1. Redistribution of Wealth for the Relief and Care of Children, focusing on donations to a day nursery in rural northeastern Japan in the 1930s
- Author
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Shirai, Izumi
- Subjects
キリスト教 ,crop failure ,東北大凶作 ,relief and care of children ,donation ,day nursery ,託児所 ,寄付 ,子どものケアと救済 ,Christine - Abstract
本稿は、1934年の東北大凶作に際して、稲作の皆無作、他の作物の枯死を背景に欠食状態に陥った未就学の子どもを救済・ケアするために青森県岩木村に開所した岩木託児所を分析対象とする。東奥義塾中学校・高等学校図書館所蔵の記録から、同託児所の運営は、日本基督教連盟、キリスト教の宣教師や教会、地域内外の民間の寄付主体、恩賜財団慶福会、中央・地方政府、民間企業など、様々な主体がかかわる共同事業であったことが明らかになった。事業を主導したのは県内のキリスト教の私立学校である東奥義塾で、その塾長は託児所の理事長として他の運営メンバーとともに運営資源の調達に大きな役割を果たした。また、資料からは、寄付者は多額納税者に限らず、新たに登場した市部の新中間層も含んでいたことが浮かび上がってきた。加えてキリスト者の女性や子どもも少額寄付者となっていた。戦前の1930年代前半の農村部の託児所に関して先行研究では、その多くが農村社会の内部の団体や個人によって設立され、地方政府からの補助金を最大の財源にしていたことが示されてきたのに対し、岩木託児所はキリスト教の教育機関が事業を牽引し、とくにその発足期において、財源を地域社会の外の民間主体からの寄付に大きく頼っていたことが判明した。その支援は国内のみならず、グローバルな規模で、キリスト教のネットワークを通じて行われていた。, This study explores a nursery in the Tohoku region, which was established in 1934 when the region starved because of extremely cold summer damaging crops. The crop failure led to a food shortage, and many children were malnourished. The Iwaki Day Nursery was established in response to this situation. Recently-unearthed records of the nursery, which have been stored in the library of a local high school, have revealed that the nursery was a joint project of various parties; Nihon-kirisutokyo-renmei (National Christian Council of Japan), Christian missionaries and churches, private donors residing in and outside the region, Keifuku-kai (a charitable association with Imperial patronage), central and local governments, and private companies. The most important actor was the Too Gijuku, a missionary school in the region, whose headmaster was the administrative director of the nursery and played a significant role in fundraising with other members of administration. The records also suggest that the donors were not only high-income taxpayers but newly-emerging middle-class people in towns. In addition, women and even children donated small amounts of money as Christians. Whereas previous studies on pre-war nurseries in the countryside in the early 1930s found that most were established by private communal organisations and individuals and were mainly funded by local subsidies, the Iwaki Day Nursery was led by a Christian educational organization and relied largely on donations from outside the community for its financial resources, especially during the period when it was established. Its support was channeled through Christian networks on a national and global scale.
- Published
- 2023