Press translations [Japan]. Social Series 0084, 1945-12-15.

Summary:

SEISHIN, a Korean city, not far from the frontier’s of MANCHURIA and the SOVIET Union, was bombed on 9 August and became immediately the scene of a fierce battle. Mrs. NABESHIMA, wife of the manager of KANHOKU Automobile Company in SEISHIN, fled from the city on 13 August and returned after two and a half months to her home at KIDAMACHI, AICHI-Ken. She told the following story:

"During the war, order in the city was well maintained by the cooperation between Japanese and Koreans. Inhabitants however, always prepared for any emergency. Japanese troops were rumored to have small arms only, other arms and munitions having been sent to southern parts of KOREA for defensive purposes".

"The Korean-Soviet frontier seemed very peaceful but suddenly, on 9 August, all Japanese transports in the harbor were bombed and sunk, causing great confussion in the city. At first the raid was thought to have been made by American airplanes, so no one fled, but remained under cover for three days. However, on 12 August, it became known that the raid was made by soviet planes, subsequent to the Soviet declaration of war. One Japanese regiment was in RASHIN at the time but soviet troops landed at RASHIN and SEISHIN, encircling the regiment. Japanese inhabitants in the city tried to flee to near-by mountains on 13 August, when they learned that approaching Soviet troops were near the city. Most of those fleeing were killed in trenches by the fierce soviet attacks within the city, there was heavy fighting between soviet and Japanese troops, but the latter fought only with machine gun, small arms, and grenades, some ex-soldiers were fighting with wooden guns, with kitchen knives attacked to them. Streets were filled with the dead bodies of soldiers of both sides. Although the Japanese were numerically superior they were defeated because of a lack of arms. The headquarters of the Japanese military police, the police office, post office and banks were blown by Japanese troops, which added greatly to the general confusions."

"I fled that morning with my children, taking a train from the SEISHIN station. It is said that the Japanese in SEISHIN once numbered around 60,000. This number decreased to about 300 after the war ended, and they are now engaged in forced labor under Soviet supervision. They were taken to a detention camp and supplied with only one go of soy beans daily. I went by train to SEISEN where I was detained for one week by the Soviet troops and then I came to GENSAN by train. By giving 500 yen to a conductor I managed to come to

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TETSUGEN where I joined a party of about 500 persons who were obliged to pay a total of 50,000 yen; then I came to KEIJO on foot. Posters containing intimidations such as, "Japanese tortured Koreans for more than 40 years! If you desire to return, go on foot, on all fours, or by swimming", were scattered by some Koreans; but on the other hand, two Korean students, who once studied in JAPAN, were kind enough to guide me. I met them on my way to KEIJO. Knowing that I had never stopped in any hotels during my journey and had no food, they got me into a hotel and stayed there overnight to protect me, giving me kind instructions not to speak a word of Japanese. They even went so far as to ascertain, when traveling, whether or not there wee any Soviet soldiers or Koreans on the way, by going one or two cho ahead and then giving me signals by gestures. I cannot forget the kindness of those Korean students". Mrs. NABESHIMA concluded.

Full Translation:

The MUKO-Machi Neighborhood Group Association at NAKAMURA-Cho, SOMA-Gun, supplies a good example of how to cope with black market activities by practical application and utilization of goods kept idle in stock.

A boycott movement against black market activities has begun by men of the Association who decided to buy no food or commodities higher than Government prices. They alone decided to halt the distribution of foods or other necessities among those men who bought anything at black market prices. Therefore the price of fish, vegetables, persimmons and mandarin oranges have been reduced to a. minimum.

Meanwhile, the people of HARA-Machi, TAINOSUKE-Cho, gave the utmost effort to utilize the goods kept idle in stock, instead of buying the black market produce, which they have definitely boycotted.

The Neighbourhood Group Association of EARA-Machi TAINOSUKE-Cho, has also set up a commodities exchange office to barter goods and has daily become more prosperous, thereby realizing the aims of the Association.

Extracts:

An abundant supply of food in the market sold at exorbitant prices only serves as food for war millionaires. Salaried people have no relief from starvation. How are they drifting into this serious economic plight?

The following figures illustrate the conditions of livelihood for salaried people at NAGOYA.

Mr. A. (Prefectural office secretary) relates "I have a regular salary of 65 YEN, allowance of 25 YEN plus official travelling expenses, which makes the whole income total about 100 yen. This amount is sufficient only to provide food for one child and my wife. Fifteen

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yen for the house rent and ten yen for private travelling must be expended out of my savings, Considerable anxiety about our future makes me think of transferring to some better job.

Mr. B (city municipal official) states "I have no income other than my regular salary and allowances amounting to 125 yen per month. My expenditures are 80 yen for food and 30 yen for the house rent. Travelling from the rural section, to which I evacuated, to the office costs 25 yen. The only additional income I receive is the yearly 70 or 80 per cent bonus."

Mr. C (a railway official) says "In spite of my extremely faithful service for 6 years since graduating from college, my present regular salary is still 85 yen, and I have an allowance of 15 yen which adds up to 100 yen. There is no hope for an increased bonus during this period in when the cost of living is so high."

Mr. D (a secondary school teacher) says "I have been teaching school for 5 years after having graduated with honors from a higher normal school. The regular salary and allowances amount to 145 yen, but the sum realized is only 20 yen. Because of the war, part time jobs were not available, and since the income realized previously from that source disappeared, I am forced to wear very poor clothing. The house rent has now been raised[illegible]to 35 yen and the rest of my income spent for food."

Mr. E (an assistant police inspector) "My entire income, including salary and allowances, is 100 yen. Physical fatigue as well as general dislike of police, supply no comfort in my life. Many of us police wish to turn to farming."

Mr. F (Bank clerk) 180 yen for salary and various allowances sounds like comparatively good pay, but we bank employees should have some money to spend on cultural pursuits and social benefits in order to keep up appearances."

Mr. G (A Department store assistant) "I receive 80 yen from the store in which I am employed as a salesman. Because my income is insufficient, I have to depend on my parents for additional support, I have been expecting too much from the "Japanese victory" which deceived many young Japanese people. The solution of our difficulties is to rebuild a new JAPAN."

Summary:

People, awakened by their new freedom of speech, are now thronging to a few bookstores which escaped the air raids. The best sellers at UJIYAMADA Bookstore ere popular novels; the next best are democratized periodicals on literary criticism. Books concerning the SOUTH SEAS are gathering dust on the shelves. At the SHINTO Library, the most popular readings material is scientific books, light literature, and classics. The books on democracy and extreme leftistism have been burned by the police but in the future they will be bought. The books on imperialism, which MacARTHUR's Headquarters prohibited, have all disappeared.

DISTRIBUTION "X"

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