L04C, Wako Huang ‘04, Shin’ichi Numata, Neighbor, 1919, Yokohama: Naka-ku, Saitama, Kyōto, Gifu
On November 11, 2002, I interviewed Shin’ichi Numata, my downstairs neighbor. He is 83 years old. Mr. Numata allowed me to interview him in person. He was an intelligent man, and never hesitated to inform me about his experiences during World War II. He even showed me the pictures he took during the war, and this turned out to be not simply a homework assignment but an unforgettable experience.
Wako: I have learned factual information about World War Il, but I’m curious about your personal insight on the events, which, I’m sure, had a major impact on your life. First of all, please tell me about the years before the war began.
Mr. Numata: I was born and raised in Yokohama, and lived at 22 Yamate-chō until World War II began. I came back to Yokohama after the war ended, of course. I went to Motomachi Elementary School, and then on to Kanagawa Prefectural Middle School # 3, and I attended Dōshisha University, in Kyōto, for college.
Wako: Motomachi Elementary School—that’s where I attended during the first grade! Wasn’t it rare for people to go beyond elementary school and receive such a high degree of education at the time?
Mr. Numata: Yes, and I feel extremely fortunate that I proceeded on to college. Only wealthy families were able to let their children receive higher education. At the time, my father was the owner of the largest restaurant in Chinatown, called Heian-rō. It was very successful and well known. My father was very much in favor of education, and he allowed my younger brother and me to complete college. My family led a fairly luxurious life.
Wako: Does Heian-rō still exist today?
Mr. Numata: No, much of Yokohama was damaged during the Great Air Raid attack in May of Shōwa 20 (1945), and the restaurant was also destroyed, along with our house.
Wako: That’s a shame. How did your life change once the war started?
Mr. Numata: I was drafted into the Imperial Army in Shōwa 17 (1942), when I was 23 years old. All of the soldiers were gathered at Sakuragi-chō Station, and from there we headed toward Tokorozawa city in Saitama prefecture, where the army base was situated. Before I left my home, my family and friends held a farewell party for me to wish me luck. It was held at my father’s restaurant, and turned out to be one of the most memorable events in my life. Although China was battling against Japan in World War II, many Chinese people came to the party. They treated me as a friend and not as an enemy. They all left some money for me when I left. It was such an ironic experience, especially during the time of the war, to have a gathering with enemies. I was truly happy that the Chinese people cared only about friendship, and not about the war.
Wako: What was your life like at the army base?
Mr. Numata: All of us men were required to take tests to determine our position in the army. I was given the position of a commissioned officer, so I never had to fight in combat. Food was becoming very scarce, and our only food was a bowl of rice mixed with wheat. We ate whatever we could find. Any type of food was precious at the time. Now, whenever I buy a lunchbox at a train station to eat, I always eat the small amount of rice stuck onto the inner lid first. It has become a habit to not waste any food.
In the following year, when I was 24 years old, I married my wife. The reception was held at the Hotel New Grand. Because conditions were harsh and there was hardly any food, we prepared our own ingredients for the dinner and asked the chef to make a few dishes out of them. My wife moved in with my parents in Yokohama, but I had to go back to the army base. We lived in Tōkyō and commuted to Saitama everyday.
The war certainly got harsher after our marriage, and American bomber airplanes, B-29s, were flying over our heads. The condition of the city and people were getting worse and worse by the minute. My wife and my parents eventually escaped to Takayama city in Gifu for safety. My younger brother was drafted into the Army a year after me, in Shōwa 18 (1943). Unlike me, he was stationed in the Philippines, and he was killed in battle there. It was horrible to constantly hear news about close friends being killed, but that eventually stopped when the war ended in August of Shōwa 20 (1945).
I actually wasn’t against the war, and I certainly don’t regret the fact that Japan lost. If the war had never happened, Japan wouldn’t have been able to rise up to where it is today, as it would still be secluded from the major powers of the world. I was happy when the war ended, but I don’t grieve that it happened.
Wako: Were there any differences in the condition of people according to their social status?
Mr. Numata: There weren’t very many differences, as the whole country was in short supply of food, and even money couldn’t buy everything. Food was rationed, and tickets were given out by the government for each citizen of Japan to evenly distribute the amount of food we received. However, that amount was not enough for any of us. My wife was from Kyōto, and since she possessed many beautiful kimonos, she exchanged them for food in the countryside. We were doing everything we could to get our hands on any type of food.
Wako: How did you stay informed about the situation of the war?
Mr. Numata: I had a radio, but it became useless during the war. Static and beeping noises were the only sounds I was able to hear. Because of this, everybody read the Asahi newspaper, I remember. Everyone was curious about the war. Young people back then weren’t anything like the young people now. We were all hard-working and determined. Men fought hard in the war, while the women produced many babies, so that the country would have enough soldiers.
Here, let me show you some pictures . . .