The Transformation of Young Men's Groups in Izu Fishing Village

Abstract

The study of “traditional” young men's groups (Wakamono-gumi) in Japan has been focussed mainly on the customary institution of young men's lodging house and on the function of marital control, both from the viewpoint of Japanese folklore, and has not analyzed its transformation in relation to village structure. This report considers the traditional groups as the original pattern for new young men's associations (Seinen-dan) since late Meiji, and involves consideration of how the former was recognized, using the example of Izu fishing village. It considers first the traditional group in village structure, and then pursues how it was transformed in relation to inner factors in the village as well as nationwide conditions. The results of the research are as follows : (1) The traditional group was first organized as a substructure of the fisherman's boss group in the fishing village under the feudal system. The Community structure that was organized by the boss group and its fishing workers (the former having special fishing rights and latter not) had reflected its dual character on the traditional young men's group, and there its exclusive character had produced two groups : the one consisting of young fishermen and the other of young merchants and handicraftsmen.(2) Since the middle of Meiji the establishment of public social systems, the reformation of fisheries laws and the development of fishing tecniques relaxed gradually the solidarity of the boss group based on inshore fishing grounds. Next, united body of traditional groups was organized by governmental guidance to new young men's associations on the level of local autonomous entities that generally included several national villages. Therefore the association had dual character : that of the united body to be used for military forces, and that of each traditional group as a branch of body adhering closely to each village system. The coexistence of the two different groups was ensured by the homogeneous gemeinschaftlich character proper to their structure. This coexistence continued essentially to the end of the World War II.(3) After the War (1945) with the dissolution of the united body, the young men's associations started. But since 1955 socio-economical changes have not allowed all young men in the village to be organized as a unit. So there are many different small young men's groups now.The organization principles of young men's groups have experienced the following changes : (a) gemeinschaftlich (b) “gemeinschaftlich-nationalistic”, (c) individualistic. The change of these principles is founded on the structural character of the fishing village in each time.