二荒芳徳 Futara Yoshinori to F. M. Trautz 1933

Boy Scouts of Japan Founder Futara Yoshinori 1933 Postcard to F. M. Trautz

二荒芳徳 Futara Yoshinori to F. M. Trautz 1933

This January 1933 New Year's card was sent by Futara Yoshinori (二荒芳徳) to F. M. Trautz from Yotsuya, Tokyo, and features a postmark from Akasaka (Tokyo). Notably, the reverse side includes Futara's itinerary from the previous year, 1932.

昨年は七月中には樺太全島に、九月中には満州国の首都

新京、及び奉天に、十二月中には朝鮮主要各都市に遊び、

青少年社会教育を視察いたしました。

今年よりはなるべく静居して「国家己性を索めて」拙者の 発刊を急ぎたく存じております。

"Last year, I traveled across the entire island of Karafuto in July, visited Hsinking, the capital of Manchukuo, and Fengtian in September, and toured major cities in Korea in December, where I observed youth social education. This year, I plan to remain as quiet as possible and focus on hastening the publication of '国家己性を索めて' (Seeking the Essence of the Nation)."

(二荒 芳徳, Futara Yoshinori, 1886 – 1967)

Count Yoshinori Futara was adopted by the Date family, a distinguished and influential samurai family in Japan. The Date family, known for its historical significance and prominent members, played a crucial role in the feudal and early modern periods of Japan. The adoption into such a prestigious family would have provided Count Futara with significant social and cultural status, enabling him to take on important roles, such as his position in the Imperial Household Ministry and his involvement in the founding of the Boy Scouts of Japan.

Count Yoshinori Futara's connection with Baldur Benedikt von Schirach is an interesting historical detail. Baldur von Schirach was a prominent Nazi official, known for his role as the leader of the Hitler Youth and later as the Gauleiter of Vienna. The connection between Count Futara and von Schirach is rooted in their shared interest in youth movements.

photo of Futara (left) and von Schirach (center) is public domain photo found online

In the early 1930s, during the rise of the Nazi regime, von Schirach sought to connect with similar movements worldwide, including the Boy Scouts. Count Futara, as a co-founder and leader in the Boy Scouts of Japan, likely interacted with von Schirach in the context of international youth movements and exchanges. This connection would have been part of broader efforts by youth organizations to establish international ties and learn from each other's experiences.

However, the nature of their relationship and the extent of their interactions are not widely documented, and the ideological differences between the Boy Scouts and the Hitler Youth would have presented significant barriers to any deep collaboration. The Boy Scouts, with their emphasis on service, community, and non-political engagement, differed fundamentally from the highly politicized and militaristic nature of the Hitler Youth.