Glossary entry

Japanese term or phrase:

自戦自治

English translation:

Fight on your own. Govern on your own.

    The asker opted for community grading. The question was closed on 2010-06-18 23:54:33 based on peer agreement (or, if there were too few peer comments, asker preference.)
Jun 15, 2010 05:51
13 yrs ago
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Japanese term

自戦自治

Japanese to English Other History WWII Japan
In relation to an official document (1945) released just prior to the end of the WWII. At that time, there was a risk that the Japanese mainland might be split due to the occupation of Okinawa, and this document appears to be promoting land development (開墾事業). Apparently, land development was the crux of 自戦自治. Any suggestions?
References
FYI

Discussion

Deborah Edwards (asker) Jun 16, 2010:
Hi Cinefil,
It is barely legible, but on the cover of the document I can see 「広島耕地出X所長」 (the characters are handwritten and very faint. The "X" is a character I can't make out), so I guess it was Hiroshima Prefecture that issued the document. The document is addressed to 「関係市町村長」
cinefil Jun 16, 2010:
thanks a lot, Deborah Do you know which authority issued 皇土決戦ト開墾事業二関スル件?
大本営 or 日本陸軍?

http://wapedia.mobi/ja/本土決戦
Deborah Edwards (asker) Jun 15, 2010:
Hi Cinefil. The document I am referring to is in a book entitled 「広島今昔ーポスター・公文書・写真に見る広島90年」。It was published in 1980. The title of the document is 「皇土決戦ト開墾事業二関スル件」 (一部)。The caption underneath (the part I had trouble with) reads as follows: 沖縄が占領され、本土分断の危険も生じたので、「自戦自治」の基礎である開墾事業の推進を図るという内容。」 The handwritten document is dated Jul 31, 1945. Apparently, Okinawa fell on Jun 21, 1945 (although some Japanese kept fighting) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa.) The Potsdam Declaration was issued on Jul 26, 1945 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potsdam_Declaration) so I guess this document came pre-surrender, but after Okinawa had been occupied and the Potsdam Declaration had been issued...Sorry, I realize now that it would have been helpful if I had given all of this information at the start!
cinefil Jun 15, 2010:
the mainland of 'there was a risk that the Japanese mainland might be split due to the occupation of Okinawa' is who's opinion.
'might be split' by USA & USSR?
自戦自治 should be done after split? or not relate to split?

’pre-surrender’ means after 沖縄占領 but before ポツダム宣言受諾?
Deborah Edwards (asker) Jun 15, 2010:
Thank you for your comment, Cinefil! However, it is a Japanese government document (pre-surrender), so I don't think that the context you mention would apply in this case.
cinefil Jun 15, 2010:
四カ国分割統治の文脈? 日本の分割統治計画(にほんのぶんかつとうちけいかく)は、第二次世界大戦においてドイツが降伏後、米・英・ソ・仏4カ国に分割統治されたように、本土決戦後の日本も北海道・本州・九州・四国を連合国それぞれが統治しようとした計画。
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/日本の分割統治計画

Proposed translations

+1
8 hrs
Selected

Fight on your own. Govern on your own.

The central government of Japan was encouraging the areas that were occupied or about to be occupied to fight on their own (自戦) and govern on their own (自治). That time, the central government had lost the ability to send aid military force or food supply to these areas. Therefore, they are asking these areas to take care of themselves.

It sounds strange to equate "govern" and "supply food," but that time making sure that enough food supply exists was the most important job of governments. Land development is a crux of increasing food supply and therefore a sentence about land development appears together with "govern on your own." I hope this helps!
Note from asker:
Your comment is very illuminating, IzziS, and the context you provide makes a lot of sense. I believe I now understand what the Japanese means. Many thanks!
Peer comment(s):

neutral cinefil : please cite the reference
7 hrs
agree Pierrick Jaouen, CFA
1 day 16 hrs
Thanks, pj!
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4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Many thanks!"
9 hrs

fend for oneself, govern oneself

- If this is about 1945 Okinawa, sadly, they were brutal times. So much was destroyed, so many lives were lost, there was really no leeway for anything other than for self preservation.

- It seems that at that point one could only try to "fend for oneself" and try to "govern oneself" (as a group) as much as possible.

- Fending for oneself in that period in time would have been a "battle" in itself for self-preservation.

- The below website tells the story of that time in history.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Okinawa

Note from asker:
Thank you for your comment, Joyce! However, the document isn't simply concerned with Okinawans, it is concerned with the whole of Japan.
Peer comment(s):

neutral cinefil : please cite the direct reference of 自戦自治
7 hrs
Something went wrong...
18 hrs

independent battle, self-governing

a guess

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Note added at 19 hrs (2010-06-16 00:53:59 GMT)
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http://www.info.sophia.ac.jp/fs/staff/kiyo/kiyo39/takahashi....

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Note added at 20 hrs (2010-06-16 01:57:42 GMT)
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私も18年12月(中学2年生)から、学業を放棄して、工場に動員され、
 20年5月〈中学4年生〉空襲により職場が消失、それまでそこに動員されていた。
 そして次の動員先が、陸軍飛行部隊であった。
 動員の目的が「本土決戦に備え、食料確保のための開墾」。
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/naojyi/folder/1134526.html?m=lc&p=3

【1、3、6、24、30、34、38】は、食糧増産・開墾に関する情報である。このうち、【1、30】は近隣住民(隣組)による活動であり、ほかの事例は各尋常高等小学校・国民学校児童の勤労奉仕によるものである。前者の活動実態は意外と不明な点が多いが、児童による食糧増産・開墾については、文献資料で多くの事例が確認できる。
 安詳国民学校では、昭和17年(1942)以降、薪の増産と芋麻の採集が夏の恒例行事となり、昭和20年には山林3反あまりを開墾、校内でも「決戦畑」と称してサツマイモや豆を植えたり、木炭を作ったりしていた(『篠村史』)。
 代川国民学校の児童たちも、大豆・フキ・芋・カボチャ・トウモロコシ・ヨモギなどの増産活動や、球根・ドングリ・松茸などの採取、あるいは荒れ地の開墾作業などをおこなっている(『北ノ庄の歴史』、『千代川の教育』)。
http://www.city.kameoka.kyoto.jp/contents_detail.php?co=kak&...
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22 hrs

Anarchism

In the same month the anarchist communists set up the Japan Anarchist Club (Nihon Anakisuto Kurabu), with the result that the Japanese anarchist movement ...
www.afed.org.uk/ace/japchap3.html
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Reference comments

18 hrs
Reference:

FYI

その一つが地方の独立性の強化であった。これは、米軍によって本土が分断された司令体制が壊滅した場合でも地方組織が戦争を継続できるための方策を意味した。そのため同年6月10日には8個の地方総監府が設置され、軍と密着しつつ地方行政の一元的管理体制の確立を意図した。
http://www.cc.matsuyama-u.ac.jp/~tamura/honndokessenn.htm
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