Press translations [Japan]. Social Series 0088, 1945-12-17.
Date17 December, 1945
translation numbersocial-0348
call numberDS801 .S84
Persistent Identifier
SOCIAL SERIES: 88
ITEM 1 Settlement of Yomiuri Dispute - Asahi Shimbun and Yomiuri-Hochi - 12 Dec 45. Translator: C. Gilbert.
Summary:
(TN: See Okuyama Service of same date.)
The YOMIURI Newspaper employees held a general meeting yesterday at which they unanimously
accepted the decision of the
arbitration committee, and then voted their special thanks to KIKUNAMI, Katsumi, Chief
of the Employees' Union of the ASAHI
Newspaper, TOKUDA Kyuichi, of the Communist Party, and SUZUKI, Mosaburo, for their
efforts as labor representatives in the
arbitration committee.
YOMIURI-HOCHI expresses editorially special satisfaction over the agreement to establish
a Bureau of Management composed of
representatives appointed by the President and the staff which are to discuss future
management as well as the editorial
policy of the paper. The establishment of this Bureau results in a division between
capital and management and thereby ensures
democratization of the paper, and precludes sabotage by the capitalists.
The chief of the special arbitration committee, Dr. SUEHIRO, Izutaro, also declared
that the most gratifying result of the
present arbitration has been the clear-cut division between the roles of capital and
management in a newspaper organization.
However, this division is by no means complete. It will be the mission of the employees'
union to safeguard the management of
the paper from undue interference by the capitalists.
The new President of YOMIURI-HOCHI, BABA, Tsunego, declared that it will not be an
instrument of either the GUMBATSU, the
ZAIBATSU, the Bureaucrats, the President, the shareholders or employees of the paper,
but rather an organ to serve and reflect
public opinion.
YOMIURI-HOCHI describes President BABA as having at one time worked for the JAPAN
Advertiser. He then resided for four years
in NEW YORK, and upon returning to JAPAN, became editor of the Oriental Review, a
magazine published by the NIPPON Times. He
resigned when TOKUTOMI, Soho, became President of the NIPPON Times. He was then editor
of the NIOHIYO HYORON Newspaper from
1934 until he was forced to resign five years later by the GUMBATSU after the outbreak
of the CHINA Incident. During the war
his activities were limited to the publication of his biography on "ITO, the Scholar"
and some poems. He was frowned upon by
the GUMBATSU because he has always maintained his attitude as a staunch supporter
of paslia-mentary politics and
liberalism.
SOCIAL SERIES: 88 (Continued)
ITEM 2 War Devastated Cities to be Turned into Recreation Cities - Asahi Shimbun - 12 Dec 45. Translator: T. Ogawa.
Summary:
Nation-wide interest has been placed on the rehabilitation of war-destroyed cities
and towns, in anticipation of the important
role. This will play in the construction of a new JAPAN.
Our cities and towns have never been provided with a single athletic institution
for the citizens' use up to this time.
Consequently, the life of urban inhabitants has naturally been affected by this situation
to no small extent, physically,
mentally and sentimentally. The necessity of solving this problem completely before
proceeding with the reconstruction work
has been shorn by several people. In this connection the representative plans introduced
by the ASAHI Newspaper are as
follows
A plan by KAWASHIMA, Shinichi, Doctor of Medicine calls for a citizens' athletic
ground at least one tsubo in width for each
person using the field. One large athletic ground in each ward in Tokyo, for example,
with an area of 12,000 tsubo is
necessary; two smaller ones, the total area amounting to 24,000 tsubo would be absolutely
necessary. The difference between
the larger and smaller ones would be only in the lengths of their tracks. In the following
chart all figures are in
meters:
Specification of Grounds
Track. | Straight Course. | ||
Width | Length of a Lap. | Length. | |
The Larger One. | 15 | 400 | 200 |
The Smaller One. | 10 | 300 | 100 |
An athletic hall would be attached to each ground. This hall would have an area of
40 meter by 70 meter, and a swimming pool
of 20 meters by 50 meters would be built in its basement, with a shower-room on one
side. The first floor would be designed as
an indoor sports hall; a stand on the second floor; an auditorium on the third floor;
and offices and a Health Information
Bureau would be located on the fourth floor. Around the athletic ground a recreation
field would be provided. In the
auditorium, they would occasionally hold movie shows and concerts Also lectures and
reports on athletics would be given
periodically.
"I think it is high time to materialize such an institute now that 119 war-destroyed
cities and towns are going to be
reconstructed", the doctor said.
A plan by Mr. KURIMOTO, Yoshihiko, Chief of the Physical Training Section of the
Welfare Ministry call for an urban recreation
ground of 10 square meters for each person using the field, for an athletic ground
two square meters per capita, and for a
children's playground of 0.5 square meters, per capita. The area for each athletic
ground would be 5,000 tsubo.
