This article of analysis is an examination of Japanese population policy, in terms of increase on both quality and quantity, during the Asia-Pacific War (1937-1945). During the period, Japan was in urgent need of labor from all over the country. On the other hand, however, Japan was facing a low birth rate, which became worse and worse each year. Consequently, the continuous decrease of the birth rate seriously impacted supply of the required labor for the troops fighting at the front. And, as a fundamental measure for the decline of birth rates and the lack of labor, the National Eugenic Law, the Population Policy Establishment Guidelines, and the Healthy Nations Policy had to be promulgated in 1940. This study gives a spotlight to what the Japanese government’s expectation was for the image of the next generation, also for the role of women that received special attention due to the crisis of labor shortage. These population policies show a sense of crisis that the Japanese government had at the time, against the decrease of the birth rate and the lack of labor. During the total war system period, Japanese government compelled women to have robust health, also to give birth, while promoting as if their roles were important and equivalent to those of men in military service. The word of “robust” was a unique expression of Japanese national will, representing the Japanese government urged each and everyone in the nation. The ideal figure of human resources expected through the population policies, back then, were the people with strong physical strength by healthy genes, and also those with the overall quality and power superior to those in all the other nations. The goal of the population policies was the production of healthy genes and healthy mothers. Ironically, Japan has managed to achieve the goal of the Population Policy Establishment Guidelines, as it has reached the number of 100 million in its population by 1960.
Ⅰ. 머리말
Ⅱ. 국민우생법을 통한 인적자원의 질적향상
Ⅲ. 인구정책확립요강을 통한 인적자원의 양적증가
Ⅳ. 건민정책과 여성
Ⅴ. 맺음말