Press translations [Japan]. Social Series 0163, 1946-01-14.
Date14 January, 1946
translation numbersocial-0730
call numberDS801 .S84
Persistent Identifier
SOCIAL SERIES: 163
ITEM 1 The ISE Shrine after the Issue of the SCAP Directive on SHINTO - Provincial Newspaper Chubu Nihon Shimbun (Nagoya) - 11 Jan 46. Translator: C. Gilbert.
Summary:
The visitors to the Shrine have not decreased after the Japaneses defeat nor after
the issuance of the SCAP directive. There
are ceaseless visitations by worshippers. The large New Year's throng from outlying
districts was only reduced by traffic and
food difficulties. Still there was a considerable number of pious visitors even from
FUKUSHIMA and HOKTKAIDO. Many believers
who could not come sent letters with monetary contributions. The yearly expenses of
the ISE Shrine have been three million
yen. What the income of the Shrine will be in future is, however, an open question,
as public contributions were formerly not
welcomed. For instance, after the air raid on the ISE Shrine, a great number of public
contributions were refused, but they
will be accepted in the future. This New Year's several people made anonymous contributions.
By Imperial Command the
preparation for the rebuilding of the Shrine was halted. There exists the possibility
that the building material will be
turned over for civil reconstruction work, but believers have sent in letters protecting
against such a possibility and
suggest that the materials be kept until there is a suitable opportunity for rebuilding
the Shrine.
The Shrine is built in a traditional primitive fashion, so that it decays rapidly,
and even with repairs, reconstruction is
necessary every 21 years. Everything possible will be done to win public affection
for the Shrine, and the Shrine guards will
be specially retrained to observe civility towards the public.
ITEM 2 School Principle's Conference in Sendai - Provincial Newspaper Kahoku Shimpo (Sendai) - 4 Jan 46. Translator: Y. Akabane.
Summary:
One of the most important items imposed on the prefectural administration for the
future is the eradication of militaristic
thought from schools and the dissemination of true democratic education. In order
to solve the questions relative to the
entrance examination and the treatment of teachers, which from the promise for the
realization of the foregoing, and to
discuss various other problems awaiting solution in prefectural educational circles,
the MIYAGI Prefectural Office is going to
open a conference of the principals of secondary schools within the prefecture on
4 and 5 January in the city of SENDAI. This
will be attended by principals of 17 middle schools, 17 girls' nigh schools and 24
business schools. The Governor of CHIBA and
the Chief of the Internal Political Department, NOMURA, are expected to preside over
the conference along a new administrative
principle. The chief items to be submitted
SOCIAL SERIES: 163 (Continued)
ITEM 2 (Continued)
for discussion are as follows:
1. Abolition of government guarantee, assistance, protection, control, and propagation
of State Shinto and Shinto shrines. 2.
Dismissal of teachers who had army or navy careers; 3. Steps to be taken, for students
attending schools by steam trains, in
view of the situation caused by the coal shortage; 4. Treatment of teachers and their
livelihood; 5. Entrance
examinations.
Item three is motivated by the fact that higher class students have not had sufficient
time to study even their regular
lessons due to their frequent absence resulting from student mobilization during the
war and increased food production after
the war's end, in addition to the recent overtaxed food and traffic situation. They
should be given some assistance in school
to supplement their lack of study. As regards the treatment of teachers, instructions
were received at the Prefectural Office
on 3 January from the Vice-Minister of the Education and Home Ministries to increase
teachers' salaries by 200 per cent; this
will be announced at the conference. At present the average monthly salary of middle
schools is 123 yen, girls high schools,
110 yen; and business schools, from 118 to 123 yen.
The old system of entrance examinations was conducted strictly in conformity with
the instructions from the central
authorities, who are responsible for the development of militaristic and nationalistic
ideas through formal totalitarianism,
so opinions are required of these principals in order to establish a new system of
examination conforming to the prefectural
conditions, and to be applicable in the next school year. The conference will be an
epoch-making one for educational circles
of the Prefecture.
