Korean weavers in the Nishizin weaving industry : a focus on their labors and ethnic identities

本研究は事例をもとに、西陣織産業に従事した在日朝鮮人の労働と、その中で持った彼等の民族的アイデンティティを論じた。彼等の就労経緯や労働形態、そして西陣織産業の盛衰の中での、彼等の対応をみた。また西陣織産業での労働の中で、彼らが見せた民族的アイデンティティの表出形態を分析した。労働者のアイデンティティと民族的アイデンティティがどのように関連するかも扱った。This paper discusses the Korean weaver\u27s labors and their ethnic identities in Nishizin industry, as obtained from their interviews and through their existing documents. This case study has revealed that Koreans came to Japan, driven by their poverty in their homeland. According to one of the Koreans, he came to Suzerain state-Japan to succeed economically. Those of them with no choices for a particular career, as well as who wanted to live in Kyoto, Japan entered in Nishizin weaving industry. They managed to enter in their job in this industry through the meditation either by their Korean acquaintances or by someone from their family relations. To ensure their survival in Japan, they worked hard and they were desperate to learn all the techniques about the industry. This study has found that the techniques learned by the Koreans and Japanese during that time were hardly different from each other. In other words, it indicates that there were no visible segregations between Koreans and Japanese, and that Korean workers were competing equally in the industry alongside the local Japanese. In the time between 1950\u27s to 60\u27s which is called \u27the growing of Nishizin weaving industry\u27, some Koreans said that they had big successes in the industry, and they had owned large-scale factories. However, in the cases of small-scale owners and workers who worked in some factories in this study, it was not possible to obtain a clear description and episodes of such large scale successes. With the decline in the industry, from 1960\u27s, many large-scale Korean business owners had shifted their capitals into the real estate business or pachinko business. However, such as some small-scale owners and workers, were not able to change their profession during that period. In the meantime, a variety of Korean ethnic identities appeared in the field of Nishizin. Koreans who were born in the Korean peninsula had tried to contribute to their homeland, for the reconstruction of Korean economy and society. Meanwhile, they were making efforts to establish their ethnic-labors union, and ethnic financial institution for gaining their ethnic-local infrastructure in Japan. They were also trying to establish their ethnic identity in Japan and Korea. One such example was found from one of the Korean woman who had undergone through discomforts when she was treated as Japanese, although she was born in Japan. That incident inspired her to re-establish own ethnic identity. According to her, \u27I am not Japanese, but Korean who has born in Japan\u27. In the end, Koreans also have variety of opinions about Nishizin weaving industry where they have worked. According to one woman, she was proud of her working in the industry to be able to work. However, the opinion of another man was that he had accepted his working in Nishizin as a means of living. With these differences, they commonly worked in the industry for their survival.論