2021年3月

Economy

Wednesday, March 30, 1921: Calling for better treatment of retail employees

On Wednesday, March 30, 1921, an editorial calling for better treatment of retail employees appeared in the Tokyo Nichinichi Shimbun. While the labor movement was gaining momentum in the Taisho era and the treatment of factory workers was improving, the retail industry was still treated poorly as an extension of the old ways of apprenticeship. Many stores did not even have regulations on closing hours and days off, and long working hours were common. The above is an article from the Tokyo Nichinichi Shimbun, and it shows that even in the Taisho era, when the labor movement was in full swing, the retail industry was still largely the same as...
Academic

Tuesday, March 29, 1921: the Association for the Dissemination of Scientific Knowledge

On Tuesday, March 29, 1921, it was reported that the Association for the Dissemination of Scientific Knowledge (now the Japan Science Foundation) had held its inaugural meeting at the Imperial Hotel the day before. The 85 founders included Akamaro Tanaka, a land and water scientist, Jozo Suzuki, a member of the House of Representatives, Toyokichi Takamatsu, an applied chemist and president of Tokyo Gas, Manabu Miyoshi, a botanist, and Chiyomatsu Ishikawa, a zoologist. Its purpose was to conduct cross-sectional research on a wide range of scientific knowledge in the fields of law, literature, science, engineering, forestry, agriculture, and medicine, and to disseminate science. In July of the same year, it...
Economy

Monday, March 28, 1921: Made in Nippon

Monday, March 28, 1921: It is reported that the U.S. Department of the Treasury will no longer clear goods marked “Made in Nippon” among Japanese exports to the United States. The name of origin will be unified as “Made in Japan”. Until then, both “Nippon” and “Japan” were used for Japanese exports. The U.S. Customs authorities have notified us that the change will take effect on September 1. The term “Made in Nippon” is unfamiliar to us today, but I was surprised to learn that at the time, there was quite a mix of “Made in Japan” and “Made in Nippon. However, I was surprised to find out that there...
Social

Monday, March 28, 1921: Dance Party at Teikoku Hotel

Monday, March 28, 1921, the Society for the Relief of the Mentally Ill held a charity ball to raise funds. Nobuko Hara, an opera singer, and other celebrities from various fields, as well as diplomat ladies from abroad, gathered at the Imperial Hotel and the event continued until midnight. According to Aisaku Hayashi, manager of the Imperial Hotel, Japanese women’s dancing skills have improved and are comparable to those of Westerners.
Art

Monday, March 28, 1921: Sculptor Teijiro Nakahara passed away

Monday, March 28, 1921 Sculptor Teijiro Nakahara passed away. He was born in Kushiro City, Hokkaido, and moved to Tokyo at the age of 18 to become a painter. At the age of 18, he moved to Tokyo to become a painter, and later became a sculptor under the inspiration of Morie Ogiwara (Rokuzan). Influenced by Rodin, he left behind many works that are robust, realistic, and rich in inner expression, but regrettably passed away at an early age. Teijiro Nakahara’s masterpiece, “The Young Caucasian” (Niigata University collection): In 1927, two months before his suicide, Ryunosuke Akutagawa gave a lecture at Niigata High School, where he marveled at the work...
Economy

Sunday, March 27, 1921: The right of the eldest daughter to be educated.

Sunday, March 27, 1921: Letter to the Tokyo Asahi Shimbun regarding the right of the eldest daughter to be educated. The birth rate in Japan peaked in 1920. It was normal for every family to have about seven brothers and sisters. Among them, the eldest daughter was often expected to take care of her younger brothers and sisters and was deprived of the opportunity to receive education herself. This article predicted that Japan’s birthrate would decline in the future due to the emphasis on education.
Social

Saturday, March 26, 1921: Fire broke out in Shinjuku 3-chome

At 7:50 p.m. on Saturday, March 26, 1921, a fire broke out in Shinjuku 3-chome. Fanned by strong northwesterly winds, the fire spread for four hours in the darkness. The fire burned down 500 houses in the area and destroyed part of the Shinjuku Imperial Garden. In addition to temples, shrines, and other facilities in the area, including Taisho-ji Temple and Hanazono Shrine in Shinjuku 2-chome, the Shinjuku Imperial Garden opened its main gate to accommodate the victims.
Politics

Saturday, March 26, 1921: Shigeta Oyanagi

On Saturday, March 26, 1921, Chinese scholar Shigeta Oyanagi was dispatched by the Imperial Household Agency to study China for one year. The rapid westernization of the Meiji period was reconsidered in the Taisho period, and interest in Chinese studies increased. Koyanagi was an authority on Chinese studies at that time, and after working as a professor at Gakushuin, Kokugakuin, and Keio University, he became a professor at Daito Bunka Gakuin in 1926 and the president in 1940, but he died. Born in Niigata Prefecture, he became acquainted with Chinese studies at the age of six, and received his doctorate from the Chosenkan private school in Yoshida-machi, Nishikanbara-gun, and later...
Economy

Friday, March 25, 1921: Raita Fujiyama

On Friday, March 25, 1921, the Tokyo Nichinichi Shimbun reported that Raita Fujiyama had started making Imari ware as a hobby. Fujiyama was born in Saga domain and was a businessman directly descended from Yukichi Fukuzawa. He was appointed to Mitsui Bank by Hikojiro Nakagami. Later, he became independent and managed Fujiyama Conglomerate, including Dainippon Sugar Co. At the time, he was the third president of the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce, following Eiichi Shibusawa and Takeyoshi Nakano.
Politics

Thursday, March 24, 1921: Hara Takashi’s diary

When he was a teenager, Takashi Hara followed Father Ebrard, a Frenchman, to learn French and was baptized as a Catholic. Later, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and became a diplomat, but he never shared his faith with others. In his diary of the same day, he wrote about the papal mission and received a report from Kiichiro Hiranuma, the Attorney General, on the status of the investigation and future prospects of the Manchurian Railway scandal, which was shaking the ruling Seiyukai party at the time. On the return of the papal delegation to Japan, Mr. Hiranuma came to pay his respects to the Pope, who had acted...