JpGU-AGU Joint Meeting 2020

Presentation information

[J] Oral

M (Multidisciplinary and Interdisciplinary) » M-ZZ Others

[M-ZZ56] Studies of Geoscience : historical, philosophical and STS studies

convener:Michiko Yajima(College of Humanity and Science, Nihon University), Toshihiro Yamada(Taisho University), Shigeyuki Aoki(Faculty of Letters, Chuo University), Shigeo Yoshida(Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Faculty of Sciences, Kyushu University)

[MZZ56-03] Japanese geologists just after the WWII

*Michiko Yajima1 (1.College of Humanity and Science, Nihon University)

Keywords:WWII, GHQ, geological maps of Northern China and Korea, the mining data of Northern China and Korea

The Pacific War (Asian part of the WWII) finished on Aug. 15th 1945. At that time geological researches in Japan almost stopped. The universities went to the country side to evacuate the war. Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ) was destroyed by the bomb of US. Geological Society of Japan (JGS) sent most books and journals to Hiroshima and they were gone.

General Headquarters of US Army (GHQ) led the occupation of Japan. In the world of geology, H.G. Schenk (1897-1960) was the chief. At first, Japan-US meeting was held at the University of Tokyo in December, 1945. The leader of Japanese geologists was Teiichi Kobayashi (1901-1996), the professor of geology and palaeontology in the University of Tokyo. Schenk attended the meetings of JGS and had a principal talk at the annual meeting of 1947. In his talk, he recommended to make research not in North Chain and Korea but in the mainland of Japan. He also recommended the democratic method of communication in the world of geology.

GHQ asked the geological information of Northern China and Korea. Japanese geologists made 300 geological maps in cooperation with GHQ geologists. They compiled the mining data of Northern China and Korea based on the money of the Tokyo Geographical Association and published from the University of Tokyo Press.