E13M, Durrah Salam ‘94, Misako Barbu, Teacher, 1934,Yokohama: Naka-ku
Mrs Barbu, my teacher, was only eleven years old at the end of the war and the beginning of the U.S. Occupation. In November 1992, I asked her about her experiences at that time.
She lived in Yokohama with her mother and her little baby sister. Her father and her brother died during the war. Her father had been the president of a factory, which burned down together with a lot of other buildings. Her house suffered the same fate. A lot of changes had to take place immediately: her mother became the new president of the factory, with only a few employees. The factory could not be repaired, so she worked with a horrendous mess of ashes all around her. The family income was low, with only one breadwinner. Her mother made a great contribution to her life. She was strong and decent but distant. Now Mrs Barbu wishes that she could have known her mother more.
Mrs Barbu’s school life changed too, when the U.S. Occupation began. Never before had there been any talk of democracy or hope. The pupils were exposed to many new Western and foreign ways. English was taught, and the lessons were similar to schools in the U.S. Her school, Ferris Girls’ School [Ferris Jogakuin], previously required the students to memorize everything that was in the textbooks. The only chance that students had for a better life was to study hard and pass the examinations. But now they could enter the real world and change it with their knowledge.
Mrs Barbu was not allowed to play songs of her own choice on the piano during the war, but during the Occupation she was taught to play songs from foreign countries. The news on the radio, the food products, clothes, and trends were all Westernized. Jazz music was very popular. Often Army jeeps filled with U.S. soldiers passed by her house, interrupting the tranquil atmosphere. Some people invested in cars, whereas previously bicycles used to be the main means of transport. Parents reinforced the social code: keep on the right path, work hard first, and play later. Many people hoped for peace and hated war. There are still wars going on now, so “hope” has become the motto of her life.
Yokohama’s Chinatown was the center of drugs brought in by U.S. soldiers. Heavy drinking and lots of fights occurred. At that time, Mrs Barbu was infected with tuberculosis, so she was no longer able to go to school. She and her family moved to Tōkyō. She wished then (and still does) that everyone learns what is most important in life.