Abstract

The collective memory inscribed in Korean history books recalls when the Japanese colonial state requisitioned brassware from Korean households during World War II. This study explores the complex mechanism behind these campaigns. Copper was a scarce commodity in the Japanese empire. The colonial brassware industry expanded but struggled due to fluctuating copper prices before the war. To overcome the reluctance of Koreans to part with their brassware, the colonial state had to coordinate various actors across multiple organisations, provide ceramic replacements, and establish a system of financial payments. The Japanese also ultimately created a ‘brass bureaucracy’ capable of carrying out the sensitive task of removing copper from Korean households. The Korean case reminds us that institutional frameworks are necessary for wartime salvage. Finally, brassware collections also resulted in fundamental changes in Korean society and everyday material culture that require careful analysis. (141 words)

摘要

韩国历史书上的集体记忆回忆了二战期间日本殖民国家从韩国家庭征用铜器的情景。本研究探讨了这些运动背后的复杂机制。铜在日本帝国是稀缺商品。由于战前铜价的波动，殖民时期的铜器工业扩张但举步维艰。为了克服韩国人不愿放弃他们的铜器的问题，殖民国家不得不协调多个组织中的各种行为者，提供陶瓷替代品，并建立金融支付系统。日本人最终还建立了一个“黄铜官僚机构”，能够执行从韩国家庭中清除铜的敏感任务。韩国的案例提醒我们，制度框架对于战时救助是必要的。最后，铜器收藏也导致了韩国社会和日常物质文化的根本变化，需要仔细分析。（141 字）