Press translations [Japan]. Social Series 0056, 1945-12-02.

Full translation:

The Japanese forces, stationed in outlying areas after the war ended, seized. large quantities of war goods and thus aroused public suspicion. The police of TOCHIGI Prefecture revealed this as investigations were completed in cooperation with Divisional Headquarters of the Occupation Forces.

Criminal acts, such as breach of trust, and embezzlement, totalling 381 cases and including 23,556 articles valued as high as 12,000,000 yen were committed by 381 military men, including field officers in active service, of which 12 officers and 32 noncoms are being held for trial by court-martial. Another 36 cases will soon be sent to the public prosecutor's office.

In the confusion resulting at the time of the surrender, ex-Major TAKAGI, Hiroshi, SAITAMA Prefecture was guilty of various irregularities taking advantage of his position as Chief of the newly formed corps in the vicinity of OMIYA City. He seized 30 koku of timber, one drum of bean oil, and leather enough for 400 pairs of shoes, and sold them at illegal prices of 5,000 yen, 14,500 yen, and 35,000 yen respectively. The latter two are worth only 200 yen and 3,000 yen, respectively, at normal prices. He also accepted, unlawfully, a house which was worth 10,000 yen from a certain minitions factory in the prefecture, and used his soldiers to carry materials for it. Such violations have now been brought to light. He was arrested by the OMIYA Police and will soon be sent to the public prosecutor's office on charges of embezzlement and for violation of the National Mobilization Law.

The fact that one and a half freight train loads of rice is being eaten daily by the ghost population of Tokyo was brought to light by the census conducted on 1 November. So many dishonest reports were made that the Metropolitan Office will conduct another census on 1 December in order to regulate the ration system.

The population of Tokyo as reported was 2,777,010, but the census of the rationed population, conducted on the same day by the Tokyo City Economic Department Food Section, shows 2,801,940. There must, therefore, be a ghost population of 24,930 in TOKYO. Aside from this, considering the fact that some travelors happened to be in Tokyo on that day, and that approximately 15,000 farmers who do not get rations

ITEM 2 (Continued)

were included, then 39,930 should be the ghost population of TOKYO. About 40,000 ghosts eat 84 koku of rice everyday. The problem is more serious when it comes to other food stuffs.

The primary cause of this ghost population is dishonest reporting, and there are fewer cases of this in the downtown areas than uptown where more people move in and out of the city.

Ghosts are created when a person moves and false names are added on a certificate of removal. In the most flagrant violation, three false names were added.

Before a couple are married the husband's family sends in the bride's name for rations, but when a person dies the family does not report, and when a woman is pregnant she receives a special ration but does not report when she has had a miscarriage. There was even a case that counted a cat (calling it TAMAKO) as a person. These cases are occurring more frequently since the war factories closed down and the workers were left without jobs. There are also false reports being made as to profession and age in order to get special rations. This consideration also should not be ignored.

Summary:

The Metropolitan Police Bureau yesterday at the main office of the Bureau held its first round table conference, discussing the problem of democratizing the police. The conference was attended by several civilians of intellectual circles, Superintendent-General TAKANO and Directors of each Department of the Bureau.

The civilians attending were Mr. MARUYAMA, Tsurukichi, Mr. OSHITA, Udaji, Mr. SASSA, Hiroo, Mr. TAKAHASHI, Kenichi, Mr. TAKAHASHI, Yusai, Mr. FUJIYAMA, Aiichiro, Mr. MATSUO, Komakichi, Mrs. HANI, Motoko, Mrs. MURAOKA, Hanako, etc. They exchanged their opinions for 4 hours. Representative opinions are as follows:

Mr. FUJIYAMA: The Japanese police have too many jobs. It is necessary to restrict their activities to some extent.

Mr. ABE: The present police system is an inheritance of the feudalistic system of the MEIJI Era without any improvements. A substantial reform is necessary. You should not depend on force but rather depend on closer contact with the public in order to obtain the real confidence of the people. For that purpose we should enforce the education of policemen in order to elevate their standard. It is also recommended that we acquire policemen of superior ability.

