2021年

Politics

Saturday, April 2, 1921: The second Guangdong government established

The official government of the Republic of China (the second Guangdong government) is established on Saturday, April 2, 1921. Sun Yat-sen reorganized the military government that he had organized in Guangzhou in November of the previous year, and became the President at the Emergency Diet, sharpening his stance against the Beijing government. Although Sun Yat-sen claimed to be the only government representing North and South China, other countries did not approve. Sun Yat-sen remained in power as a local government. Wang Zhao Ming makes his first appearance on the political stage as director of education (chairman of education in Guangdong Province). Wang Zhaoming supported Sun Yat-sen as his closest aide,...
Politics

Friday, April 1, 1921: Korean farmers living in Manchuria

Minoru Saito, Governor-General of Korea, reported the plight of Korean farmers living in Manchuria to Prime Minister Hara Takashi on Friday, April 1, 1921. Due to financial difficulties caused by the drought, they were unable to purchase unhulled rice, and in the end, the Governor-General of Korea and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs each contributed 15,000 yen to the relief fund. However, the ambiguity of land rights became an obstacle. At the end of the same year, this led to the establishment of Toa Kangyo Co. (Manchuria Kangyo, Manchuria Agricultural Affairs) was established at the end of the same year. Although it was the time to sow seeds for Koreans...
Academic

Friday, April 1, 1921: Innovative curriculum of private universities

On Friday, April 1, 1921, the innovative curriculum of Hosei University’s preparatory course became a hot topic. Sohei Morita gave a lecture on Natsume Soseki’s “I am a Cat,” which was contemporary literature at the time. Toyoichiro Nogami, the head of the preparatory course, adopted a policy of “free organization and substantive education. He abolished hourly lecturers and made all lecturers full-time. Also, Nihon University is preparing to establish an “Art University” advocating the popularization of the arts and the fostering of critics. Unique lecturers included painters Hyakusui Hirafuku, Hakutei Ishii, and Keiichiro Kume, art historians Seiichi Taki and Yoshinori Onishi, playwright Kaoru Osanai, and writer Kan Kikuchi. At that...
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.