According to this plan the detailed figures will be as follows: In 178 urban areas
there are now 148 athletic grounds (628,8
hectares). The number planned is 3,351 (5,529 hectares). At present there are 348
children's playgrounds (124.4 hectares). The
number planned is 4,617 (1, 385 hectares). This shows a shortage of 2,974 (TN.Sic)
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SOCIAL SERIES: 88 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
athletic grounds (4,907.2 hectares), and 4,202 (TN. Sic ) children's playgrounds
(1,160.6 hectares). Therefore, the number of
those grounds to be established would amount to 20 times and 12 times the existing
athletic grounds and children's playgrounds
respectively.
A plan by Mr. KITAMURA, Tokutaro, Chief of the Institution Section of the War Calamity
Rehabilitation Board calls for athletic
institutions in urban areas to promote national physical well-being. He says, "The
establishment of recreation grounds,
including athletic grounds, is being considered in our rehabilitation plans for urban
areas. Furthermore, 5 million tsubo of
recreation grounds are planned for 119 war-destroyed cities and towns throughout the
country."
In this plans, a large athletic ground in each district and a comparable one in each
city or town will be provided. Besides, a
recreation ground within five minutes' walk from nearby places of business or homes
based on one tsubo per capita will be
provided everywhere. Primary school children and students of secondary schools can
utilize their own playgrounds.
ITEM 3 Conditions in South KOREA - Chubu Nihon Shimbun (Nagoya) - 12 Dec 45. Translator: M Ohno.
Full translation:
A demobilized soldier, MIYAJIMA, Minoru, who returned home recently from the south
district of KOREA where he had been engaged
in delivering Japanese weapons, made a statement regarding the attitude of Americans
and Koreans toward Japanese.
"The American troops, in short, deal leniently with Japanese military men, but they
keep their dignity as victors. When
accidents occurred as a result of our carelessness while delivering Japanese arms
and ammunition, they overlooked them. We
were deeply impressed with the punctuality and eagerness of the American personnel.
The American officers as well as their
subordinates were cleared away the table thing after meals, while in JAPAN soldiers
alone were forced to do such things. The
Americans permitted us to bring home various foods and gave us trucks to carry our
goods to the station. The Koreans were
apparently against the Japanese and even Japanese soldiers on sentry duty were scorned
by them. Consequently, the American
troops allowed the Japanese military men to use weapons when they were attacked by
Koreans.
The situations of the Japanese in Northern KOREA and MANCHURIA is unknown, but, it
is considered, they are certainly suffering
from many difficulties, so their rescue is desirable.
ITEM 4 Reorganization of the YASUKUNI Shrine - Asahi Shimbun - 13 Dec 45. Translator: Y. Akabane.
Full translation:
Since the end of the war, the attention of the Nation at large, to say nothing of
the bereaved families throughout the
country, Is being attracted by the YASUKUNI Shrine in conjunction with the question
of Shintoism, As the Shrine was
established by the august will of the Emperor MEIJI and accordingly has a special
history and relation with the bereaved
families all over the country. Preparations have been made to reorganize it into a
natural shrine, and all the bereaved
families will form its nucleus. It will be quite apart from all other shrines.
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SOCIAL SERIES: 88 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
In consequence, it has recently been decided to rename it as "YASUKUNI BYOGU" after
the old name of "KASHII BYOGU" of the
present KASHII NO MIYA, a first class Government shrine, which is dedicated to the
Emperor CHUAI and the Empress JINGO. The
administrative of the Shrine would be handled by a council, composed of councilors
selected from among bereaved families.
Also, it has also been decided not to get any subsidy from the Government.
At the instigation of Emperor MEIJI, the YASUKUNI Shrine was established at KUDAN
in 1869 with the name "TOKYO SHOKONSHA"
which was changed to the present name In 1879, and at the same time it was elevated
to the position of a special Government
shrine. According to the august will of the Emperor MEIJI, gods to be enshrined here
were not limited to soldiers who died in
wars and emergencies, but all those who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the
State. It has been generally considered as
a shrine solely intended for soldiers because it was transferred to the control of
the Army and Navy Ministries in 1887.
Efforts were made by the former chief priest, the late GAMO, Shigeki, to correct this
misunderstanding, but the control of the
militaristic clique was gradually strengthened through the Manchurian and Chinese
emergencies, resulting in his retirement. He
was succeeded by General SUZUKI, Takato, in 1938. From that time on, military authorities
participated or rather intervened in
all the business of the shrine, directing the staff of this sacred site as their employees
and utilizing it as an organ of
their propaganda. Now, there is no more army and navy, and the YASUKUNI BYOGU has
been restored to its true function. It will
now begin anew, gathering the true and sincere respect of bereaved families.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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