The problem of mind and body during Asia and Pacific War in Japan
― A case of Kikuo Mihashi ―

Akisato SUZUKI (Tokyo Gakugei University)

Abstract

　　The important point concerning the historical study of mind-body oneness during Asia
and Pacific War in Japan is to specify the process how the mind-body oneness logically re-
lated suicide attacks in Japanese army and navy. The purpose of this study is to consider
the problem of mind and body during Asia and Pacific War in Japan. I focus on Kikuo
Mihashi (1888-1969), a very famous scientist of physical education, and declared
"Shinshinichinyo" which is the theory of mind-body oneness from Buddhism. This study
used the magazine, Shintaiiku, was published from 1932 to 1944 by Mihashi's physical edu-
cation laboratory established in 1930.
　　The results of the analysis are summarized as follows. It was expression of the mind
through the body that Mihashi considered one of the most important idea in his
Shinshinichinyo. However he found that there was a limit to his Shinshinichinyo expressing
mind, and also explained that human can not accomplish an expression of high quality
through the body. How did he solve such problems? First, he suggested the following the
two concepts about human body to solve the limit to his Shinshinichinyo expressing mind:
One of the two concepts was expression of the mind, and the other was expression of the
life. Second, he contrived the new intervention of idea that separating mind and body.
　　By way of conclusion, it seems appropriate to remark that, although his original idea of
mind-body oneness, Shinshinichinyo expressing mind, gave a logical foundation of suicide at-
tacks, his intervention of idea that separating mind and body was not compatible with sui-
cide attacks.