Tourism behind the Lines: U.S. Army's Rest Areas and the R&R program in Occupied Japan

Abstract

This paper explores the interconnection between war and tourism, focusing on the “Rest and Recuperation (R&R)” program of the U.S. Army during the Korean War (1950–1953). The R&R program was a system that provided military personnel with a five-day period of leave to Japan for every six or seven months of frontline service. First, I argue that the idea of limited wartime service originated from scientific research on war neurosis (or combat fatigue) and the U.S. Army’s recreational services called “Special Services” during the Second World War. Second, I analyze how the Japanese tourist industry and GHQ/SCAP worked together to provide recreational services for U.S. armed forces stationed in Japan and other Asian countries. Finally, I consider the possibility that the R&R program had negative effects on morale, discipline and combat efficiency.