Wartime Memories

Author: Glenn Scoggins

  • Kyōko Hirota

    C06, Kyōko Hirota ‘87, Shizuko Hirota, Grandmother, 1908, Tōkyō, Kōchi Q: Can you tell me about the bombing in World War II?A: We escaped from Tōkyō to Chiba. We didn’t have any food or clothing, or anything else. I had to cut up my best kimono to make working outfits and tabi (socks). Q: What…

  • Angela Lee

    A10C, Angela Lee ‘85, Sister Marie Gabriel, Saint Maur Nun, 1905, Yokohama: Naka-ku Japan suffered two great cataclysms in the twentieth century. One was the great Kantō Earthquake of September 1, 1923, which destroyed half of Tōkyō and most of Yokohama, The other was the bombing in World War II, which flattened most of Japan’s…

  • Selena Pang

    C07C, Selena Pang ‘87, Hisa Nagae, Housemaid, 1919, Tochigi, Tōkyō I interviewed Mrs Hisa Nagae, about World War II. She kindly shared her experiences with me, and I was able to learn what those events were like for the people who actually went through them. You are very lucky to be born in such a…

  • Makiko Ōta (Ohta)

    D08, Makiko Ōta (Ohta), Yukiko Sakata, Grandmother, 1923, Tōkyō Q: How old were you when the Second World War began? A: It was when I was about 18 years old. It was a couple of years before I graduated from Gakushūin High School. Q: Where were you living?A: I was living in Kōjimachi, Tōkyō. My…

  • Safari Watanabe

    C08, Safari Watanabe ‘87, Yoshie Watanabe, Grandmother, 1912, Hyōgo, Yokohama: Minami-ku, Naka-ku I interviewed my grandmother, Yoshi Watanabe. She was born on February 27, 1913 (Meiji 45). She experienced the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923 and both world wars. Q: Can you tell me anything about World War II? A: When the war broke out,…

  • Leda Elliott

    B01U, Leda Elliott ‘86, Setsuko Suzuki, c 1933 In May 1985, I interviewed Mrs Setsuko Suzuki. She was born around 1933 and is now 52 years old. Q: How old were you when you experienced World War II? A: Around 11 years old, I think. Q: Were you able to stay with your family all…

  • Hiroko Maru

    A06, Hiroko Maru ‘85, Sumie Maru, Mother, 1936,  Aomori In 1984, I interviewed my mother about her wartime memories. She was born in 1936 and is now 48 years old. Q: How old were you when World War II started? A: I was five when the war started and eight by the time it ended.…

  • Motoni Katayama

    A05, Motoni Katayama ‘85, Mrs Ishikawa, Piano teacher, 1925, Tōkyō On Tuesday, May 15, 1984, I interviewed my piano teacher, Mrs Ishikawa, about her experiences during and after World War II. Q: How old were you in 1945? A: Well, it’s such a long time ago! [Laughs] I was twenty years old then. Q: Where…

  • Tetsuko Iwasaki

    A04, Tetsuko Iwasaki ‘85, Manabu Iwasaki, Grandfather, 1929,   Tōkyō, Yokohama: Tsurumi-ku, Shizuoka The experience of a world war naturally occupies a large part of a person’s memory. Each day was a struggle to keep on living. Soldiers were in danger of being shot to death at any moment. The constant fear of death over…

  • Kinami Furukawa

    A02, Kinami Furukawa ‘85, Grandmother, c 1906, Yokohama: Naka-ku, Isogo-ku  In May 1984, I  interviewed my grandmother about her experiences during World War II. She was born around 1906 and is 78 years old now. I didn’t suffer or have much trouble during the war, compared to other people. I was about 35 years old…