2007 年 43 巻 p. 1-10
The purpose of this paper is to clarify the existance of a dual structure of youth organizations in modern Japan. This paper examines the case of Naguri village in Saitama Prefecture.
In Naguri village, school teachers and men of renown led to estabilish young men's associations (Seinen-Kai), which aimed for the improvement of traditional youth organizations (Wakamono-Gumi), in the school district from the 1880's to 1890's. Later Seinen-Kai were unified into a village level organization, and became a group to encourage industry after the Russo-Japanese War.
However, there had been Wakamono-Gumi in every village through modern time. The Seinen-Kai coexisted with the Wakamono-Gumi until the Naguri-Mura Seinen-dan was estabilished in 1922.
It is supposed that youth evaluated Wakamono-Gumi as the group in daily life, and Seinen-Kai was seen as an official group.