Press translations [Japan]. Social Series 0194, 1946-01-24.

Extracts:

Storms are now raging in publication circles over war responsibility, in consequence of which several magazines have already decided to discontinue publication. The following are some of the steps taken by the representative publishing companies:

SHUFUNOTOKO-SHA: Mr. ISHIKAWA, head of the Company, is going to retire. He announced the discontinuation of "Friend of Housewives (SHUFUNOTOMO), a move which was unexpected by the employees of the company, who are now in great confusion. As the Company is rich, having extensive business other than the publication of the magazine, the status quo will be maintained as regards the employees for some time to come. The Company has not much experience in the publication of books, so it will have difficulty in maintaining its present structure. President ISHIKAWA, Takemi, and other leading members of the staff will retire followed by great changes in its business management.

DAI ICHI KORON-SHA: "Public Discussion" (KORON) will be discontinued. The Company has long been publishing "Public Discussion," which is considered ultra-nationalistic. As its tendencies have been very clear, it is at a loss in the face of the trend toward democratization in the publishing world. Chief Editor KAWASAKI and other leading members retired immediately after the war, so that no concrete plan for its future publishing activities can be set up. President KAMHIURA visited General MacATHUR's Headquarters on 21 January to express his intention of discontinuing the publication of "Public Discussion," the last number of which will, however, appear at the end of this month, as the preparations for its publication have been already completed.

SHINCHO-SHA: President SATO retired. This Company was established in 1896 by Mr. SATO and has had long history and experience in the publication of literary books in JAPAN. Mr. SATO and the manager, NAKANE, together with the chief editor of the magazine, "Rising Sun" (HINODE), and other leading members have retired of late, leaving the management to the remaining directors and others. Hereafter, opinions of the staff will be respected, and their participation in management allowed.

SEIBUNDO-SHINK0-SHA: "Aerial Boy" was published by this Company during the war, but it was discontinued last November. The Company intends to publish a new magazine fit for the new age. President OGAWA said, "I have had no supply of paper for publishing 'Aerial Boy.' Although the articles contained therein are the reason why I am considered militaristic, I am a merchant, so it may not be unnatural

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for me to publish magazines if the publication pays and contributes to the Country. Hereafter, I will endeavor to publish books on science for the general public. As to magazines, "Cultivation and Horticulture," "Dwelling and Living," and "World Knowledge" will be published, the first numbers of which are expected to appear at the end of January."

OBUN-SHA: President AKAO remarked, "At one time the Company was famous for its publication of English dictionaries and other reference books, having a large number of customers among students, but during the war the supply of paper was stopped by the authorities for the reason that English was of no use. The contents of a certain magazine published by the Company were also considered offensive, and the paper supply for the magazine was likewise stopped last April. I cannot understand why I must also assume war responsibility."

KODAN-SHA: Disappearance of "Present Age" (GENDAI) is noteworthy. This Company is the largest publishing company in JAPAN, publishing altogether nine famous magazines. In protest against the monopoly of the NOMA family, the employees are demanding democratization of the Company, and they formed a union comprising 1,500 employees including their families. Most of their demands have been accepted. The Company is now pondering, whether to continue the publication of its existing magazines, "Present Age," which has continued since 1920 and will disappear with the February number as its last issue.

Summary:

The wholesale arrest of a big gang of 50 burglars has been completed recently by the TSURUMI Police Station. The gong's first robbery was committed on 20 November at the home of SUZUKI, who lives in ICHIBA-Cho, TSURUMI-Ku. Since then they have been terrorizing the whole TOKYO-YOKOHAMA area, and even neighboring districts, such as SAITAMA, CHIBA and ATAMT.

The crimes committed by this gang totalled 72 cases of burglary and theft up to 3 January. The gang vas organized quite systematically, having four ring-leaders, under whom the men were divided into groups. Each group had close contact with the others. Their system was to allot to each group an area. A truck was used when they were going out to raid distant places. Pistols, Japanese swords, and daggers were used as their weapons. Each group had its den in TSURUMI ward, where they brought their women to divert the people's suspicion.

Their style of work differed according to the character of the group leader. The characteristic of this gang, however, was that they always imitated the pronunciation of Koreans. A summary of the different groups:

DEGUCHI Group: DECUCHI, Tatsuo (age 25), the ring-leader, was called by the nickname of "The Dragon of MOROCCO." He is an ex-boxer, and he had 21 men under him. The group had a permanent clerk in charge of general affairs and accounts, and, to our astonishment, a rascal 17 years old was acting as the group's chief of staff. The crimes committed by this group were numerous: The theft of four sacks of salt from the home of SUZUKI, Tannemon, ICHIBA-Cho, TSURUMI-Ku; attempted robbery at the home of TERSAKI, Shigeji, SUEYOSHI-Cho in the same Ward; theft of 20,000 yen from the home of NIIJIMA, Rokuzo, of the same street,; attempted robbery at the Joint Rice Selling Office at HONTERAO in the same Ward; theft of five barrels of SAKE, six bales of rice, six barrels of SHOCHU (distilled spirits), six jars of NARAZUKE (a kind of pickle), and one barrel of soy sauce, from a warehouse

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located opposite the SAKURA Station in CHIBA-Ken; theft of some bear and sweets, scheduled for Christies delivery, from a freight wagon loaded with Allied goods at the SHINTSURUMI Station; and may other robberies committed in the TSURUMI area.

FUKUDA Group: This group consisted of FUKUDA, Minekazu (age 29), the ring-leader, and six others. They co-operated in the robbery at the home of the aforesaid SUZUKI, and they also committed several robberies, including 22 sacks of salt, five drums of edible oil, and 30 dozen bottles of SAKE and beer from the warehouses at the NAMAMUGI and TSURUMI Stations.

OGAWA Group: OGAWA, Hiroshi (age 28), ring-leader, and four others. The crimes committed by this group included the theft of 50,000 yen from the home of SUGA, Hisashi, USHODA-Cho, TSURUMI-Ku; and theft of 50,000 cigarettes, estimated at approximately 40,000 yen, from the Tobacco Monopoly Bureau plant at TOBECHO, NISHI-Ku, YOKOHAMA-Shi.

IWATA Group: This Group, led by IWATA, Zenshiro (age 22), had 3 members. Their crimes were as follows: The theft of 65,000 yen from the home of TOBA, Kesazo, a farmer in OKABE-Mura, OHSATO-Gun, SAITAMA-Ken; and 12,000 yen from the home of TAKADA, Yoichi, in the same village.

Education Minister ABE, at a conference of the Education Ministry held on 21 January, made a proposal to enforce promptly the three-year system in the Higher Schools. At the conference, some insisted that such problems should be handled later, as one of the various general educational problems, because the abolition of the Higher School itself is being discussed by some people. However, ABE rejected this flatly and ordered the authorities to draft a plan for enforcing the three-year system. He was of the opinion that, because of its urgent necessity, the problem must be handled separately from other general educational problems. Thus, the two-year system, which had been conducted at the Higher School for two years, beginning in 1943, has come to be replaced by the former three-year system.

The students in the second year will be placed under this new system in April of this year. The swiftness of ABE in putting his idea into immediate practice is noteworthy.

DISTRIBUTION: "X"

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