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Before World War II
[The following are sample pages from textbooks used in schools in Japan in the early 1930s.]
Ministry of Education edition
Elementary School Morals Textbook
Issued in 1936 by Tokyo Shoseki Co., Ltd., Tokyo.
"Kohei Kiguchi went bravely to the battlefield.
The enemy bullet struck and killed him. Yet he never let the bugle fall from his lips."
Ministry of Education edition
Elementary School Morals Textbook
Issued in 1941 by Tokyo Shoseki Co., Ltd., Tokyo.
Lesson 10 Letter to a Soldier
"Mr. Soldier: Please look at my drawings and my letter. Please also show them to the Chinese children.
When your have occupied [enemy] positions, please unfurl this hinomaru flag and shout "Banzai!" Mr. Soldier, please do your job in high spirits.
On the first day of every month, we make a pilgrimage to pray to the local guardian gods.
Now, at our school, we are all part of the same effort, collecting different items and selling them [to raise money] so planes and tanks can be made.
Goodbye, Mr. Soldier!"
"Japan is a country with beautiful scenery in spring, summer, autumn and winter.
It is a country with beautiful mountains and rivers and coasts.
We were born in this beautiful country.
Our fathers and mothers, too, were born in this country. Our grandfathers and grandmothers, too, were born in this country.
Japan, the good country, the pure country. The world's only land of the gods.
Japan, the good country, the strong country. The world's great and brilliant country."
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