次の長い文書は、私のホームタウンの隣の家の明（あきら）じいさんが、昭和62年度（1987年）に書いた。
みんな、聞いてくれ！
明じいさんの叫び、憤り、大和魂、未来への指針、現在の世の中への貴重な提言だ。
昭和62年度高齢者講座
高砂文集第12集
『飽食に溺れるな』
藤田明（水元地区）
昭和の初期から誰言うことなく非常時だという言葉が流行の様に聞かれたものである。
昭和9年には大凶作に見舞われ、小作農家を中心に救援米として、外米らしいが白米の貸付けがあった。
その米で、大体、田植中は間に合わせた。
非常時騒ぎと凶作で暗い年月でもあった世は総べてが繰り返されるものである。
極端に欠乏した物資は必ず余る時が遠から
ず来るものである。ただし、米については種々の思い出がある。
非常時の呼びかけで凶作に備えて恩賜郷倉が各方部に御下賜になった。
農家は義務的に貯穀する事になっていた。端境期には希望者に貸出し、残りは仲間で新穀と入れ替え継続した時があった。
その時代は、農業も旧式で化学肥料も少なく、収量も現在とは比較にならなかった。従って小作人の経済は容易でなかった。ちょうど満洲事変が起こり、支那事変に拡大した。
私には、その非常時のなぞが解けたのだ。計画的な侵略戦争であったろう。
もちろん食管制度になり、その他の飲食物から総べての物品はマッチから針、糸、釘一本に至るまで統制され配給制となった。
当時の取締りも厳しく、都会に住む子供達にさえ何一つ、芋類まで送る事も、持って行く事も不可能であった。
現金収入の道はなく、不況のドン底であった。昭和の初期から救済事業と銘打って、道路改修工事等が各町村に割当てられた。
男性が1日50銭、女性は40銭位で特技や重労働には5銭くらいの割り増しがあった。
救済工事によって道路が整備された所は多い。しかし、当時の物値を酒と労賃を見た場合、1日の労賃で酒1升を買うと5銭の赤字であった。
酒ばかりではない。地下足袋が1足75銭、ゴム長ぐつは上等で2円80銭ぐらいもした。
電灯料は16ワットと言った一灯と、臨時と言って必要時に使用する。借電球の使用料は1晩何銭、1ヶ月75銭であった。
労賃と諸物価とのバランスが取れず、しかも農閑期の仕事も少なく、暮らしにくい時代であった。
現在では、酒好きな家庭ではほとんど晩酌を楽しんで居る様である。しかし、1日の労賃で1升足らずしか買えなかった時代は、余程の裕福な家庭でないと晩酌どころではなかった。
正月三ヶ日とお盆や節句等に、酒肴（さけさかな）を整えて、盃を傾けるぐらいが唯一の楽しみであったろう。
小作百姓の農地は地味の悪い所が多い。貸すのは、下田自作田は収量の多い所を作った。供出割当には反別割（10aあたりの割当）を主張する小作人は、弱みがある借地していなくとも、自分の地主や自作農には弱い。
無理に押切られて仕舞うのである。供出制度になってからは、小作米は全部政府管理米として供出する事になった。
地主は政府で決定した公定価格により、農協経由で政府から米代金を受取る様な仕組みとなった。
戦争中から終戦直後の頃は米不足で、その上に化学肥料も少なく、農機具も昔ながらの道具類が主体だった。
供出割当が小作料を上廻っても、自分たちで食べる米を削って供出しなければならなかった。不足分は、配給すると言う条件付きである。
昭和20年の春だったと記憶しているが、内地勤務の兵隊さんの食糧にすると言う理由で、山菜提供の割当があった。「種類は何でもいいから」と言う条件で、2貫目（7.5kg）の割当てを受けた。平坦部は疎界の人達が、しらみ潰しに取り尽くしていた。蕗1本も蕨（ワラビ）の姿も見られない。仕方なく人目を避けなければ食べられない様な弁当を用意して、隣村まで出かけた。鮫川の越虫（こしむし）まで12kmもの山坂道を登って、目的地に辿り着いた。山や谷に入って見るとガッカリである。やっぱり、鮫川村の山奥も取り残しのカスばかりである。
しかし割当を消化するために、掃き集める様にして採集した。帰宅して秤（はかり）に掛けたところ、たったの800匆（もんめ）しかなかった。
途端に疲労が体中に感じられた。終戦になり、復員した兵士に「山菜を本当に食べさせたのだろうか」と聞いて驚いた。「全部食べた。腹を減らしてはいられないからね」とのことだった。桑の葉や柿の葉、さつま芋のつるや南瓜の葉、茎まで味を付けて食糧にした。
