A01C, Irwine Chang ‘85, Mother, c 1933, China, Hyōgo
The following are my mother’s memories of her wartime experiences. I interviewed her in May 1984. She is 51 years old now and was born around 1933.
I came to Japan when I was four years old. I was born in Guangzhou [Canton], but because of my father’s job, we moved to Kōbe. The only thing that I remember about the war is that I was constantly hungry. I usually ate the husks of oats and other grains for my breakfast and dinner. I detested these because they were so salty. My mother boiled them with salt to give some taste to the oats. I was very delighted when I could eat pumpkins, potatoes, or zōsui for my meal.
There were rations (haikyū) once in a while. Each family received ration coupons to buy items that weren’t sold at stores. Sugar and cigarettes were among the items that couldn’t be purchased without ration coupons. For example, during the summer there were coupons for ice cream. I still can’t forget the joy that I felt from eating ice cream. I believed it was the most delicious thing in the world.
I also remember that people mocked me when I was standing in line for rations. They called me “Chankoro” or “Shina-jin” [“chink”]. They cut in line or pushed me. I couldn’t speak or understand Japanese then, but I always felt miserable.
The most unforgettable event during the war was the day when the B-29 bombers attacked Kōbe. My father had gone out to sell food. He always did this before going to work at the restaurant. The wages at the restaurant were very low, so he sold vegetables, sugar, and fish to our neighbors to earn a living. He kept half of the food that he got to sell. My father always told my mother to take certain items when the air raid siren roared. He also told her to take me to the underground shelter. I don’t remember the date or time, but I guess it was before noon. The siren blared, and my mother and we were supposed to evacuate to the underground shelter. But my neighbor told us to go to her relative’s house, which was located in Yamate, on the hilly slopes above Kōbe. We ran there with our neighbor. I still remember the constant smoke rising from the town below the hills. The bombs were constantly falling like rain from the sky. If my mother and I had gone to the shelter, as my father told us to do, we would have been buried there.
To me, war was a time of patience and suffering. I always had to listen for the sirens. I had to face Death and Life every day. I always had to search for food. There was no security during that time. Life was not easy. Therefore, I envy young people today who have everything they want. I couldn’t get anything then, even if I had money. Japan is very peaceful now. I hope this peace will continue.