克く耐え、国家の大目的たる戦争を成功せしめ得る民族こそ現代戦の最後勝利者である。そこでこの最低生活を経済的観点から述べんとするのが本欄の試みであり、題して『戦争生活読本』という。

大東亜戦争を勝ち抜くために、国家のあらゆるものが急速に決戦態制へ切り替えられつつあり、就中国民生活の最大要素をなす衣食住の徹底的簡素化が当面緊急の問題としてとりあげられて来た。そのうち、衣生活の簡素化については本年六月四日の定例閣議に於いて『戦時衣生活簡素化実施要綱』を決定し、内地は八月十日より実施した。よって朝鮮もこれに順応するため八月二十二日総督府当局談を発表し、必需衣料品を確保すると共に衣料資材の徹底的節約を図る旨の方針を明かにした。その要点は

一、国民衣生活に必要欠ぐからざるものを選定したこと

二、従来の如く単なる趣味、嗜好流行及び商習慣に捉われることなく単純化したこと

三、原糸消費の合理化、品質の向上並びに生産の合理化を目標としたこと

四、資材の補給難、設備の改造難等を考慮し、出来得る限り現有設備の活用を期したこと

などで、規格も従来は広幅織物百三十五種、小幅織物数千種であったものが人絹織物六種、人絹交織物十三種、絹織物六十四種、絹交織物三十種、合計百十三種に整理されたのである。

この衣生活簡素化実践については近く朝鮮織物協会をはじめ国民総力朝鮮聯盟、日婦朝鮮本部その他関係団体が中心となって全鮮的に”戦時衣生活簡素化運動”を展開することになっているが、その方針、要綱、要領は左の通りである。

▲方針：国民一般衣料を簡素化して奢侈高級品を廃し、朝鮮の特殊事情を考慮し士気の昂揚、体位の向上をはかり、日本人的な簡素美を失わず、戦時生活の強化刷新と精神的緊張を持たしむると共に現下繊維資材の需給関係にかんがみ積極的に衣料資材の節約を図るものとす。

▲要綱：１、織物に就いてはその種類、規格を極度に単純化するは勿論、全面的な指定生産制を実施することに依り高級品及び不要不急品の生産を極力圧縮すること

２、染色に就いては努めて華美を避け質実清楚を旨とし、配色等を限定するの措置を講ずること

３、衣服の仕立てに就いては繊維量を極力節約すると共に活動的、衛生的たらしむること

４、諸団体に於いて今後新たに制服等を制定するを避けしめ国民服又は平常服を活用する方途を講ずること（既に制服等の定める場合と雖も特に支障なき限り制規以外の服装の着用をも認むるよう措置すること）

５、見廻品その他家庭用品に就いては、その種類及び規格を極力単純化し高級品並びに不要不急品の製造を禁止すること

６、衣料の新調を抑制すると共に極力有合わせ品の更生活用の徹底をはかると共に婚礼、葬儀その他一般儀礼の場合における儀装の簡素化をはかること

衣生活簡素化実施要領

一、織物に就いては左の点につき考慮する

１、着尺用絹織物については極力大衆需要品に生産を集中せしむること

２、小幅織物、帯地等は内地に順応し幅及び長さを短縮するのほか高級品及び不要不急品の生産を禁止すること

二、染色に就いては華美な色彩、柄模様を廃止して高尚清楚とし染色の色数に就いては三色以下に限定すること

三、衣服の仕立てに就いては男女とも左の要領に依らしむること

１、男子衣料（イ）大人（二十一歳以上）の式服、活動衣は国民服乙号型を原則とし脊広の新規仕立てを禁止すること（ロ）家庭着は努めて新調を見合わせ、冬は袷丹前、夏は軍衣（浴衣）程度に止めること（ハ）鮮服はチョッキを廃し上衣、周衣の紐はボタンに改むること（ニ）青年（十四歳以上二十歳迄中等、専門、大学生を含む）の活動衣は大人に準ずること（ホ）青年の家庭衣は各活動衣をもって之に代らしむること、新規仕立ては総て国民服乙号型とすること（ヘ）学童（七歳以上十三歳迄）の家庭着は学童服をもって代らしめ制服を限定せざること（ト）幼児（六歳以下）は幼児服とすること（チ）外套の新規仕立ては立襟、片前とすること（リ）袷オーバー、レインコート等は新規仕立てを禁ずること

