日本社会における「引揚者」に関する認識の考察 : 行政側と当事者側の相互交渉を手がかりに

Abstract

This paper examines how “repatriates” (hikiagesha) were perceived and treated in the early postwar years through an analysis of government policies and the responses of the repatriates themselves. Focusing on the implementation of repatriation policies as part of Japan’s postwar reconstruction, it clarifies how the state sought to reintegrate large numbers of returnees from former colonies into society while categorizing them administratively as “recipients of relief.” At the same time, many repatriates rejected this passive label and emphasized their contributions to the empire, demanding public recognition as competent and deserving citizens. By juxtaposing the administrative recognition of repatriates with the self-understandings of the returnees, this study reveals the dynamics between state and individual in early postwar Japan and highlights the tensions surrounding notions of welfare, merit, and responsibility. It also points to the risk that emphasizing victimhood or contribution may obscure the negative legacy of Japan’s colonial rule．