F08, Fujiko Watanabe ‘97, Kaneo Watanabe, Grandfather, 1919, Yamanashi
My paternal grandfather, Kaneo Watanabe, is 76 years old. He lives near Lake Kawaguchi in Yamanashi prefecture. I talked to him about his wartime memories in December 1995.
Q: What was your reaction to the beginning of World War II?
A: I thought that finally the war had started. I knew that I would die if I were sent to battle, so I was very scared, but then I thought that every man in my age group must be feeling the same way. I believed that this was my destiny.
Q: What were you doing right before the war began?
A: I helped my family, farming in our fields so that we had something to eat. All we could grow was vegetables, since our land was not fertile enough to grow rice. We wanted to sell vegetables, but we couldn’t make a living because we only grew a small amount. Sometimes I went to Kōfu city, because the government was building a tunnel through the mountains. I helped them shovel and dig the tunnel, because I got paid for it. It was a very long way to Kōfu, because at that time there were no cars or trains, so we had to walk along a bumpy, narrow mountain road.
Another way to make a living was through raising silkworms, to make silk for kimono. My mother bought some silkworms and raised them so that they would produce cocoons. She then made thread that could be woven into silk for kimono cloth. I went to Shizuoka to sell the silk thread, and I remember vividly that my mother was so happy when I brought back more money than she had expected. Then she asked me if I had stolen the money somewhere! She was so happy that she went to the temple in the nearby grove to pray for gratitude.
Q: What did you do when you received the summons to enlist in the Army?
A: The first thing that all young men had to do was to marry someone. So I got married to your grandmother, alongside another young couple. I believe we did this because we all knew that we were going to die, so we wanted to leave children behind. Most of the men wouldn’t survive the war, so that would mean that those women could never get married or have children. I had ten days until I had to report for enlistment, so I spent time with your grandmother. I remember telling her that I was sorry to be leaving her alone with a house to take care of. But she said strongly to me not to worry about her and to promise to finish my duty and then come back.
Q: Did you have friends whom you lost in the war?
A: Yes. One of my best friends sent me a postcard saying that he was proud of himself because he could fight for our country. I was so shocked to hear that he died one week after he got his postcard. Every time I heard things like this, I was in pain, and even now, because I joined the war and survived.