車窓から眺めたボーダーランドとしての旧満洲

摘要

This is a report of a research trip from August 3 through August 9, 2014 to borderlands of Northeast China. Starting from Changchun, the author made a round trip of approximately 1,700km via Jiamusi, Mudanjiang and Yanji by railway. Historical places of Manchukuo (Japanese puppet state, 1932-1945) still remain along the railway lines. Both Heilongjian and Jilin Provinces have borders with Russia, and Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin Province has a border with North Korea.Railway construction in Northeast China was started by the Russian Empire at the end of the 19th century and was continued by the Japanese Empire in the first half of the 20th century. In the period of Manchukuo, South Manchuria Railway Company (Mantetsu) performed an important role for the Japanese domination over Manchuria. After the establishment of the Peopleu27s Republic of China, the whole railway was nationalized.Being connected to Russia by land and having good access to the Japanese See, border regions of Northeast China have possibilities for further economic, social and cultural development.