Abstract
This study examines different perspectives demonstrated by two social researches conducted in the same fishing village in the 1960s. One of these was a study based on the folkloristic method and the other was a TV documentary.
Fishermen and their families have been living and working in their fishing-boats for generations in Innoshima, Hiroshima Prefecture. At the time of the study and documentary, poverty was widespread and educational opportunities were limited for some children as they were needed to assist in their family's fishing labour.
The staffs of NHK made two documentary programmes based on their research. They focused on the problems of poverty and social dilemmas.Moreover, they were particularly interested in the community children's home by social welfare. Presence of a clear sense of social stratification and economic inequality made the site valuable as a historical record.
On the other hand, the folkloristic study did not refer to the population of illiterate children in the village. Though literacy was low in fishermen's families, many fishing songs were preserved. The folklorists focused on the traditional lifestyle that was able to maintain a distinctive culture. The folkloristic study highlighted the great significance of oral history.
The findings of both studies are vital for a comprehensive understanding of a depressed fishing community in the 1960s.
