Press translations [Japan]. Social Series 0130, 1945-12-28.

Summary

For war homeless and orphans in KOBE a refuge home, SHINSEI-RYO, has recently been established by the agency of the KOBE branch of the War Victim Relief Association at the site of the SUMA Lunatic Asylum at NISHISHIRO, SUMA-Ku, KOBE-Shi. This home will house 300 people, who are to he given food, shelter, clothing and jobes. On 20 December, 70 homeless who have lived at night in the KOBM station were taken in the home.

OKURA, Mutsuji, head of the home, having resigned his position as an executive of a committee of the Ex-convict Relief Association (SHIHO-HOGO KYOKAI) has voluntarily taken the new work, and has revealed his resolution to execute this relief task.

Summary:

Since the land reform decision of the last Diet, one praiseworthy landowner has appeared in the ranks of the owners and workers. He is KAMAMURA, Yasuhiko of YAMAGUCHI-Ken, KUMAKE-Gun, [illegible]. His resolution to deliver all his farm land of 42 chobu (some 11 acres) to his 200 odd tenant farmers at the price is greatly praised by his tenants. This action will have much influence[illegible]other landowners in his district.

Summary:

KUROSAKI-Mura on SONOKI Peninsula near NAGASAKI is well known for the heroic suffering of its inhabitants who were persecuted during the TOKUGAWA period for their belief in Christianity. After the MEIJI Restoration, thanks to the effort of a French Father, a new church and convent was soon rebuilt and the angelus bell resounded as of old.

The inhabitants of KUROSAKI-Mura went out as missionaries and soon won an ever widening circle of Catholic converts in adjoining areas until the outbreak of the MANCHURIAN Incident, when they encountered turned oppression by the government. The convent was forcibly turned into a military training center, the angelus bell was confiscated and shortly before the end of the war Father NAKAJIMA was arrested by TOKKO and placed under detention in the NAGASAKI police

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station. As it became clear during the hearings, they had absolutely no case against him.

During Father NAKAJIMA's detention, a Navel officer visited him and said that the brotherly love Christ taught was irrational. Father NAKAJIMA contested the point and said that he had always believed that HAKKO ICHIU (TN "The world under one roof", an old Japanese proverb) meant nothing else but this very same brotherly love, that it means not to do harm unto others, but, to respect others as yourself. Father NAKAJIMA says the Naval Officer was unable to reply. Father NAKAJIMA believes that the Japanese lost the war because they lacked the proper spirit of religion.

Full Translation:

A detailed report of the investigation on the rehabilitation was fered by TAGUCHI, clerk of the TOKAI-HOKURIKU Administrative Bureau AICHI-Ken.

NAGOYA-Shi - Of the families of [illegible]sufferers, 740 dwell in houses normally built, 4,768 in tim-patchod shanties or barracks and 680 in subterranean hovels. The remaining 141,405 war victims, are roomers in the undevastated areas in the city. The building of 700 simple houses have been, for the most part, completed, in November, and are inhabited by these hovel dwellers. Out of the allotment of the 21,000 temporary houses, only some 2000 have been built. Some 1600 of the 3000 municipal houses will be built by the end of this year.

ICHINOMIYA-Shi Of the 10,000 families of war sufferers, 3,300 live in houses built by themselves while families living tin patched shanties number 800 dwellers. One thousand, temporary have been allotted by the Government and other 382 simple houses are expected to be built. Many people are applying for them.

OKAZAKI-Shi - Out of the 7,500 families of war-sufferers, 4,5 00 desire to live in the city. Families which dwelt in houses constructed by themselves are estimated at 1,300. Some 500 of the 1,400 simple houses allotted are expected to be built this year. The Municipal Office is making strenuous efforts to accomplish this.

Out of the 725,000 koku of timber for the 29,000 allotted houses in AICHI-Zen, 520,000 koku must be imported from neighboring GIFU-Ken and MIE-Ken, as these do not require as much timber they have on hand in GIFU-Ken.