Mrs. MURAOKA: From the housewife's view-point it is desirable that the policemen working in police boxes, who have the closest contact with us, should improve their words and attitude. I dare say that they should be more kind to the people.

Mrs. HANI. For those who have power, mental culture is always necessary. The accomodations in the jail should be improved. The first condition of democratizing the police consists in the respect for personal rights.

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ITEM 3 (Continued)

Beside the above-mentioned opinions, statements were also made regarding the adoption of cultured policewomen for the purpose of preventing crime and a guidance for young women, the abolition of policemen carrying swords etc. Furthermore, it is worthy of note that all the members stated unanimously the necessity for prompt and drastic reform of conditions on the police force.

Summary:

The NIIGATA Village Leaders' Training Course held at SHIN SHIN NO DO at NISHI KAMAMAKI MACHI for three weeks came to an end on 23 November. The following impressions expressed by the pupils with regard to the current provincial problems reflect the views of the present farming people:

MIMIYA, Sadaji: If the Farm Land Reformation Bill is put in force, irrigation problems will be solved. If irrigation systems were perfected, two crops of rice a year would be possible.

KUROI, Chiichi: It may depend on the number of the family members, but the ideal area of a farm for each farmer would be about 3 cho 5 tan including vegetable fields. Three tan with various items of farming production would be enough for a farmer's family to be independent.

KAWAMURA, Shoichi: Verbal insistence on patriotism alone will not do. A body of consumers should move to farming villages so that they may engage in farming.

KOBAYASHI, Tamotsu: Rice collection by the Government should be made a permanent system. Yearly revision of the amount of products collected will not be a good encouragement for the producers. The grades of the productivities of fields should be divided into (A)1 koku 5 to per tan; (B) 1 koku 3 to per tan; (C) 1 koku 1 to per tan.

SUZUKI, Minichiro: Villagers cannot live on their staple food of only rice because they grow too erect on a vegetarian diet. In order to keep up their nourishment, the supply of meat should be considered.

Summary:

The results of the census taken on 1 November are made public by the Information Board on 21 November. It puts the total population of Japan at 71,996,477, far less than what we expected. What is the reason?

It is quite clear that the number must be greater in reality. In fact, the above number is about 2,000,000 heads less than the 74,000,000 estimated population in Japan proper, scientifically calculated from various materials in the welfare Ministry last April and 297,358 heads less than the number obtained by the census taken on 22 February, 1944. Putting, aside the figure of the Welfare Ministry, as it is an estimate,

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it seems curious that the population has decreased by over 290,000, compared with the result of the proceeding census, in view of the fact that the rate of yearly increase in Japanese population is more than one million. Many explanations intended to endorse the exactness of this number are made, but no one of them can satisfy us. At any rate, there must be some serious omissions.

Any investigation to be made by Government organs can not be exactly effected under the weak administrative power, especially this recent census which was made at the time of social disorder after the war, a fact that is probably responsible for the inaccuracy of the figure.

For various reasons, we suppose the number of omissions will be around 2 millions. The difference of 2 or 3 millions in the number of population may not be a serious matter in ordinary years, but since this census is to be available as a basis for the importation of food and their distribution, it is most important. Moreover, it is evident that the Allied Powers will determine the quantity of food imported on the basis of the number of population. If there is a difference of 2 million men, about 2 million koku of food will be lost. The Government must reexamine the number carefully from a scientific standpoint.

In this connection, it is recalled that the Soviet Union took the trouble to make a second census in 1939. The first census showed numbers far less than expected, so the second was made, and the result was satisfactory to Marshall Stalin. The staff, including the Director of the Bureau of Statistics responsible for the first census, were dismissed, while those responsible for the second were awarded with decorations. This is a famous anecdote in the history of census taking. Japan must imitate this precedent. An inaccurate census will cause mistakes in various plans within the country, and the national prestige will be lost.

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