鶏を飼い、栄養補給の卵を取り、廃鶏は其の時代の高級食料であった。豚の自由屠殺が認められ、農家で飼育したのを買い、申請して屠殺して分け合ったので、何よりの栄養食でもあった。
米の強制提供割当に悩み、現在では家畜に与える様な物までを食べた。そうして、供出割当を完遂しなければならなかった。
未完遂者には、強権発動と言う奥の手が伸びて来る。
無くなれば配給すると、官憲の大威張の割当てである。
自分で生産した米及び大・小麦、大豆、ジャガイモ、サツマイモまで供出の割当てが来るのである。
いかに供出割当てを完納しても、私たちが待ち望む配給は、遅配も欠配もあったのだ。
配給を受けても困ったのは、ドングリの粉末である。どうしても、私たちは苦くて食べ物にならない。
時によっては、ジャガイモやサツマイモ、ある時は小麦を精米機にかけて、半分ぐらい皮の取れた小麦と大麦、コウリャン、大豆粕、それに5分（ごぶ）つき位の米が、20名ぐらいに配給された。穀物の混合された味が、今でも忘れ難い。不味かった。
愚痴を言っても「欲しがりません勝つまでは」と言う標語で片付けられて仕舞う。こんな窮乏が其の極に達し、動員や召集で働き手も極端に不足していた。
昭和20年8月15日午前11時に、天皇陛下の重大放送によって、無条件降復という最悪の条件で終戦となった。
しかし、その後の日本の立場はどうであれ、敵の飛行機が来なくなった。戦争が終わった事で、ホッと胸をなで降ろしたのだった。
地に落ちた日本の経済は、じりじりあ向上して、日本兵の皆さんもどんどん復員して、国内も家庭も明るさを取り戻した。
しかし、何とも申しわけなく、悲しいのは無言の凱旋の御遺族の家庭であった。
生活の必需物資とし無くてはならないのが塩である。塩の配給量は僅少であり、味噌はもちろん正油まで、自家生産で漬け物用までとなると大量の塩が入用であった。
戦争が止み海岸も空襲の危険が去ると、自家製塩程度の塩造りで造った人たちがいた。彼らは、米欲しさに塩を背負って、米1と升塩1升の交換条件で持って来る様になった。
これら物々交換の行商人が来る様になり、どうにか空の桶も味噌や漬け物で満杯に膨れたのであった。
そんな日々が経ち、年が明け暮れを繰り返している間に、日本の経済も急速な伸びを示した。
現在では世界でも1〜2位を争う程の経済大国になったのである。
これも国民のたゆまざる勤労の賜物である。しこうして、あの世界中の大国を敵に廻して、10年もの長い年月を戦争で明け暮れしていたのである。
当時、国交があったのはオランダとポルトガルの2国だけであった。現在の総理大臣の中曽根さんは食糧問題を何と考えて居られるのであろうか？
田畑を強制的に20〜40%も休耕させ、外米が安値だと言って大量に输入して、日本の米が余るからとか言っている。
日本米の値段は、長年据え置かれている、年々諸物価は上昇し、人件費や肥料代から農機具に至るまで、野放しの値上がりである。これじゃ農家は倒産して仕舞うのではと、私は思う。
風前の灯火である自国の耕地を荒れ地同様
にして、外国食糧を大量輸入も無事平穏の時はいいだろう。だが、「災害は忘れた頃にやって来る」と言われる。もし、世界中が凶作に襲われて、外国食糧の輸入が止まったらどうなるだろうか。
私は、それを考えるだけでも背筋を冷水が流れる思いだ。
いったん荒れた耕地は、すぐに田畑にならないのである。
半湿田等は、稲以外に作付する物が無いのだ。何を見ても、農民には塵を掃き掛け放しの政治である。だから農家と聞くだけで、嫁が来ないのだ。まさに、日本の総理大臣の一大責任ではないですか。
こんな世情が続こうものなら、農村恐慌になって、日本農業は崩壊の道におちいる羽目になるのではなかろうか。
世の自然は、前述の様に繰り返されるのである。経済が低迷し、その上に凶作にでも見舞われたら、自国で生産した食糧が少ない国では、耕地全部を隅々まで耕作しなければならない。
だとしたら、私たちは飽食を避け、健康食を研究して、野菜、野草食を多く食生活に取り入れ、健康な日々を送り度いものではありませんか。
美食は健康食ではないのです。
あの終戦前後の食糧不足を1日として忘れてはならない。のど元過ぎて熱さ忘れては駄目。飯食に溺れるな。
The following long document was written by my home-town neighbor's grandfather Akira in 1987.
