現代では国語教育と児童文学とは密接な関係にあると見られているが、石森延男は国語教育と児童文学とのギャップを埋め、双方を近づけるのに大きな役割を果たしている。石森が国語教育者であると同時に児童文学者にもなったのは、1926年に満洲(厳密に言えば関東州)の大連で在満日本人小学生たちのための国語補充教科書『満洲補充読本』の編纂に従事することになって以来である。彼は正味13年間の大連在住中に、精力的に創作活動をすると同時に、仲間を糾合して満洲児童文学運動のカリスマ的リーダーとなった。1939年に帰国すると彼は国定国語教科書の編纂に従事すると同時に、長編満洲児童文学を次々と発表する。こうした仕事は彼の戦後の国語教育や児童文学活動にもつながっている。石森の満洲児童文学は満洲(中国東北部)の大地に基づきながらも、主として在満日本人の生活を中心にヒューマニスチックな温かいタッチで描いている。しかし圧倒的多数の(当時満人と呼ばれた)中国人はあまり登場せず、また彼等を見つめ、その生活を写生風に描いても、その社会的背景を掘り下げようとはしていない。それは石森が唱える「満洲郷土論」における植民地主義を認識し、克服しえていないためであるといえよう。この点をめぐって筆者と、三人の若い研究者の間で、膨大な石森の文学的遺産の中からそれぞれ異なった局面を取り上げて論評しているが、そこには期せずしてある協働作業が行われていたかのように見える。このような協働の今後の可能性と発展に期待したい。
Today it is generally expected in Japan that Kokugo Kyoiku (Japanese language education, esp. in elementary school) and children’s literature be closely related. In this sense, Ishimori Nobuo (1897-1987) contributed greatly to bridging the gap between Japanese language education and children’s literature and brought both sides closer to each other. He became a Japanese-language educator as well as a children’s literature writer while he was engaged in compilation of Manshu Hojutokuhon (Manchurian Sub-reader), the Japanese-language supplementary textbook for Japanese elementary schoolchildren residing in Manchuria, including Guandong (関東州). During his stay in Dalian for 13 years, he wrote many great stories for children and published children’s magazines energetically, all while organizing those teachers who were devoted to writing children’s stories, thus becoming a charismatic leader of the Manchurian children’s literature movement. In 1939 he was called back to Tokyo by the Ministry of Education to engage in the compilation of a new elementary Japanese language textbook, and at the same time he published voluminous works of Manchurian children’s literature, one after another. After WWII he energetically continued both of his activities—those of Japanese language educator and children’s story writer—although there remained no more tint of Manchuria. While Ishimori's Manchurian children’s literature is based on the area of Manchuria (northeast China), it is mainly centered on the lives of Japanese residents in Manchuria, written with a warm and humane touch. However, the Chinese people (generally called Manjin), who were the overwhelming majority there, seldom appear in his works, and even if he talks about them, he gazes at them and draws their lives on the surface in the style of sketching, daring not to delve into their social background. It can be said that this is because of the unconquerable colonialism in the Manshu Kyodoron (Manchuria hometown theory), which Ishimori advocated. Recently, three young researchers have taken up and discussed some aspects of Ishimori's huge literary legacy, and it is clear that a certain “collaboration” has unexpectedly been carried out between this writer and those three young researchers involving this point. This writer sincerely looks forward to the future possibility and further development of such collaboration.
Today it is generally expected in Japan that Kokugo Kyoiku (Japanese language education, esp. in elementary school) and children’s literature be closely related. In this sense, Ishimori Nobuo (1897-1987) contributed greatly to bridging the gap between Japanese language education and children’s literature and brought both sides closer to each other. He became a Japanese-language educator as well as a children’s literature writer while he was engaged in compilation of Manshu Hojutokuhon (Manchurian Sub-reader), the Japanese-language supplementary textbook for Japanese elementary schoolchildren residing in Manchuria, including Guandong (関東州). During his stay in Dalian for 13 years, he wrote many great stories for children and published children’s magazines energetically, all while organizing those teachers who were devoted to writing children’s stories, thus becoming a charismatic leader of the Manchurian children’s literature movement. In 1939 he was called back to Tokyo by the Ministry of Education to engage in the compilation of a new elementary Japanese language textbook, and at the same time he published voluminous works of Manchurian children’s literature, one after another. After WWII he energetically continued both of his activities—those of Japanese language educator and children’s story writer—although there remained no more tint of Manchuria. While Ishimori's Manchurian children’s literature is based on the area of Manchuria (northeast China), it is mainly centered on the lives of Japanese residents in Manchuria, written with a warm and humane touch. However, the Chinese people (generally called Manjin), who were the overwhelming majority there, seldom appear in his works, and even if he talks about them, he gazes at them and draws their lives on the surface in the style of sketching, daring not to delve into their social background. It can be said that this is because of the unconquerable colonialism in the Manshu Kyodoron (Manchuria hometown theory), which Ishimori advocated. Recently, three young researchers have taken up and discussed some aspects of Ishimori's huge literary legacy, and it is clear that a certain “collaboration” has unexpectedly been carried out between this writer and those three young researchers involving this point. This writer sincerely looks forward to the future possibility and further development of such collaboration.