E18B, Emma Wilkinson ‘94, Terue Umeyama, Grandmother, 1917, Tōkyō
I interviewed Terue Umeyama, who is my maternal grandmother. She is 75 years old, and I spoke to her at her home in Urawa, Saitama Prefecture, on November 28, 1992.
Q: What was your reaction to Japan entering World War II?
A: I was frightened, because I was afraid that my family would be taken away from me. I was sure that the Army would begin drafting men to go to war.
Q: Where were you living then?
A: We were living in Tōkyō. Once the war started, I worried about my daughter, since she was a little girl, and I was also pregnant. Every night we were awakened by the air raid siren, and often bombs were dropped near us. One time, during an air raid, your grandfather just left me on my own and ran for his life. When he realized that he had left me behind, he came back and looked for me. We moved out of Tōkyō because our house was destroyed by fire.
Q: Where were you when that happened?
A: My husband was working, and I went to my friend’s house, since she had been injured. I was gone for a couple of hours, and when I came back, our house was ruined. I was worried about my husband, and I hoped he hadn’t been in the house, because sometimes he came home early. But luckily none of my family were injured.
Q: Was anyone from your family drafted into the Army?
A: Yes, my older brother who lived in Chiba was drafted. He lived in Yokosuka for quite some time. Just the other day, he went down there since it brought back memories from the war. I prayed for his safety every night, and when the war ended, he came home safely. I was so glad that he got home in one piece.
Q: Where were you when the atomic bombs were dropped?
A: I can’t remember the Hiroshima bomb, but I did hear about the bombing of Nagasaki. How I hated the Americans for killing innocent people!
Q: What was your feeling about the end of the war?
A: When the Emperor announced the surrender, I was sad that Japan had lost, but in a way I was also glad because it meant that no one else would be killed. But how wrong that was. So many people committed suicide after the announcement of the surrender. I hope there won’t be a World War III, because I can imagine how disastrous it would be.