Press translations [Japan]. Editorial Series 0217, 1946-01-09.

Summary:

This, 1946, is the first year of peace. It is for us, deprived of all arms under the occupation of the allies, the second year of humiliation. It is for us the second year of formidable distress, because the state of economics, politics, and public feeling is very confused and depressing. It is, however, the first year of the Nation's revival from the depth of despair in an attempt to reconstruct a new JAPAN.

We must, first of all, execute the terms of the POTSDAM Declaration in a manly and courageous fashion. We must autonomously and positively fulfill the Declaration with the utmost rapidity. The Government should ask for the co-operation of the Nation and the Nation should encourage the Government in this undertaking. We Japanese are at your disposal. The POTSDAM Declaration is not forced on the Government and the people, for we acutely realize the folly of war and are determined to render services to world peace. This is, indeed, the turning point of our race towards peace and happiness

Post war impoverishment is conspicuous, especailly in the problems of inflation, coal and food. Our financial conditions, both of money and material, stand on the brink of ruin, while circumstances are leading the disruption of thought and moral life of the people. Public morale, deplorably corrupted, are leaning towards violence and decadence. We declared war, staking victor and defeat, but now we are in the position of risking the existence of the whole Nation. Casting off the past, we are charged, with a mission to create a superior culture

Finally, all our efforts and energy concentrated for attaining victory should now be directed to peace and enlightment. Religion, politics, economics, science, art, life of the people, all should be directed towards the highest civilization of humanity. This year the Japanese must indeed rise to their feet to lake contributions to world culture

EDITORIAL SERIES: 217 (Continued)

Summary:

The year of the defeat, in which our bright history of three thousand years was blasted, has departed. The new peaceful year has come. In this new year, we expect the reconstruction of a new JAPAN. However, this reconstruction is too difficult to be accomplished rapidly. Since the end of the war, half a year has passed. At present we are now tasting the bitterness of the defeat. However, we believe in the eternity of our history and intend to overcome this great difficulty to achieve the great task of the reconstruction. We should calmly reflect on our mistakes and defect which brought us this miserable defeat. The causes of our defeat are numerous, such as poor administration: lack of science, and prejudices against internationalism. Therefore, we must abandon our self-conceit, so as not to make such a mistake again. We must exert ourselves to heighten our political and economical standards to those of the world and contribute much to the peace of the world.

Militarism, bureaucracy, and the ZAIBATSU are now destroyed, and a democratic JAPAN is being established. However, our people, unfortunately, like stray lambs, do not know what to do. The JAPAN of this new year is facing a bloodless revolution in politics, economy, administration, industry and other departments. We shall have other acute reforms as a result of the POTSDAM Declaration. A general election is to be held soon, early in the new year. Consequently, the Government should positively and rapidly settle problems on the reform of the political groups, on the growing economic crisis, on the lack of food and houses, on a Policy against unemployment, and many other problems. At the same time, our people in the new year must abandon their negative and desperate attitude and have the courage to surmount difficulties in thinking for themselves and becoming independent in spirit. A long and arduous existence during the war and miserable defeat have made the majority of our people nihilistic as a result of mental injury. For this reason, in our MIYAZAKI Prefecture the conditions of reconstruction, production, and deliver are in a poor state. However, if our general public will establish a social order by awaking to culture and reason, social uneasiness will he swept away and consequently, the reconstruction of a new Nation and production and delivery would not be so difficult.

In order to establish a social order it is necessary to make a positive development in social education. In this sense we journalists intend to do our utmost through the newspaper, the public organ in society, for the reconstruction of a, new JAPAN.

Full Translation:

"The Emperor of JAPAN has become one of the greatest revolutionaries in Japanese history as a result of the publication of his New Year's Day Imperial Rescript". This is a statement made by the NEW YORK TIMES. General of the Army Douglas MacCARTHUR has also expressed his satisfaction. Thus, the Imperial Rescript has revealed the character of the revolution which is a revolution from the top. Since the Five Article of the Imperial Oath formed the basis of the MEIJI Constitution, the present Rescript will be the basis of the SHOWA one.

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EDITORIAL SERIES: 217 (Continued)

ITEM 3 (Continued)

As this is not a revolution arising from the bottom, a drastic overthrow of the existing authorities or destruction of the existing powers cannot be expected. However, to avoid the confusion brought about by a revolution, reforms will gradually he realized according to a program of construction. This program of construction deliberately is blamed so as to [illegible]it the new rising authorities and the supporters of the status quo will be surprised at new conditions springing up. These who were not surprised yesterday will be surprise today and so on. At the time no one gets astonished at the new daily program, democracy will have been basically realized.

The SHIDEHAEU Cabinet is surprised as the HIGASHIKUAI Cabinet was surprised. The next Cabinet must not be one that will be surprised at the new daily program. With the general election coming very soon, the recent SCAP directives put the Progressive Party which occupies the broadest sphere of influence in consternation. It deals a great blew to the Liberal Party and a lesser blow to the Social Democratic Party. The Communists alone is safe from it.

There are other parties numbering a little over twenty. Most of these have some connections with the twenty seven associations which were recently ordered dissolved. In these parties in place of the important war criminals miner ones are striving to defy the public. Ordinarily [illegible]revolutions brought about from the bottom such personnel mix ups never occur, and here lies the greatest difficulty in building a new JAPAN.