ITEM 3 The Future of SHINTO Shrines - Provincial Newspaper Chubu Nihon Shimbun (Nagoya) - 5 Jan 46. Translator: C. Gilbert.
Summary:
The following are the reports of the ISE, ATSUTA, KASHIWARA and OMI Shrines since
the issuance of the SCAP Directive on
Shintoism:
ISP Shrine: The ISE Shrine occupies a special place among all SHINTO Shrines, as
it enshrines the grand ancestors of the
Emperor and at the same time is considered the mother of the 110,000 Shrines scattered
throughout JAPAN. Therefore, all
SHINTOISM is affected by the future of the ISE Shrine. The Emperor will continue to
make offerings to the Shrine of his grand
ancestors, report on vital matters relating to the Imperial family, and lead all other
Imperial rites, while remaining
festivals will be dependent upon the free will of the people. The management of the
Shrine will probably be transferred from
the National Board of Shinto to a Civil Board of Shinto. The representative of the
committee for this Civil Board, the Head
Priest of ISE, FURUKAWA, who is now in TOKYO, stated in this connection that ISE will
act as a Mother Shrine to other Shrines
similar to a main Buddhist temple towards its subsidiary temples. The Civil Board
for Shinto will take over the management of
all Shrines, while the Board of the Imperial Shrines will concern itself with the
execution of Imperial festivals ordered by
the Emperor and the execution of all popular festivals as ordered by the Civil Board
for the Popularization of the ISE
Shrine.
ATSUTA Shrine: The ATSUTA Shrine is generally known as the Shrine of the war god.
It enshrines the spirits of the sun
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SOCIAL SERIES: 163 (Continued)
ITEM 3 (Continued)
goddess, her brother SUSONO (TN. Storm and Wind God), YAMA-to TAKERU NO MIKOTO (TN.
Mythical Imperial Prince renowned for his
war powers), and the goddess of Agriculture. Originally, it was known as the Shrine
of the Divinities of Agriculture and
Textiles, and the war god, whose function was, however, restricted to keeping JAPAN
orderly. In the future, the ATSUTA Shrine
will be subject to the management of the Civil Board, which will appoint the SHINTO
priests for the Shrines. The ATSUTA Shrine
has, however, subsidiary Shrines in AICHI, NAGANO, and SHIZUOKA Prefectures, and will
organize a governing body of her
believers. ATSUTA Shrine expenses amount to 500,000 yen per annum, of which the State
contributed only 5000 yen. It will,
therefore, be able to take care of itself financially, without the State subsidiary,
through voluntary contributions and
offerings. It will, moreover, endeavour to popularize Shinto weddings.
As the ATSUTA Shrine enshrines the Divinity of Agriculture, it may also co-operate
with the Agricultural association in
offering agricultural subsidies and rewards. For the time being the ATSUTA Shrine,
however, will experience some financial
difficulties in connection with her building projects when the State subsidies in
this connection are halted. ATSUTA Shrine
has recorded 12 million visitors a year.
KASHIWARA Shrine: (TN. Enshrines the first mythical Emperor JIMMU) The Shrine is
a subject of great veneration, by the people
as the Shrine of the State's Foundation. Believers coming from all provinces will
be fed with vegetables and wine from the
Shrine's lands, and for this purpose intensive agriculture enterprises have been undertaken
in a joint effort between priests
and believers. Shrine festivals and Shinto weddings will be popularized. Yearly Shrine
expenses are 300,000 yen, of which the
State subsidy is only 5000 yen. The question is how to solve the problem of State
property of the Shrine, as it was built with
an outlay by the State of almost 5,000,000 yen.
OMI Shrine: This Shrine enshrines the Emperor TENCHI, who saved the country during
a difficult period. It is under the special
patronage of Prince TAKAMATSU. Its yearly expenses are l45,000 yen, of which the State
subsidy was 5000 yen. The balance was
covered mainly by regular subscriptions of the Believers Body (HOSANKAI), which is
composed of the 800,000 people within the
OMI Province and 100,000 people in other parts of JAPAN.
