大阪歴史博物館　Osaka Museum of History

Overview of the exhibition

In 1918, a sudden rise in the price of rice aroused public anger and drove people to attack rice merchants and others deemed responsible for the situation in many parts of Japan. These attacks would later be called the Rice Riots. In their wake, in October 1918, the Osaka prefectural government established a welfare commissioner system. Under the system, citizens appointed as welfare commissioners (present-day social workers) undertook the tasks of conducting surveys on the living conditions of households in their respective districts and offering support to persons in poverty, without receiving compensations.

Held in the milestone year that marks the centennial anniversary of the Rice Riots and the establishment of the welfare commissioner system, this exhibition is designed to explore the historical significance of the welfare commissioner system that started in Osaka. First, the exhibition introduces various social welfare services available before the Rice Riots arose, focusing on their differences from the welfare commissioner system. Second, it follows the process of the Rice Riots in Osaka from their beginning to end, focusing on when and where each riot broke out. Third, it sheds light on the activities of welfare commissioners in the early days of the establishment of the system by showcasing relevant public documents and articles left by welfare commissioners.

Through the above exhibits, the exhibition aims to emphasize the novelty of the welfare commissioner system, which, unlike the rest of the social welfare services available in those days, involved citizens as welfare commissioners and had them conduct daily surveys on the living conditions of people in their neighborhoods and flexibly offer necessary support to persons living in poverty. Visitors to the exhibition will deepen their understanding of what drove people to participate in the Rice Riots and what their lives were like in the urban area of Osaka in those days.