戦間期日本における都市住民の「身体」の問題化と社会体育政策の展開

―東京市の「市民体育」事業を中心に―

抄録

  Although a large number of studies have been made on the history of social education, what seems to be lacking is an inquiry into social physical education. In this article, I would like to examine the development of non-student physical education policy in interwar Japan, focusing on the work of “Shimin-taiiku (civic physical education)” in the City of Tokyo.

  Both Ministries of Education and Interior began to show interest in social physical education and sports outside the school and army system after the First World War. Having been through a total war for the first time, they regarded the whole nation's bodies as national wealth Urban dwellers in particular were not very fit with poor physiques living in bad environments with inferior sanitary conditions, and the municipal authorities actively encouraged community physical education to make people's “bodies” healthy.

  The findings are as follows. (1) The policy of “civic physical education” started in the context of positive public health, especially after the Great Earthquake of 1923. (2) Enthusiasm for health and athletics was a primary factor encouraging participation in the various works of physical training and exercises on the part of urbanites (3) These works absorbed and standardized people's enthusiasm for health and athletics, and produced “citizens” who had strong “bodies” to support urban public order of their own accord.