ITEM 4 Crimes - Mainichi Shimbun - 10 Jan 46. Translator: M. Ohno.
At about 1500 hours on 8 January, a group of approximately 30 burglars broke into
the underground factory of the former
TACHIKAWA Air Arsenal at NISHITAMA-Gun, threatened the watchmen, then headed for TOKYO
along the OME Highway riding on a r
truck with about 37 tons of duralumin, whose estimated value is 300,000 yen, 23 drums
of gasoline valued at 46,000 yen, and 40
bales of charcoal.
The watchman, SAKAKAZU, rushed to the HIKAWA Police Box where the matter was telephoned
to the OME Police Station. The head of
the Station happened to be talking to Lieutenant Charles of the military police, and
four subordinates. Lt. Charles
immediately offered his assistance. More than 20 policemen were put in readiness,
and before long, the nine trucks used by the
burglars approached the Station. Lt Charles fired his pistol as a warning and the
trucks were forced to a stop. In this
manner, the 45 burglars, including the leader, ISHIKAWA of MEGURO-Ku, were arrested
and taken
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SOCIAL SERIES: 163 (Continued)
ITEM 4 (Continued)
to the TOKYO Metropolitan Police Board.
The gang leader, ISHIKAWA, stated that he knew of the existence of the goods in the
underground factory at the end of the war,
and set about making plans to steal it together with 26 Koreans and 19 Japanese. He
intended to sell the duralumin at the rate
of 6,000 yen per ton, allotting 1,500 yen per ton for commissions.
At about 2300 hours on 8 January, 8 men in a truck stole six drums of fuel alcohol,
three coils of manila rope, and four
petrolium cans from the former TSUBAME Unit warehouse at KITATAMA-Gun.
A masked burglar broke into the house of IWASAKI, Seiji at MUKOJIMA-Ku and, fled
with 4,020 yen, at 0230 on 9 January.
At about 0530 hours on 9 January, a man impersonating a police officer entered the
house of YOSHIDA, Masahiro of TOSHIMA-Ku,
claiming to be an officer of the UENO Precinct. He fled with an overcoat and 18 suits
of clothing, valued at an estimated
1,285 yen.
At about 1930 hours of 8 January, two masked bandits beat TANGUCHI, Joichi about
the head and took from him 50 yards of white
HABUTAE silk, and a purse containing eight yen. The robbery occurred near IKEJIRI-Cho
in SETAGAYA-Ku.
ITEM 5 Chief Prosecutors Hold Meeting - Mainishi Shimbun - 10 Jan 46. - Translator: T. Ogawa.
Summary:
A conference of presidents of the courts of Appeal, and chief, Public Prosecutors
throughout the country will be held tomorrow
and the day after tomorrow at the Justice Ministry. It is understood that they will
discuss the dismissal of officials in
accordance with the Government policy on administrative readjustment. It is expected
that the number of officials affected by
the planned readjustment will reach unprecedentedly high figures.
The status of judges and public prosecutors has been guaranteed by law, and their
dismissal at the discretion of their
superiors has not been permitted. Accordingly, among the judges and public prosecutors,
there are a great many superannuated
officials, and incompetent officials who, despite their youth, have remained too long
in the same position by refusing to be
transferred. But, consistent with the situation since the war's end, a law which provides
for the dismissal of juridical
officers has been enacted. The law provides for the discharge of 17 per cent of the
total number of officials, or
approximately 400 men.
There are many superior officials who have intimated their intentions to resign leaving
the responsibility of dismissal with
their subordinates. No one, however, has yet tendered a resignation.
The dismissal of judges will be ordered in the form of dismissal at their own request.
Should the order be rejected by the
listed officials, the list will be brought before a plenary session of the Supreme
Court, and the final, decision will rest in
a two-thirds majority opinion of the participants.
DISTRIBUTION "X"
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