Q01, Kenta Utsunomiya ‘15, Chizuko Utsunomiya, Grandmother, 1930, Kagoshima
My grandmother’s name is Chizuko Utsunomiya. She grew up in Sakurajima, Kagoshima, and she currently resides in Ōsaka. She is 83 years old. I interviewed my grandmother by phone, because she lives in Ōsaka.
Kenta: How old were you during the middle of World War II?
Chizuko: In 1943, I was in elementary school and thirteen years old. I repeated a grade in elementary school because I was sick for most of the school year. That is why I was still in elementary school at the age of thirteen.
Kenta: What was the most memorable moment of World War II for you?
Chizuko: I lived in Sakurajima, Kagoshima, on the mountain side. Kagoshima was the area where factories that made weapons and equipment for war were located. It was also the southernmost part of mainland Japan. When the B-29 bomber planes from Okinawa came back from bombing raids in places like Tōkyō and Ōsaka. When the B29 bombers had some ammunition left in their tanks, oftentimes they dropped them on Kagoshima city. The kamikaze base was also located in Tokōdai and Kanoya, nearby in Kagoshima prefecture. In the month of June of Shōwa 19 (1944), B-29 planes started dropping incendiary bombs on Kagoshima. I fled to the countryside with my little brother, because my grandfather told me to do so. The hill side of Sakurajima was too dangerous for us to stay. I looked up at the sky, and it was bright red. Bombs were booming in the distance. I was worried about my brothers and my father who stayed in Sakurajima. There were no means of communication at the time. It was impossible to know if they were all right.
Two days after I escaped to the countryside, my father and brothers came to see me and my younger brother. I was relieved. They told me Kagoshima was in ruins and was a plain of fire and destruction. The war ended in August of Shōwa 20 (1945). I went back to my hometown in October. We had to walk back, because there were no buses that passed by. My house was surprisingly not destroyed. My neighbor’s house was in ruins, and so were most of the houses in Kagoshima. An incendiary bomb had landed near my house, but luckily it did not explode during the bombing. A tree in the yard also protected my house from fires and bombs.
Another thing that I remember as a child was the anti-aircraft turret that stood at the top of a hill, which was fairly close to my home. It was made to shoot down the U.S. planes, but it was not technologically advanced to keep up with the speed of the B-29 bombers, and the turret’s range was not that great. I used to cheer with my friends and scream and shout at the turret. My friends and I told the shooter to aim closely and not miss the planes, but it was certainly hard to do, due to the large gap of technological development. My grandfather, who worked as a mechanic for the turret and other war equipment for a period of time, used to tell me that Japan was going to lose. He knew this because Japan did not have an abundant supply to repair the machinery used in the battles, and it was impossible to catch up to the U.S. weapons of war. Of course, he said this quietly and privately. I did not like what he said as a child, because I felt it was very discouraging and sad, but now I understand what he meant and what he foresaw.
The B-29 incendiaries that were dropped were pretty and scary in a way. They gleamed and glowed in the distance. They sparkled, and as a child I was fascinated to watch them for a little bit. It was also very scary to watch the dropped incendiaries. The contrast of the peace and beauty of Sakurajima and the horror of the B-29 planes also gave me a weird impression as a child.
I used to give water and distribute it among the people and workers of Kagoshima. Many people were very thankful and thirsty. They were desperate and dehydrated after the B-29 bombings. My grandfather said that he saw a person pass away in relief after he drank some water.
I was surprised by the fact that my grandmother was comfortable sharing her experiences of World War II. The war is usually a touchy topic that many elderly people are reluctant to talk about. My grandmother had many more experiences than I thought she would have. I did not know that Kagoshima was so deeply involved in World War II, because usually cities like Tōkyō, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Ōsaka are highlighted in most Japanese documentaries about the war.
The most interesting and surprising part of the interview was when my grandmother described how the incendiary bombs were pretty and scary at the same time. I never thought somebody would describe a horrendous view of their city being destroyed as pretty. At the same time, I thought this opinion is very understandable, because children have different perspectives compared to adults. My grandmother, as a child, may have had a first impression of awe caused by the sparkles and brightness of the incendiaries. The horror and terror came afterwards, because she knew what the pretty view really was. I sensed a feeling of regret from my grandmother for thinking the bombing was pretty. On the other hand, I think it was her honest opinion that she still believes today. The description of the irony of her view of the incendiaries was very helpful to imagine and understand the situation my grandmother was in.
It was very enjoyable when my grandmother was fondly describing how she and her friends cheered for the anti-aircraft turret and its shooter, when the B-29 bombers were flying overhead. She was laughing and giggling a little bit, because she remembered what she said to the shooter and the turret, such as “Aim closely and don’t miss the planes.” Imagining my grandmother as a child was also very enjoyable, but imagining my grandmother at the age of thirteen, cheering for a turret and its shooter was a lot more interesting.
I definitely have a greater knowledge of how Kagoshima and Sakurajima in particular were affected during World War II. There were limited resources (even water) and means of communication and transport. My grandmother was very lucky that her house was not in ruins after the air raids by the B-29 bombers. This was a large factor in determining safety, comfort, and lifestyle after the bombings. If she had lost her house, it would be harder for my grandmother to go back to her regular life, because she would need to rebuild a new house from scratch. It was also great to hear that my grandmother and her grandfather were kind enough to distribute water to the people and workers in Kagoshima who suffered from the destruction of their city.
In conclusion, this interview assignment was a great opportunity to allow my grandmother to share her experiences about World War II. My grandmother and I were close already, but I had hesitated to ask about this touchy and delicate topic. The history assignment was a great opportunity and excuse to listen to her experiences. I learned a lot about the childhood of my grandmother, Kagoshima during the war, and the horrors and terrors of a world war.