Listen up, everyone!
This is Grandpa Akira's cry, his indignation, his Yamato spirit, his guidelines for the future, and his valuable suggestions for the world today.
Lecture for the Elderly in 1987
Takasago Collection of Literature Vol. 12
Don't be addicted to satiety.
Akira Fujita (Mizumoto District)
Since the early days of the Showa period, the phrase "emergency" has been heard like a fashionable phrase without anyone saying a word.
In 1934, there was a bad harvest, and farmers, especially small farmers, were lent white rice as relief rice, though it seemed to be foreign rice.
With this rice, they were able to make it through the rice planting season.
The world was in the midst of an emergency and a bad harvest, and the years were dark, but everything was a repeat of the past.
When supplies are extremely scarce, there will always be a surplus in the near future.
It will come in due course. However, I have various memories of rice.
In response to an emergency call for rice, the Imperial Gift of Gokura was given to each region in preparation for a bad harvest.
Farmers were obliged to store rice. During the off-season, the storehouse was lent out to those who wanted it, and the remainder was replaced with new grain by fellow farmers.
In those days, farming was old-fashioned, chemical fertilizers were scarce, and yields were not comparable to today's levels. Therefore, the peasants' economy was not easy. The Manchurian Incident had just occurred, and it escalated into the China Incident.
The mystery of the emergency was solved for me. It must have been a premeditated war of aggression.
Of course, the food control system was introduced, and all goods, from food and drink to everything else, from matches to needles, thread, and nails, were controlled and rationed.
The controls were so strict that even children living in the city could not send or take anything, even potatoes.
There was no way to earn cash.
The economy was in the depths of a depression. From the beginning of the Showa period, road repair work was allocated to each town and village under the title of "relief projects.
Men were paid 50.00 a day and women 40.00, with an extra 5.00 for special skills and hard labor.
Roads were improved in many places as a result of relief work. However, when looking at the value of goods at that time in terms of alcohol and labor wages, buying a bottle of alcohol for a day's labor cost 5 sen.
It was not only sake. A pair of Tabi Shoes (split-toed socks) cost 75.00 yen, and a pair of rubber long boots cost 2.80 yen for the best quality.
Electricity was provided by a single 16-watt lamp or a temporary lamp used only when necessary. The fee for a borrowed light bulb was 75.00 a night, or 75.00 a month.
The wages were not in balance with the cost of living, and there was little work during the off-season, making it difficult to make a living.
Nowadays, most families who like to drink enjoy drinking in the evening.
The number of people who have been However, in the days when one day's wages could buy less than 1 sho (1.5 liters) of rice, it would be difficult to buy more than 1 sho (1.5 liters) of rice.
It was not possible to have a drink in the evening unless the family was wealthy.
The three days of the New Year, the Bon Festival, and
The only enjoyment they would have had would have been to prepare some snacks and sip sake on festivals and other occasions.
The farmland of the peasant farmers was often poor. The farmers leased out the land in the Shimoda area where they could produce the highest yields. Peasants who insisted on a per 10a allotment were vulnerable to their own landowners and tenant farmers, even if they did not lease the land.
They are forced to do so. After the provisioning system was introduced, all small farmers' rice was to be provided as government-managed rice.
The landowners received payment for their rice from the government via agricultural cooperatives based on the official price determined by the government.
During and immediately after the war, rice was in short supply, chemical fertilizers were scarce, and farm machinery consisted mainly of old-fashioned tools.
Even if the quotas for rice offerings exceeded the small farmers' fees, farmers had to cut back on the amount of rice they ate to make the offerings. Any shortfall would be rationed.
I remember that in the spring of 1945, we received an allotment of wild vegetables to be used as food for soldiers serving in the interior. I received an allotment of 2 kan (7.5 kg) under the condition that I could have any kind of wild vegetables I wanted. The flat area was being cleared to the last drop by people from the sparsely populated area. Not a single butterbur or bracken was to be seen. We had no choice but to prepare a lunch box that we could not eat without being seen.
I prepared a plan and went out to a neighboring village. We climbed a 12-km mountain slope to Koshimushi in Samegawa and arrived at our destination. We were disappointed when we entered the mountains and valleys. After all, even deep in the mountains of Samegawa Village, there were only scraps left behind.
