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.
Q: Whom were you living with at the time of the war?
A: I was with my father, sister, and grandparents, but soon after the war began, my father had to join the Army.
Q: Did you know why such a disaster was taking place?
A: I thought it was the Emperor’s decision to fight. Japan seemed strong because it had taken over Manchuria, and everyone was ready to fight because of their loyalty to the Emperor.
Q: What was your impression of the war?
A: I was very scared and only hoped that it would end soon.
Q: What was your daily routine like?
A: I always carried rice balls (onigiri) in a sack, either in my closet or the bomb shelter (bōkūgō).
Q: Did you have to learn how to protect yourself?
A: Not really how to protect myself, but I was always told to be ready to run away from danger at any time.
Q: Were you afraid of being killed?
A: I was very scared of the foreigners, and I was told that I would be killed if I got caught by them.
Q: Did you know about the atomic bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
A: No. In fact, by that time I had evacuated (sokai) to Aomori.
Q: Did you hear the voice of the Emperor on August 15, 1945?
A: I heard it on the radio in Aomori. At last, Japan has given up; that’s what I understood.
Q: What was the first thing that you thought of when you were told that the war was over?
A: I was relieved because of the hard life that I had gone through. The adults were crying because Japan had given up, but all of the children were happy to hear the news.
Q: Did you have any negative feelings about the Americans and the U.S. after the war?
A: Yes. Men with blue eyes, red hair, a tall nose, and a huge body were coming. I was told that I would be kidnapped if I wasn’t careful.
Q: Do you have any other memories about the war?
A: The most fearful moment was when I saw the bombs that had been dropped right near my house.