Songs of Japanese Schoolchildren during World War II

Abstract

This article examines the songs that Japanese schoolchildren learned during World War II and their impact on children’s lives. These songs were filled with propaganda such as Japan’s superiority over other nations, the glory of dying for the country, and the joys of working in weapons factories. The study addresses questions such as: what values were these songs reinforcing? What behaviors were being encouraged? What legacy did they leave in the minds of the children who sang them, after the war had ended? Personal stories were obtained from individuals who attended elementary school during World War II. It is shown that the children who grew up during the war internalized the values promoted by these wartime songs and acted upon them as adults; they also passed it on to their own children.

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“…Soaked with propagandistic messages, they assert the superiority of Japan over other nations, the glory of dying for one's country, the romantic imagery of conquered territories, and the joys of toiling in weapons factories, among other things. 35 Manabe considers the songs for schoolchildren to be an "important part of the wartime propaganda machine" 36 and continues to explore the values reinforced, behaviors encouraged, and legacy of the songs in the schoolchildren after the war. 37 Juliane Brauer examines how another totalitarian regime exploited the power of music in her study of music as a form of torture in Nazi concentration and extermination camps.…”

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