A study on the treatment of Korean and Chinese workers by Japanese companies in the wartime

Research Project

Project/Area Number	06630058
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Research Field	Economic history
Research Institution	Josai International University
Principal Investigator	ICHIHARA Hiroshi Josai International University Associate Professor, 経営情報学部, 助教授 (30168322)
Project Period (FY)	1994 – 1995
Project Status	Completed (Fiscal Year 1995)
Budget Amount *help	¥1,500,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000) Fiscal Year 1995: ¥400,000 (Direct Cost: ¥400,000) Fiscal Year 1994: ¥1,100,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000)
Keywords	Korean Workers / Chinese workers / mine workers / International labor movement / compulsary labor / 国際労働移動 / 炭坑労働 / 在日朝鮮人 / 外国人労働者 / 戦時労務管理
Research Abstract	The purpose of this research is to make clear how the Japanese companies treated Korean and Chinese workers in the wartime. The information which this research has presented first are following ; 1. A common idea that the ways of sending Korean workers off to Japan changed through three stages and that Korean workers were forced to labor more in later stages is dubious. The recruitment of Korean workers by Japanese companies had already depended on Japanese administrative authorities in Korea entirely at the beginning. As a result, modern contracts of employment didn't be made between Japanese companies and Korean workers, that was the origin of a lot of difficulties in the treatment of them by Japanese companies. 2 Korean workers who were recruited by heavy industry companies were generally much better than ones by metal and coal mines. Such differentiations of workers influenced the ways of the treatment of them. Korean workers were not rated highly as the labor forces in the mine companies, so the mine companies tried prohibiting their habits and customs which originated from their national characteristics. In contrast to it, they were rated highly and companies made more efforts to train them in the heavy industry. 3 The plan by the government intending to take helpful Chinese workers was not carried out at all. They could work hardly when they arrived in Japan because they had hurt by poverty and insanitary conditions on the way to Japan. Government made out the criteria of the treatment of Chinese workers, in which they were to be treated indirectly under the control of the Chines military officers and to be permitted to maintain their habits and customs. However they were not helpful for Japanese companies and made Japanese companies to fear the potential of their revolts.