２、女子衣料（イ）式服は新調せず慶弔には徽章を応用して式服に代えること（ロ）和装の仕立てについては短袂に依らしむる如く措置することとし、極力婦人標準服（甲型一部式、甲型二部式、活動衣）とすること（ハ）鮮服は各紐類をボタンに替え、チマは筒型となすこと（ニ）青年の活動衣は夏はブラウスとスカート、ワンピースとし、冬はジャンパーとスカートとすること（ホ）大人、青年の家庭着は婦人標準服（乙型二部式）及びモンペを主とすること（ヘ）長襦袢その他和装既成品はできるだけ廃止すること（ト）帯は丸帯袋帯を廃止し、名古屋帯、片側帯、単重帯とし、幅及び用尺を短くすること（チ）半襟の刺繍、絞りを廃止すること（リ）女学生の制服は限定せざると共に、その装飾的部分の除去については可及的婦人標準服に依らしむること（ヌ）学童、幼児の衣服は男衣服料に準ずること

四、その他

１、ワイシャツはカッター（シングルカフス）とする

２、ネクタイの新調、製造を禁止する

３、肌着類の夏物は布帛製品を主とし、冬物はメリアス製品を主とする

４、靴下は色無地とし、その長さを短くする

５、帽子の新調は戦闘帽とする

６、夏手袋は男女共に廃止する

７、女子の帽子は廃止する

８、女学生の靴下は夏期に於いては短靴下とする

９、肌着類は品種、規格を単純化しシュミーズは廃止する

以上のように男女とも徹底した衣生活の簡素化を国家的に要請されているのである。元来人類は裸で生れ出るのであり、そのかみは局部に草葉を纏まっていたものが文化の向上につれて全身に衣服を着用するようになった。そして更に華美流行を競うようになったのであるが、決戦下にあっては見栄を満足させるに過ぎぬような衣生活は到底許されぬのである。さればこそ戦時衣生活の簡素化が叫ばれるのであるが、その実践に当っては飽くまで日本的な簡素美を失わずに戦う日本にふさわしい戦時衣服に改めるべきであろう。

 

京城日報　1943年8月31日

チマと別れ、筒型で行け

和服の長袖を断ちましょう、は勿論朝鮮服の『チマ』も今度筒型に改められることになりました。三十日府民館で行われた日婦打合せ会は何れも真剣です。長いチマをひらりひらりと片手に抱いて歩く時代ではない。われら断じて起つと半島婦人の決意は固い。胸に垂れる長紐も節約してボタンに替え何れも献納して米英撃ちて止まむの総力をここに結集する、力強い日婦の新発足です【挿絵は非決戦型のチマ】

 

京城日報　1943年10月17日

どちらが活動的ですか？さあ決戦服で行きましょう

”決戦への衣替え”は先ず男子の国民服から踏み出し、その後をついで女子の服装改善が広く叫ばれ、家庭や街に”元禄袖”に半島婦人の”筒型”チマが見受けられて来たのは頼もしいが、未だに旧態依然たる”おしゃれ服装”若しくは非決戦服を身にまといしゃなりしゃなりとしている人がいる。これでよいだろうか。前線ではいま血みどろの決戦を繰り返している。勝ち抜く道を一路邁進するには皆が”戦う衣”で戦闘配置につかねばならないのだ。

そこで日婦京畿道支部では”貴女の服装は決戦衣ですか”と十月の回覧板にこれを入れこみ、各愛国班に廻し婦人方の反省と奮起を促したが、各家庭ではモンペを特殊な場合にのみ着るものとまちがった考え方をする人や、一着で百円以上も出しておそろしくおしゃれな物を新調する人が現れて来たが、これは唯日常の活動服として着用せねばならぬ。

この写真のどちらが真に活動的に出来る限り古着を活かして作りなおすか。さあ一人残らずモンペの決戦服で米英撃滅へ進軍しましょう【写真＝（上）活動的なモンペ服（下）不活動的な旧服装】

 

Imperial Japanese PSA ordering residents to avoid movie theaters in the daytime, using a fictional skit contrasting Yōko, the 'good Korean girl' in simple work pants practicing air raid drills, against Hoshiko, the 'bad Korean girl' dressed up 'flamboyantly' going to the movies (Seoul, 1944)

This article is just one of many from the ‘Yōko versus Hoshiko’ column, a Keijo Nippo newspaper serial featuring fictional educational dialogues pitting Yōko, the ‘good’ Korean woman who is selfless, considerate, and cares for others, against Hoshiko, the ‘bad’ Korean woman who is selfish, greedy, and only cares about herself, as they argue about the correct way to live their daily lives in wartime Seoul. It’s a very interesting glimpse into how Koreans lived their lives in 1944 Seoul.

