（4）The Organization of the Greater Japan Youth and Child Group

Numerous nationwide and local groups were concerned with social education, but, as they for the most part developed spontaneously they tended to differ in their objectives and programs. Indeed many of these groups actually carried on open disputes. In order to counteract these tendencies, the government decided to unify the various groups as parts of its effort to strengthen social education. Thus in 1940 the Ministry of Education began to persuade leaders of 1) the Greater Japan Youth Group (Dai Nippon Seinendan) (The former Greater Japan Federation of Youth Groups (Dai Nippon Rengo Seinendan) was reorganized into this Group in 1939.), 2) the Greater Japan Federation of Girls' Youth Groups (Dai Nippon Rengo Joshi Seinendan), 3) the Greater Japan Federation of Boys' Groups (Dai Nippon Shonendan Renmei) (The former Japanese Association of the Boy Scouts (Shonendan Nippon Renmei) was reorganized into this Federation in 1935.) and 4) the Imperial Association of Boys' Groups (Teikoku Shonendan Kyokai) to combine in a common national movement. In January, 1941, a ceremony was held to celebrate the creation of the Greater Japan Youth and Child Group (Dai Nippon Seishonendan) at the Japan Youth Center (Nippon Seinenkan). This Group dedicated itself to providing social education that would assure greater protection for the nation, while keeping close contact with school education. The organization came under the jurisdiction of the Minister of Education. Prefectural governors headed the prefectural organizations, and the principals of youth schools led the basic youth groups.

The Greater Japan Youth and Child Group was active in unifying the youths and children of the nation for the war effort. Specific activities included worship at Shinto shrines, the promotion of savings, and assistance to families who had members in the military service. Special attention was also directed to the encouragement of cultural activities, the maintenance of health, training for national defense, public works, the Greater East Asia Prosperity Sphere and the like.

Group leaders received training including on-the-spot courses in China. Programs were set up to train girls to teach courses in home defense. With the national mobilization, girls' youth groups were sent to rural districts for labor service, to Hokkaido to assist with crop harvests and to Manchuria for construction work.