Sports activities of Japanese POW's in Siberia shortly after World War II

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  • Yamada Rie
    National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya, Department of Physical Education

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Other Title
  • シベリアの日本兵捕虜収容所における体育・スポーツ活動 : 「日本新聞」を手がかりに
  • シベリア ノ ニホンヘイ ホリョ シュウヨウジョ ニ オケル タイイク スポーツ カツドウ ニホン シンブン オ テガカリ ニ

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Abstract

An investigation was conducted to clarify the sports activities of Japanese prisoners of war in Siberia shortly after World War II. Up to now, little has been written concerning the sports activities of these prisoners, and this paper was intended to shed light on this blank in Japanese sports history. The historical materials used were collected mainly from the Nihon Shimbun (Japan Times), a prison newspaper edited by fifty Japanese prisoners and fifteen Russians. The Nihon Shimbun was the only source of information for the approximately 600,000 Japanese prisoners of war in Siberia. The newspaper was under the supervision of the political department of the Soviet army, but it is still highly revealing about life in the camps. It is well known that life in the camps was extremely difficult, so it is surprising to find that Japanese prisoners participated in various sports activities, even while enduring heavy labor, intense cold, and extreme hunger. It seems clear that these activities, along with theatrical and musical entertainment, did much to revive the spirits of the men.

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