The masses must be enlightened by education. It is to be regretted that Mr. OZAKI, Yukio, will retire from politics. No one was so considerate of the Emperor and so considerate of the Emperor and so maltreated in the name of the Emperor as he. In consequence of the speech delivered at the Imperial Education Association he obliged to resign from the post of Education Minister in 1898. This was due to a fuss raised about a negligible disrespect against the Emperor which slipped out in his speech warning against the mammonism then prevalent among educators. His speech was to the effect that even if a democratic government were established in JAPAN after tens of hundreds of years (he sun-posed such a thing probably would not happen), it would be impossible to maintain it if mammonism were to become influential. He remarked that the above was only an inauspicious example used for the convenience of explanation. Thus, he merely warned against a prevailing enthusiasm for mammonism among educators, and yet was charge: with lese-majeste because of this speech. Another lese-majeste affair occured some years ago during a general election. This too was also nothing serieous, but occured merely because he was hated by the militarists as a powerful opponent. His political career is a rare example of a person who has been consistently democratic.

Full Translation:

The words OTOSAN and "OKASAN" (TN: father and mother) were once nearly replaced by "papa" and "mamma". These however, lost popularity during the war because of the banning of all things remmiscent of the English language by the militarists. Presently "OTOCHAMA" and "OTOCHAMA" are heard instead. "OTOCHAMA" and "OKAHAMA" are hardly appropriate for line in a hut in the debris of a ravaged city. They are, first of all, rather troublesome. Now that the ban has been lifted, and the age of English, conversation has returned, perhaps we should return to "papa" and "mama".

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EDITORIAL SERIES: 217 (Continued)

ITEM 4 (Continued)

If you say, however, that these words sound affected, we cannot object to such opinions in these days of freedom of thought, so we recommend that "OTOSAN" and "OKASAN" be used as formerly.

In many ways, JAPAN has to "be reformed, and so speech and writing, hereafter will he changed in many ways. One may discuss freely which is the better way to write Japanese, with Roman letters or with KANA (TN Japanese phonetic alphabet ) written horizontally from the left

There can be no opposition to writing the texts of the laws in en easy style or at least in converting KATA KAWA in the text to HIRAGAMA (TN: Simpler syllabany). You may be unable to make the wording of the law easy to understand, as the matters dealt with may be delicate and complicated. Therefore, reforming the contents of the laws may be a mere important reformation than writing the text of the law plainly

Laws are necessary but need not be too minute. The Government officials lacking administrative ability, could hide behind the text of the law. In the future when the "true" Government appears, such things will disappear

The types of houses to be built for air raid victims are limited to one or two kinds. This may be permissible, but is net too popular. This is not because of the limited types, but because they are unfurnished, and carpenters demand extraordinarily high prices for building them. In the future, not the type of the house but the parts should be standardized and everybody will be able to build a house with the parts and to change pillar when it rots.

If we enumerate in this manner, we can find many things to be changed in the future.

Full Translation:

We are thankful for the daily broadcasts which report prices of fish and vegetables, but it is not too much to say that no housewife can listen to the broadcast when she is going shopping. For the purpose of checking dealers' profiteering, such broadcasts may be useful. However, if consumers cannot take advantage of them, they serve no purpose. I believe that with the years end in sight, only farmers made easy money due to the broadcasts. As prices are broadcast, farmers have raised the prices of vegetables in accordance with the quoted prices. Besides, the price changes almost every day.

In my opinion, it would be sufficient for the standard price to be broadcast over the radio once a week, at most. The present broadcasting of prices is more injurious than beneficial to consumers. I desire the authorities of the broadcasting station to reply to my argument. (By a company employee in SATITHA-Ken).

The Indication of Retail Prices

Traders should have to indicate the daily retail prices of fish and vegetables in their shops. Nevertheless at the vegetable distributing centers in 2 chome, NOGATA-Machi, they sell goods without marking the prices. Moreover, the distributing centers frequently move to other places. In reply to my questions they say they cannot tell where they will transact business next. I think that they change their locations frequently to avoid indicating prices. All the people in my neighborhood are in convenienced by them.

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EDITORIAL SERIES: 217 (Continued)

ITEM 5 (Continued)

The dealers say if we don't buy goods at prices higher than those of the blackmarket, they will do business by illicit transactions. How mean they are! The staff of the fish-distributing center is not so mean, but the green grocers are very unfair. I desire that they be supervised by the authorities. Distributing centers are provided for the sake of consumers. Therefore they should make kindness their motto and sell goods by the 100 'momme' unit. Salaried men cannot buy anything at blackmarket prices by the tens of yen. I most enphatically desire the authorities to increase their control over these trade associations. (By a certain housewife).

Full Translation:

According to the latest purge directives issued by SCAP, the old leading groupls are to be barred from public office. Thus the prerequisite for the coming general election has been completed. It can be expected that the date of the election will soon be determined.

It is commonly believed that the SHIDEHARA Cabinet will continue only until the coming election. Meanwhile, not a few members of the Cabinet are being forced to retire from their posts by the recent Allied directives. Naturally, the Cabinet itself is badly shaken.

It would occasion no particular surprise among the people, even if such powerful a Cabinet as the present one should fall. Nevertheless, it is quite clear that we cannot expect a better cabinet to follow the present one.

However, it is not impossible to have a better cabinet if we build the basis for its foundation among rising young men. Now that the old type of leader is being wiped out, we shall boldly substitute younger men. In this connection, we recall the story at the beginning of the era of Meiji, in which Mr. SOEJIMA, Taneomi, insisted that young politicians of twenty years of age and specialists should occupy the Cabinet seats. He was considered almost mad by a certain group. Is it not high time to try to put into effect his bold statement?

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