昭和期の徴兵・兵事史料から見た兵士の見送りと帰還（2. 銃後の村）

本論考は、満州事変・日中戦争、アジア太平洋戦争期をとおして、国家、特に軍が、兵士の見送りと帰還にどのような方針で臨んだのか、また兵士はどのようにして戦場へ送り出され、あるいは帰還したのかという点について、徴兵・兵事史料等を用いて考察したものである。満州事変期、軍は入営兵への餞別や除隊兵の返礼等旧習の打破、冗費の節約に力を入れた。その後日中戦争が勃発し、多くの兵士が動員されるようになると、応召兵の出征を祝す壮行会や歓送会、激励会、武運長久を祈る祈願祭等が盛大に行われ、「赤紙の祭」が始まった。戦争が長期化すると、軍は防諜を理由に入営・応召兵の盛大な歓送迎会や見送り等「別れ」の儀式の簡素化を試み、特に帰還兵士の歓迎には神経をつかい自粛を求めるようになった。ところが、一九四一年七月の「関特演」は、こうした「別れ」の儀式を一変させた。軍は防諜を理由に、地方行政機関に召集業務を極秘に遂行するよう指示した。当初は軍側の方針の不統一により、行政機関に少々混乱をもたらしたが、その後は軍の執拗な要請により、神社や学校での歓送迎、駅での見送り、送別会、祈願祭など種々の儀式が制限・禁止され、また応召兵も軍服着用を禁止され、私服で密かに出征することになった。これは「赤紙の祭」の終焉を意味し、兵士や民衆の志気を弱め、戦意を喪失させた。こうした軍の方針自体、戦争の遂行に矛盾するものであった。そのため軍は、一九四一年一二月の日米英開戦後、銃後の鬱屈した気分を一掃し戦意を昂揚させるため、歓送や見送り等を許可し、種々の制限を緩和せざるを得なくなった。「赤紙の祭」の復活である。とはいえ、根こそぎ動員がすすむ中では、増え続ける戦死者をどのように祭るかが最大の課題であり、防諜を心配せざるを得ないほどの「赤紙の祭」の熱狂は、どこにも見あたらぬ時代が到来した。This paper draws upon historical documentation related to the draft and military matters, in an attempt to illustrate the state and military\u27s policies with regard to hometown gatherings to see off and welcome home soldiers as well as to show how the soldiers were sent to the battlefront and how they returned, in the period from the Manchurian Incident through the Chinese-Japanese War and the Asia-Pacific War.At the time of the Manchurian Incident, the military put its efforts into cutting down on unnecessary expenses and abolishing old customs such as farewell gifts for newly enlisted soldiers and return gifts by discharged soldiers. Later, as the army began to mobilize a great number of soldiers with the start of the Chinese-Japanese War, grand send-off parties and pep-rallies and prayer sessions for eternal fortune began to be held. This was the beginning of the “Red Paper (enlist card) Festival.” As the war continued and the situation was prolonged, the military attempted, on grounds of preventing espionage, to simplify “farewell” ceremonies such as the grand send-off parties and pep-rallies for newly enlisted soldiers and, being particularly sensitive with regard to welcoming back repatriated soldiers, called for related parties to exercise self-restraint in giving ceremonies.However, the situation regarding such “farewell” ceremonies changed completely with the Kwantung Army\u27s Special Exercises in July 1941. On grounds of preventing espionage, the military instructed local authorities to carry out draft operations in top-secret. At the beginning, a lack of policy coordination in the military led to some confusion in the authorities but later, due to the military\u27s strong insistence, send-off parties at shrines and schools, seeing people off at the train station, farewell parties, prayer session, and other ceremonies were restricted or forbidden and the draftees were forbidden to wear military uniform but had to leave for the battlefront in secret wearing civilian clothes. This signified the end of the “Red Paper Festival” and brought down the morale of the soldiers and the people, causing them to lose their fighting spirit. These policies themselves were contradictory to the pursuit of war.Therefore, in order to disperse the feeling of misery at the home front and to boost morale, the military, after the outbreak of war between Japan and the US and the UK in December 1941, began to permit send-off and farewell parties and started to ease various regulations. In this way, the “Red Paper Festivals” were restored. Nevertheless, as the military continued to advance their plan for total enlistment, their most serious concern dealt with how to conduct services for the ever-growing number of war dead. By this time, such grand celebrations of “Red Paper Festivals” as might expose the military to the risk of espionage had completely disappeared