Wartime Memories

Author: Glenn Scoggins

  • Nanako Okayama

    C04, Nanako Okayama ‘87, Shige Okayama, Grandmother, 1906,  Manchuria, Fukuoka My grandmother is named Shige Okayama. She lives with us now. I talked with in May 1986. She is 80 years old, so she does not remember very much about the past. Q: Grandmother, please tell me about World War II. A: Your grandfather and…

  • Kay Tatsumi

    C05, Kei (Kay) Tatsumi ‘87, Grandmother, 1919, Tōkyō, Hokkaidō In May 1986, I interviewed my grandmother. She is 67 years old, and she told me about the events of World War II. Q: What did you do when the U.S. planes bombed Tōkyō? A: We all had to dig a hole in the ground, which…

  • Danielle Davison

    E03U, Danielle Davison ‘94, Misako Barbu, Teacher, 1934, Yokohama: Naka-ku Mrs Barbu has been my teacher since elementary school. In November 1992, I asked her about the years immediately following Japan’s surrender to the U.S. and the other Allied nations. Danielle (= D): How old were you during the U.S. Occupation of Japan? Misako (=…

  • Richard Davidson

    E02U, Richard Davidson ‘94, Hiroko Suzuki, Grandmother, 1926, Ibaraki I talked to my maternal grandmother in November 1992, to find out more about her experiences during World War II. Q: How old were you during the last year of World War II?A: I was just a little older than you—I was 19 years old. Q:…

  • Yue Chien

    E01C, Yue Chien ‘94, “Kī-chan”, Grandmother, Yokohama: Kōhoku-ku, Aichi In November 1992, I asked my grandmother, whom I call “Kī-chan,” to tell me about World War II. Yue (Y): Where did you live during the war? Grandmother (G): I lived in Myōrenji [a residential area in Kōhoku-ku, northern Yokohama] with my husband and my daughter…

  • Yūko Yamada

    D07, Yūko Yamada ‘91, Yasuo Yamada, Father, 1929, Yokohama: Naka-ku In November 1989, I interviewed my father, Yasuo Yamada, who is 60 years old. We sat down together in the kitchen after dinner. Q: How old were you when World War II started? A: I was 12 years old. Q: What was the position of…

  • Yukari Wada

    D06, Yukari Wada ‘91, Grandmother, 1923, Yokohama: Naka-ku Q: Good afternoon, Grandma. It’s been almost a month since I last saw you. I’m here today to ask you some questions about World War II. A: Oh, my! I can’t remember very much. I just remember that it ended on August 15, 1945. That’s when Emperor…

  • Shinobu Suzuki

    D05, Shinobu Suzuki ‘91, Tokiko Suzuki, Grandmother, 1925, Tōkyō In November 1989, I interviewed my paternal grandmother, Tokiko Suzuki, 64 years old, in my living room. Q: Which specific period of time do you remember most clearly? A: The year before Japan surrendered, 1944 and 1945. During that time, the hardest experience was the Great…

  • Aileen Jo

    D02C, Aileen Jo ‘91, “Anyan,” Grandmother, c 1924, Hyōgo, Nagano, China, Yokohama: Naka-ku In November 1989, I asked my grandmother (whom I call “Anyan”) about her wartime memories. She was a teenager and young adult during the worst years of the war.  Q: Anyan, I’d like to ask you some questions about your experiences during…

  • Jumi Hayaki

    D01, Jumi Hayaki ‘91, Kikuyo Tsuchiya, Grandmother, 1909,   Shizuoka The following is an interview, held over the telephone, between my maternal grandmother and myself during November 1989. Throughout, Mrs Kikuyo Tsuchiya (currently aged 80 years) relates her personal wartime experiences, ranging from those within her own household to those for the benefit of the nation.…