<論説>関東州阿片制度の制定と中国商人 : 関東州の統治を巡る一考察

Abstract

発足当初の関東州の阿片制度には、容易には理解し難い奇妙な事柄が三点見られる。これを一つ一つ、現地中国人阿片商の動向との関わりに留意しながら考察すると、関東州を台湾産煙膏の独占市場に仕立て上げるのが、この時の特許専売制導入の目的だったこと、しかしその企てが成功しなかった事実が明らかになった。更に、関東州に張り巡らされていた在来の経済的・人的・社会的ネットワークから関東州を切り離し、台湾と繋げることで、日本を頂点としたネットワークを新たに作り上げようとするのが、日本のこの時期の関東州統治の基本方策、ないしはこの時点での日本の帝国形成の基本戦略であったことも明らかとなった。関東都督府はその後、阿片制度の手直しを行なうのだが、それは、日本による関東州統治の進捗ないし安定化のために重要な柱を構築する意味があった。阿片・麻薬問題の歴史的研究は、このように、帝国史研究の一環として大きな意味を持っている。

We can see three inexplicable features in the Japanese opium regime in the Guandong Leased Territory at the beginning of its establishment. Considerations of them, while paying attention to their relations with the activities of local Chinese opium merchants, made it evident that the employment of the opium farm system by the Japanese Guandong Government aimed at making Guandong an exclusive market for Taiwanese prepared opium, but the aim was not successful. It has also become understandable that the Japanese planned to separate Guandong from the economic, human and social networks which had been set up around the region to connect it to all the other regions of the Chinese mainland. The final goal was to connect it to Taiwan in order to build up a new network ranging from Tokyo, the apex, to Guandong and Taiwan. It could be said that the plan would probably be the basic measure at that moment in order to rule Guandong, or one of the temporary basic strategies to form the Japanese empire. The later adjustment of the opium regime in Guandong was for the purpose of founding a main pillar to advance or stabilise the rule of the region. It can be concluded that historical research of the opium problems is significant as a part of the historical research of the Japanese empire.