Comparative Socio-Historical Study of the Japanese and German Social Policies under the Total War System

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26370883
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: History of Europe and America
• Research Institution: Konan University
• Principal Investigator: Tano Daisuke 甲南大学, 文学部, 教授 (60330122)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 総力戦体制 / 社会政策 / 日独関係 / 労働 / 余暇 / 厚生

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examined, from a comparative socio-historical perspective, how the social policies of Japan and Germany from the mid-1930s to the early 1940s, which were bound to cope with labor and leisure issues, contributed to establishing the total war system of the two countries. By focusing in particular on the influence that the Nazi leisure organization “Strength through Joy“ exerted on the Japanese leisure movement “Kosei Undo”, it made clear in which manner the Nazi social policy, which adopted advanced management methods such as Taylorism and Fordism and increased labor productivity through utilizing leisure time, was introduced to the social reform plan of wartime Japan, contributing to the establishment of total war (welfare state) system.

Free Research Field

歴史社会学・ドイツ現代史