Press translations [Japan]. Social Series 0198, 1946-01-26.

Summary:

The following example shows how easily many people are swindled;

The SHOGAMA Police Station arrested WATARU, Minoru, of SHIOGAMA-Shi, and investigations revealed his various crimes. He promised NAKAGAMA of TOKYO that he would give him 2 hyo of rice, and then he received from NAKAGAYKA 1,600 yen as security, thereby swindling him. By the same method, he swindled 1,000 yen from ITO of TOKYO, 1,200 yen from OKAHA of TOKYO, 900 yen from YOSHIMURA of SENDAI-Shi, 6,000 yen from MORITA of SHIOGAMA-Shi, 2,300 yen from OTA of SHIOGAMA-Shi, 600 yen from SATO of SKIOGAMA-Shi, etc. Thus, during the period of four months from September 1945 to Vacancy 1946, he swindled thousands of yen by offering service to others for buying such food or daily necessities as rice, fish, and charcoal.

In these days, when food and other daily necessities are seriously lacking, men are apt to be swindled by these fraudulent means. The SHIOGATA police authorities are warning the public on this point.

Summary:

A group of three burglars broke into two farm-houses at OTAKAZAWA-Mura, KARITA-Gun, MIYAGI-Ken. The loss was little, but there was something to be considered in the crimes. A reporter of the KAHOKU SHIMPO called on the two victims, SATO, Tsunesaburo and SATO, Kunisuke and wrote as follows:

The two victims have been living in a remote place near the mountains about 2 km from the village center, where the school, police station, and the village office are located. On the night of 9 January, Tsunesaburo was conversing with his wife and children. Then, a rather polite, "Good evening", was heard by him, and a masked man entered his house, saying, "Sell me some persimmons"

"I have no persimmons", replied the master.

"Do you know any farmer who has persimmons near this place?" asked the man. Then, a second masked man entered his house.

"Hey! Why are you loitering about over there?" said a third masked man, armed with a pistol, who then broke into the home.

Consequently, TSUNESABURO was forced to deliver some persimmons to them. After this, the group of burglars went to the home of SATO, Kunisuke and again saying, "Good evening", entered his house and stole some persimmons.

SOCIAL SER IES: 198 (Continued)

ITEM 2 (Continued)

Being startled at this, the two victims did not report the fact to the police until the next morning. Consequently, the burglars walked leisurely. The loss was very slight, but the matter affected seriously the minds of all the farmers in the village. In order to prevent these burglaries, it is very necessary that everyone fasten his door securely, and if any one calls, he must inspect the visitor from indoors.

Full Translation:

The Prefectural Education Section of AICHI-Ken replied in a newspaper to an open letter on the girls' schools. On the revival of the five-year system for the girls' school from the present four-year system, no notification has yet been received from the Education Ministry. Therefore, no decision has been worked out on the matter.

On the question of the two-year or three-year system for the girls' school which girls can enter after completing the entire course or the first year of the higher course of the national school, the answer is that there is no such system in NAGOYA-Shi. All are of the four-year system except for the Municipal Girls' Commercial and Engineering School, which have a two-year system and admits those who complete the higher course of the national school.

Summary:

Among the many shrines on the verge of survival or ruin, one shrine has announced a plan for expansion of its premises. It is the NAGATA Shrine in KOBE. The plan, backed by a worshippers' group, includes the purchase of some 4,000 tsubo (some 3.3 acres) of land around the shrine. Which will be made a shaded area with a rest house for citizens. The same project is also planned by the IMUTA Shrine in the same city.

"The expansion of the ground", said the chief priest of the NAGATA Shrine MITSUI, "had been felt necessary due to the destruction caused by air raids. Shrines must find a promising way of life with an ideal. Being put off the Governmental guardianship, the faith of the shrine, which has its roots in the hearts of men, will be free and active," he added.

Summary:

Question: How can I make a woman friend of mine become interested in political matters? (by NOSHIOKA of IBARAGI)

Answer: If you friend is disinterested in politics, then ask her whether her children are given good educations, whether the food-distributing system needs reform, whether the Constitution need revision, or what is the significance of this atomic age. If your friend beg a discussion on these subjects, it's all right. If not, ask more questions on subjects more appealing to her to make her begin to argue. These problems will result in other problems. Thus, the Government will listen to your voices, and your friend will become interested in politics.

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SOCIAL SERIES: 198 (Continued)

Full Translation:

One-third of the prewar curriculum at the youth schools consisted of military training. The schools then totaled 16,000 throughout the country, with most of the students working during the day in factories or farms and attending school in the evening. Eighty percent of the young men in JAPAN attended these schools, the aims of which were to make youths suitable for military service. But at the end of the war, the Education Ministry ordered the reform of these schools, aiming at changing them back to their original status.

An authoritative spokesman recently commented, "The Ministry has notified every youth school to the effect that it should stress civic education, physical education, and practical courses in the hours left vacant by the abolition of military training." However, inactivity prevails everywhere in the country, and the youth schools are no exception. It is not practical to give gymnastic training to students who are tired from their work in factories. At any rate, the schools failed in the past to give satisfaction to their students. We are now striving to readjust the situation. First, the improvement of teachers' efficiency and an increased number of teachers is necessary. There are now some 50,000 teachers, which may be divided with three or four teachers for each school. Some of the schools have only one teacher; hence, two hundred per cent increase is necessary.

Secondly, better treatment of the teachers is necessary. The youth school teachers' pay is no better than that of the national school teacher, in spite of the fact that youth schools are graded as middle schools. As a result of better treatment, many more efficient teachers will be available.

Thirdly, the youth school graduates are now qualified to take only the entrance examinations for normal schools or youth normal schools. In the future, however, it is desired that they be qualified to take entrance examination for technical schools. To attain this, an increase in teaching hours to 600 hours yearly is necessary. This measure will not be realized without the sympathy of both employers and students. The youths schools are now only subsidiary organs of educational system, but fit is desired that in the future they will become the equivalent of the ordinary middle schools.

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