CIFU-Shi - Building materials for 470 out of 11,000 simple houses which had been planned have been delivered. Two thousand one hundred houses were built by the people themselves. Three thousand simple houses, 1,000 self-constructed houses and some 80 Municipal houses are expected to be built in this year and. As an emergency plan 11,045 people of 2,354 families are to be taken into several factory domitories which first accomodated 2,180 people.

OGAKI-Shi Out of the 4,800 families of war-sufferers 500 dwell, in self-constructed houses. None of the 750 allotted houses, 450 planned by the Municipal Office, 300 the Lodging Association were built. Dwellers in tin-patched shanties number some 800 families, of which 130 are thought to be unable to pass the winter under existing conditions. Plans are being, made to receive them, in factory dormitories.

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In GIFU-Ken extreme shortage of building materials is checking the smooth advance of the house-building.

Summary:

After the outbreak of the German-Soviet War, public opinion in AMERICA was against participation, but then it changed and AMERICA entered the war to destroy Fascism. Democracy has shown its victory over Fascism and its progressiveness. The war was, however, won not through the superiority of the American atomic bomb over HITLER's V weapon, but, the superiority of democracy over fascism. HITLER's GERMANY, MUSSOLI[illegible]I's ITALY and the JAPAN of the TENNO as weak capitalistic States were fated to declare war against all things demecratic. The leaders of the different democratic states who took up the fight with this fascistic combination were prompted by their own interests, but, the peoples have tried to overcome by shackles. This has become evident in the general [illegible]of ENGLAND, the liberation movement in the French colonies, the attempt to democratize the CHIANG-Kai-Shek regime and the independance movements in INDIA, [illegible], KOREA and elsewhere. Fascism is the result of capitalistic bankruptcy. It negates those parts of the, capitalistic society which arc healthy and tries to a [illegible]order. Therefore, Fascism did not only endanger the [illegible]but, also those democratic and liberalistic attainments which the capitalistic society had reasoned in its evolution from feudalism.

Japanese reform into a democratic state under the MEIJI Restoration was a bourgeois half measure. Therefore, the reversion to feudalism became, strong and democracy weak in the 10 years of JAPAN's wars of aggression. During this time, only the imprisoned Japanese Communist Party members showed political, economic, and cultural opposition to [illegible]. The attack of Japanese fascism against Japanese democratic writers was especially virulent. It started with the dissolution of the Union of Japanese Proletarian Writers, followed by the banning of the magazines "CHUOKORON" and "KAIZO", and imprisonment of their staff, the reorganization of ASAHI and other Japanese daily newspapers, dismissal of democratic university professors and the oppression even of bourgeois authors as was evinced by the prohibition of much crotic literature on the ground that they did not reflect feudalistic morality. This led even to the suppression of the collection of modern Japanese literature

Summary:

Christmas bells announced peace, but, there are no New Year decorations for the Japanese people and HAGOITA (TN Shuttlecock game played throughout Japan during the New Year's celebration.) cannot be had, as they are too costly. On the other hand, the amusement centers with their black market stalls and movie halls areas overcongested as the transportation system. The ASAKUSA amusement center is, however, crowded only from noon to just before supper time. Already, before the end of the performances people begin to leave as nobody wants to be in war devastated, precarious. ASAKUSA after dark.

People eat ODEN (TN Japanese stew) at five yen a plate and visit the movie and theater halls grumbling over the excessively high admission fee, especially the 200 per cent tax. The greater part of the audience is composed of young men, and a few women. Chinese

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and Korean spectators have increased remarkably. All movie halls and theaters are full but the intake in December dropped to two-thirds of November. The total intake in ASAKUSA for September was 1,030,000 yen, for October 1,020,000 yen, for November 1,010,000 yen. Up to two months ago the spectators asked for change for a 10 or 100 yon note; now they all pay in small change.

At the NICHIGEKI in MARUNOUCHI the audience is different from that in ASAKUSA. It is mostly composed of young girls, who make up 70 per cent of the audience. From 12 to 13,000 people visit the NICHIGEKI daily. One can see youngsters paying the six yen entrance fee and buying five Japanese cakes at six yen a piece at the inside still. Such is the sad picture of youths starved for joy.

DISTRIBUTION "X"

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