Greater Japan Women's Association - Greater Japan Women's Association

On February 2, 1942 (Showa 17) during the Pacific War, a new women's organization was established by merging three organizations that had been under different jurisdictions within the government: the Patriotic Women's Association (Ministry of Home Affairs), the Great Japan United Women's Association (Ministry of Education), and the Great Japan Women's Association for National Defense (Ministry of the Army and Navy). The main reason for the merger was the growing competition between the three organizations. The chairperson was Yamauchi Teiko, a member of the imperial family, and the government-appointed initiators included women's activists from outside the three organizations, such as Hani Setsuko, Yoshioka Yayoi, and Yamataka Shigeri. The organization literally aimed to mobilize all women for the total war effort, and it worked under the slogans of "spreading the idea of ​​national defense," "improving and reforming family life," and "training necessary for national defense." Membership was limited to Japanese women over the age of 20, and the number of members exceeded 19 million within a year, but many were forced to join and had no autonomy as a women's organization. It published the journal "Nihon Fujin" and was dissolved on June 13, 1945, and merged into the Volunteer Citizen Corps.

[Yoneda Sayoko]

"History of Women's Education in Modern Japan" by Yoichi Chino (1979, Domesu Publishing)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

太平洋戦争下の1942年（昭和17）2月2日、政府の方針により、それまで政府内部で所管を異にしていた愛国婦人会（内務省）、大日本連合婦人会（文部省）、大日本国防婦人会（陸海軍省）の三団体を統合して新たに設立された婦人団体。統合のおもな理由は、三団体の競合が激しくなってきたためである。会長に皇族出身の山内禎子、政府指名の発起人には三団体以外の羽仁説子(はにせつこ)、吉岡弥生(やよい)、山高(やまたか)しげりなどの婦人運動家も加えるなど、文字どおり全婦人層を総力戦体制に動員することを目ざしたもので、「国防思想ノ普及」「家庭生活ノ整備刷新」「国防ニ必要ナル訓練」などを掲げて活動した。会員は20歳以上の日本婦人を対象とし、会員数は1年間で1900万人を超えたが、多くは強制的に加入させられたもので、婦人団体としての自主性はなかった。機関誌『日本婦人』を発行。45年6月13日に解散、国民義勇隊に統合された。

［米田佐代子］

『千野陽一著『近代日本婦人教育史』（1979・ドメス出版）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例