The disappearance of the culture of waist and abdomen
　　　　　　　　　　　-An analysis of opinions during the 1920s-

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Akisato SUZUKI
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　(Okayama University)

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Abstract

 The culture of waist and abdomen is the physical culture origin from Zensyu during the
13th in Japan. The purpose of this study was to consider that the culture of waist and ab-
domen disappeared during the 1920s in Japan by analyzing opinions. It has been proposed
that the culture of waist and abdomen disappeared after World War II. But I must point
out that the culture of waist and abdomen have already disappeared during the 1920s. This
study used the opinions of four persons who supported the culture of waist and abdomen,
Ikki Kita, Toyo Fujimura, Reisai Fujita and Shinpei Goto.
  The results of the analysis are summarized as follows. Kita stated that the reason why
the culture of waist and abdomen disappeared during the 1920s is that the curriculum of
school physical education in modern Japan adopted gymnastics.military drills and sports.
Similarly Goto explained that the factor of the disappearance of the culture of waist and ab-
domen was gymnastics. In Fujimura's view, the major cause of the disappearance was the
Swedish system of gymnastics that was composed of the exercises of the back and chest.
Likewise, Fujita explained that the factor of the disappearance of the culture of waist and
abdomen was the import of sports and physical education from the West. Based on his
analysis, sports and physical education were composed of the exercises of the chest.
  Finally, it seems appropriate to remark that, the culture of waist and abdomen have al-
ready disappeared not so such after World War Has during the 1920s.