Evacuation - Sokai

Dispersal of facilities, personnel, etc. that are concentrated in one place. This refers mainly to the measures taken by the Japanese government during World War II against government offices, munitions factories, private companies, residential buildings, and personnel to avoid damage from air raids. In November 1943 (Showa 18), evacuation was implemented as part of the new Air Defense Law to deal with air raids on the mainland, and it had two purposes: to evacuate people in cities and to demolish buildings to prevent the spread of fires caused by air raids, and became the main focus of evacuation. Evacuation of personnel was classified into (1) voluntary, (2) persuaded, and (3) ordered. Those who went to rely on relatives or acquaintances were called "relative evacuation," and those who went by order were called "forced evacuation." Those who were forced to evacuate were residents of the building evacuation zone, and were given priority in transporting their belongings, but due to delayed administration of transportation, strict baggage restrictions, and limited financial support, they were forced to evacuate with only a few personal belongings.

Children also began to evacuate to relatives' homes, either alone or with their parents, but the so-called evacuation of school children on a school-by-school basis only began in May 1944. Measures were implemented rapidly, and hectic scenes that could be described as an evacuation frenzy emerged, with mobilized students demolishing buildings, evacuation volunteer corps pulling handcarts and large carts loaded with evacuation goods, and major train stations becoming extremely crowded.

In recent years, the word evacuation has also been used to refer to the relocation of all or part of a company or factory to a rural area for the purposes of preventing pollution, securing a labor force in the area, or storing materials and data in preparation for disasters.

[Kaji Tatsuo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

一箇所に集中する施設、人員などを分散させること。主として日本政府が第二次世界大戦中、空襲の被害を避けるために官庁、軍需工場、民間企業、住宅家屋、人員に対してとった同様処置をいう。1943年（昭和18）11月、本土空襲に対処するため新防空法の一端として実施された疎開は、都市における人員の退避と空襲火災拡大防止のための建物撤去の二つが目的で、疎開の軸となった。人員の疎開としては、〔1〕自発的な意志によるもの、〔2〕勧奨によるもの、〔3〕命令によるものとがあって、親戚(しんせき)、知人を頼って行くものは縁故疎開、命令によって行くものは強制疎開といわれた。強制疎開者は建物疎開地帯の住民であり、家財輸送に優先的便宜が与えられたが、輸送行政面の出遅れ、厳しい荷物制限、費用補助などが少額のため、わずかの身の回りの物を所持しただけの疎開を余儀なくされた。

　児童も単独、あるいは保護者とともに縁故疎開を始めるようになったが、学校単位でのいわゆる学童疎開が開始されたのは1944年5月からであった。施策は急速に行われ、学徒動員の学生による建物の取り壊し、疎開荷物を乗せたリヤカーや大八車をひく疎開協力奉仕隊の姿、主要駅の大混雑など、疎開狂乱ともいうべき慌ただしい光景が出現した。

　なお近年は、公害防止、地方の労働人口確保、災害に備えての資材やデータの保存の目的から、会社、工場の一部あるいは全部が地方に移転することにも、疎開ということばが使われている。

［梶　龍雄］

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