Category: Uncategorized
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Rei Kokubu
U03, Rei Kokubu ‘20, Kanbei Kokubu, Grandfather, 1939, Hyōgo, Tōkyō My grandfather, Kanbei Kokubu, is 79 years old. I interviewed him on November 4, 2018, at my house where we live together. Rei (I): When were you born? Grandfather (G): In 1939 (Shōwa 14). I: So were you born just before Japan went to war…
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Mariko Kōda
L08, Mariko Kōda ‘04, Grandmother, 1929, Ōsaka I interviewed my grandmother about the beginning of World War II, when she was only 12 years old. She lived on the outskirts of Ōsaka, so she wasn’t attacked directly. American planes bombed the center of the city in March 1945. She went to school until she was…
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Akihiro Suzaki
P02, Akihiro Suzaki ‘08, Sister Fukuda, Former Teacher, 1924, Ehime I interviewed Sister Fukuda, who is approximately 82 years old. Sister Fukuda used to teach me Japanese when I attended Santa Maria International School. She is very kind, and she is like a great aunt to me. The interview took place on October 7, 2006,…
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Hana Saeki
U05, Hana Saeki ‘20, Tsutomu Saeki, Grandfather, 1939, Kagawa I interviewed Tsutomu Saeki, my paternal grandfather, on November 4, 2018. He was born in 1939, two years before the war between Japan and the U.S. broke out. Q. What was the first impression you had that made you think “Oh, this is war?” A. My…
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Sumeet Meerani
L09I, Sumeet Meerani ‘04, L.H. Meerani, Grandfather, 1916, India I interviewed L.H.Meerani, my grandfather, in November 2002. Sumeet = S: Where were you at the time of World War II ? How old were you then? L.H. Meerani = LHM: It started in 1939 and ended in 1945. I was in Hyderabad, in Sindh province.…
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Kenta Utsunomiya
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?…
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Yū (You) Tone
V03, Yū (You) Tone ‘21, Noboru Ōfuka, Great-uncle, 1942, Yamaguchi, Ōsaka My great-uncle was born in 1942, just after war broke out between Japan and the United States. In November 2019, I asked him about his childhood. Q: What kind of school days did you spend during and after the war? A: It was a…
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Takaaki Ogasawara
L10, Takaaki Ogasawara ‘04, Kimi Ogasawara, Grandmother, 1924, Miyazaki, Manchuria On November 10, 2002, I interviewed my grandfather, Kimi Ogasawara. He was born on July 13, 1924, and is now 78 years old. In the living room of his house, my grandpa talked about his experience of World War II. During the war he lived…
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Alexis (Ally) Baker
R01FU, Alexis (Ally) Baker ‘16, Amante Corpuz, Grandfather, 1933, Philippines I interviewed my maternal grandfather, Amante Corpuz, by telephone on October 5, 2014. He is 81 years old and living in the Philippines. My grandfather, whom I call “Papa,” is from Ilocos Norte, in the north of the Philippines, and his native language is Ilocano,…
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Zion Ikesue
W01, Zion Ikesue ‘22, Masako Ōmori, Grandmother, 1944, Yamaguchi, Hiroshima I conducted this interview on October 4, 2020, by telephone (because we live over four hours away by Shinkansen from my grandmother). I’ve also tried to stick to the original language used by the interviewees before my translation into English, as it is more authentic…