Alternative TitleSouthern Island Economic News, with An Appendix about Korea
Note (General)本書は、奄美、沖縄、台湾、朝鮮へ派遣された大阪毎日新聞の下田将美(経済部長)が、現地で実見した経済状況と所感を元に著した一冊である。「孤愁の奄美大島」、「琉球よ何處へ往く」、「臺灣を観る」、「目覚めゆく朝鮮を訪れて」、「行旅雑感」という地域ごとに分かれた項目で構成され、各地域経済の課題や下田の考える解決策が提示されている。下田が訪れた1920年代後半の沖縄は、第一次大戦後の「ソテツ地獄」と呼ばれる大不況の真っ只中であり、下田の他にも湧上聾人『沖縄救済論集』など沖縄経済の救済策を論じた書籍や研究が相次いで発表された時期であった。下田は沖縄経済の救済策として温暖な気候を生かした蔬菜や園芸作物の生産拡大を挙げる一方で、沖縄や奄美での貧困の一番の原因は現地の人々が「怠惰」であるためとし、これが改善されなければ根本的な解決には至らないと指摘した。また、下田の農業振興策には、沖縄で会見した尚順の影響も見受けられる。
This book was written by SHIMODA Masami who was head of the business news department of The Mainichi Shimbun (Osaka). SHIMODA concluded what he had inspected the economic situation of each location during his visitation in Amami, Okinawa, Taiwan, and Korea. It is comprised of four parts with an appendix: Koshū no Amami Ōshima; Ryukyu yo doko e iku; Taiwan wo miru; Mezame yuku Chōsen wo otozurete; and Kōryo zakkan. Each section presents the issues on the local economic activities and SHIMODA's solutions. In the late 1920s, Okinawa was just experiencing deep World War I recession known as “Sotetsu Jigoku (Cycad Hell).” Like SHIMODA’s piece, within that time, many books or studies were published to discuss how to solve serious recession of Okinawa, such as WAKUGAMI Romjin’s <i>Okinawa Kyūsai Ronshū</i> (Essays on Okinawa Relief). SHIMODA did not just propose how to raise agricultural production and efficiency by making the most of the warm climate in this region, but also indicated the fundamental factor of Okinawa and Amami poverties was due to the laziness character of their people and the only way to adjust the situation was to improve this trait. It is said that SHIMODA’s agricultural proposition might be influenced by Shō Jun (the fourth son of Shō Tai, the last king of the Ryukyu Kingdom) who had spoken to the press conference at that time.
IIIF Manifesthttps://shimuchi.lib.u-ryukyu.ac.jp/collection/other/ot08001/manifest.json
Data Provider (Database)琉球大学附属図書館 : 琉球・沖縄関係貴重資料デジタルアーカイブ