【歴史発見】76年前の「広報ひめじ」創刊号を読んだら、当時の姫路市の熱意と理想に感動した件【路地裏文庫】

Do you know when your local city or town's public relations magazine was first published? When, who started it, and under what historical context? Let's delve into the first issue of these now-commonplace public relations magazines and explore the "era" in which they were founded! This time, we'll be looking at the public relations magazine of our very own Himeji City, "Koho Himeji." It was first published in 1950, shortly after the end of the war—76 years ago. This was a time when the turbulent social situation following the defeat in the war was gradually settling down, and the current forms of democracy and local self-government were truly at their starting point. While I've written "public relations magazine," it would be more accurate to call it a "public relations paper" in the style of the time. Even more accurately, it should have been "public relations paper." That's right, the title of the first "Koho Himeji" was "Koho Himeji." Not "wide," but "to spread." Understanding Himeji City's position and aspirations at that time is one way to enjoy this. The pages are filled with articles on democracy, local autonomy, the Shoup Recommendations, the Public Offices Election Act, rationing, tuberculosis, rabies, the unreturned, and MacArthur. The postwar period we know as history is presented in real-time articles. At the same time, there's no shortage of the spirit of reconstruction and a new era. Horse racing events increased, reinforced concrete apartment buildings were constructed, there were plans for trolleybuses, and even plans for an exposition hoping for postwar reconstruction and urban progress. Despite numerous social problems, the atmosphere of Himeji at that time, overflowing with enthusiasm for the future, is palpable through the pages. Reading each article, one can feel the frankness and enthusiasm in the writing, and the content could even be described as idealistic. Perhaps we perceive this as "idealistic" because we unconsciously enjoy the achievements of our predecessors. If we perceive the articles in the early issues of "Himeji Public Relations" as idealistic, then perhaps it could be said that there was a "reality that necessitated the expression of ideals." I recently read through the first four issues of the Himeji City Newsletter, and I discovered something new with every page turn; it was truly a fascinating historical document. Searching for keywords that caught my attention in the 1950 issue of the Himeji City Newsletter online or even consulting AI allows for a deeper and broader exploration of history. And, of course, you can also verify things by walking around and exploring for yourself. After all, it's a local newsletter! That might be the best way to enjoy it. All back issues of the Himeji City Newsletter are stored at the Himeji City Jonai Library. Since they are old documents, they aren't on the shelves for easy access, but you can view them immediately upon request. Personally, I secretly hope for a digital archive, but I'm grateful that they are properly preserved and accessible. While I relied on the library this time, even the early issues of the Himeji City Newsletter dedicated a significant portion to introducing the library and good books. This shows how much the library, a public service, was appreciated in the post-war era when entertainment options were scarce. And the article introducing the children's room in the library was the one that impressed me the most this time. Impressed by that master? No, no, it's precisely because he's a bit eccentric that he's so sensitive! (laughs) By the way, although I didn't mention it in the video, this is the first in a new series called "Backstreet Libraries." Recently, I've been dipping my toes into the National Diet Library Digital Collection and the National Archives' document viewing services, and the materials I've come across there are incredibly interesting! (laughs) There are also a lot of materials about Himeji, and I relied heavily on them when making this video. However, it's a "swamp." If you're not careful, you might not be able to come back. So, I don't know if there will be a second installment of the "Backstreet Libraries" series, but if the opportunity arises, I'll bring you another one. Now, please enjoy the video! ◆Reference materials and websites used for this project: National Diet Library Digital Collection: https://dl.ndl.go.jp/ National Archives of Japan Digital Archive: https://www.digital.archives.go.jp/ Chiaki Kato's Homepage: https://ckatoh.la.coocan.jp/ Cask Strength: https://hanshotfirstjp.hatenablog.com/ ◆Illustration Production: Gemini 3.5 Flash ◆Narration: Gemini 3.1 Flash TTS (Gacrux) VOICEVOX (Meimei Himari) ◆Sound Effects: Sound Effect Lab: https://soundeffect-lab.info/ Niconi Commons (chiru): https://commons.nicovideo.jp/users/13... SNS links here: (X)   / rojiuraharrym   (Instagram)   / rojiuraharrym   #HimejiPublicRelations #Hime...