However, in order to digest our allotment, we collected them as if we were sweeping them up. When I returned home, I weighed the amount on the scale, and found that I had only 800 YO YEARS.
He immediately felt fatigue all over his body. After the war ended, he was surprised when he asked a demobilized soldier if he had really fed him wild vegetables. He replied, "I ate them all. We couldn't afford to be hungry. Mulberry leaves, persimmon leaves, sweet potato
Vines, pumpkin leaves, and even pumpkin stems were seasoned and used as food.
They kept chickens and took eggs to nourish their bodies.
The Free slaughter of pigs was allowed, and farmers bought pigs raised by their families and applied to have them slaughtered and shared, which was the best nutritional food.
They were troubled by the forced quotas for rice and even ate what they would now give to their livestock. In this way, they had to complete their quotas.
Those who did not complete their quotas were subjected to the "strong-arm" approach.
If they ran out, they would be rationed, the government officials would say.
The quotas were even extended to rice, wheat, soybeans, potatoes, and sweet potatoes produced by the farmers themselves.
No matter how fully we paid our quotas, the rations we were waiting for were always delivered late or in short supply.
One of the problems with the rations we received was acorn powder. Inevitably, we would find them too bitter to eat.
Sometimes we received rations of potatoes or sweet potatoes, sometimes wheat that had been milled in a rice-polishing machine, half-shelled wheat, barley, kohlihan, soybean meal, and a half pound of rice, which was distributed to about 20 of us. The mixed taste of the grains is hard to forget. It tasted bad.
When I complained about the ration, I was met with the slogan, "We don't want it, until we win. The poverty had reached its peak, and the mobilization and mobilization of workers
There was also an extreme shortage of labor.
At 11:00 a.m. on August 15, 1945, the war ended under the worst possible conditions with the unconditional surrender of the Emperor by his majestic broadcast.
But whatever Japan's position after that, enemy planes stopped coming. The war was over, and it was a relief.
Japan's economy, which had fallen to the ground, was slowly improving, Japanese soldiers were being demobilized in droves, and both domestic and family life was returning to normal.
However, it was the families of the silently triumphant soldiers who were the saddest of all.
Salt was an indispensable commodity for daily life. The ration of salt was very small, and a large amount of salt was needed for home production of miso (fermented soybean paste), shoyu (soybean oil), and even pickles.
When the war stopped and the danger of air raids on the beaches had passed, some people began to make their own salt. They would bring salt on their backs in exchange for rice and a square of salt.
Barter peddlers began to arrive, and somehow the empty vats filled up with miso and pickles.
As the years went by, the Japanese economy grew rapidly.
Today, Japan's economy is one of the largest in the world.
This is due to the tireless efforts of the Japanese people. In this way, Japan spent 10 long years at war with the world's major powers.
At that time, only two countries, the Netherlands and Portugal, had diplomatic relations with Japan. What does Mr. Nakasone, the current Prime Minister of Japan, think about the food problem?
They are forcing fields to lie fallow 20-40% of the time, importing large quantities of foreign rice at low prices, and claiming that there is a surplus of rice in Japan.
The price of Japanese rice has remained unchanged for many years, and every year prices rise, from labor and fertilizer costs to farm equipment. I think this is going to bankrupt the farmers.
The arable lands of our country, which are in the wind, are being reduced to wastelands.
Importing large quantities of foreign foodstuffs is fine in times of peace and tranquility. However, it is said that "disasters come just when we forget about them. What would happen if a bad harvest hit the world and foreign food imports stopped?
Just thinking about it sends cold water down my spine.
Once arable land has been destroyed, it cannot be turned into rice paddies immediately.
In semi-wet fields, there is nothing to plant but rice. No matter what you look at, it is a political system that leaves the farmers sweeping up dust. That is why no one will marry a farmer just because they hear the word "farmer. Isn't this the prime minister's sole responsibility?
If such a state of affairs continues, we will have a farming depression, and Japanese agriculture will be plunged into the path of collapse.
The nature of the world repeats itself as described above. If the economy slumps and a bad harvest strikes, a country with little home-grown food will have to cultivate every square inch of arable land.
If this is the case, we should avoid eating a saturated diet, study healthy food, and include more vegetables and wild herbs in our diet.
We want to incorporate them into our daily lives and live healthy lives.
Gastronomy is not healthy food.
We must not forget the food shortages around the end of the war. We must not forget the heat of the moment. Don't drown in food and drink.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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