Here are some other ‘Yōko versus Hoshiko’ articles that I have shared in an earlier post.

Yōko Higashi and Hoshiko Nishino are allegorical names. The Yō in Yōko is the Chinese character 陽 (the sun), or the yang in the Chinese yin-yang concept. Higashi literally means “East”, so her name could be translated as Sunny East, representing the Japanese Rising Sun and the goodness of East Asia. In contrast, the Hoshi in Hoshiko literally means “Star”, and Nishino literally means “West field” in Japanese, so her name could be translated as Star Westfield, representing the night sky, or darkness, and also alignment with the ‘evil’ West.

(Translation)

Gyeongseong Ilbo (Keijo Nippo) April 15, 1944

Going to the movie theater in the daytime?

Think twice about it, lazy girl!

Hoshiko: “Yōko, why don’t we go see a movie? It’s so boring to stay at home when it’s so warm…’

Yōko: “No, no… watching a movie in the daytime is not appropriate in these times. What if there is an air raid? There would surely be many deaths and injuries due to overcrowding. Besides, it is unbecoming to see young men and women entering a movie theater in the daytime without wearing monpe work pants or kyahan cloth leggings …”

Hoshiko: “But [Hoshiko, in her bad habit, always counter-attacks by saying ‘but’ or ‘umm’], I think that air battle films and national films are very informative, and news films are a must-see for the national people.”

Yōko: “That’s why we need to give up our seats to industrial warriors and organized groups. Besides, today is light bulb training day.”

While Hoshiko was making a flamboyant appearance at the ticket window of the movie theater out of self-centered selfishness, Yōko was diligently taking out shielding curtains and dimmed light bulbs in preparation for an unknown enemy attack today, and was ready for tonight’s light bulb training. Why don’t we watch movies only at night when we are not in organized groups? The sight of muscular young men and dressed up women entering movie theaters in broad daylight goes against the spirit of 100 million warriors who are called up for military service, and it is absolutely despicable. The emergency measures for decisive battles call for lazy people to be attacked and denounced, and demand sharp reflection by moviegoers.

Hoshiko at the movie theater ticket window

Yōko shielding light bulbs during air raid drills

Source: https://www.archive.org/details/kjnp-1944-04-15

(Transcription)

京城日報　1944年4月15日

昼間から映画館とは

のらくらお嬢さん、考えなさい

星子：『陽子さん、映画観に行かない？こんなに暖かくなると家にいてもつまんないですもの．．．』

陽子：『駄目駄目．．．昼間から映画観るなんて時局に相応しくないことよ。若し空襲でもあったらどうします？きっと混雑のため死人や怪我人が沢山出ますことよ。だいいち若い男女がモンペや巻脚絆もつけず昼間から映画館入りする図なんてみっともありませんからね．．．』

星子：『でもー（星子の悪い癖でいつでもデモとかアノウとかで反撃してくる）航空決戦映画とか国民映画は見ていて随分ためになるし、ニュース映画など国民必見の義務があると思いますわ』

陽子：『それだからこそ、なお更産業戦士や団体観賞にお席をお譲りする必要があります』それに今日は灯管訓練日ですよ。

星子さんが自己本位の我儘から映画館の窓口に華美な姿を現す頃、陽子さんは今日にも知れぬ敵襲に備えてせっせと遮蔽幕や管制電球を取り出して今宵の灯管訓練に用意おさおさおこたりません。団体以外の映画観賞は夜間だけでいいじゃありませんか。真っ昼から逞しい体の若者や何となく着飾った女性が映画館入りする姿は一億応召に逆行するもので何とも浅ましい限りです。決戦非常措置はのらくらを排撃せよと観賞者の立場に鋭い反省を要請しています。

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。