War through the Eyes of Children
With the Help of Barefoot Gen
National Elementary Schools
As the wartime regime solidified its position, education, too, began serving the purposes of war. In 1941, when the National Elementary School Ordinance was issued, all elementary schools were changed to “national elementary schools.” National elementary schools were designed to provide basic training to the people of Japan. Students were trained in mind and body to offer themselves for their country and the Emperor.
Since children were the warriors of the future, these schools promoted a militaristic education and placed great emphasis on ceremonial rites, school events and group activities. With a strong emphasis on labor as supplemental to academics, children were forced to assist with farming and civil engineering projects.
Labor services
After men in their working prime were recruited for the battlefield, children had to offer their labor for such projects as civil engineering works to make up for the lack of a labor force. Digging an irrigation channel was one of the tasks for children.
1942 Yahata-mura, Saeki-gun (now, Yahata, Saeki-ku, Hiroshima City)
Courtesy of Sadako Morisaki
One day in a national elementary school, Gen’s class was asked to write a composition. Gen boldly read out his own ideas in front of his classmates, but…
