B15C, Lisa Yu ‘86, Yu Aishi, Mother, 1930, Ōsaka, Okayama
My mother, Yu Aishi, experienced her young adulthood during World War II. She was living in Ōsaka at first, but moved to Okayama because of the destruction. I asked her about her memories in May 1985.
Q: How old were you during World War II?
A: I was eleven years old, in sixth grade, when the war began.
Q: Where were you living?
A: In a neighborhood called Hōgetsu-chō, in Minato-ku, Ōsaka.
Q: What was the most cruel experience that you had during the war?
A: Since I was a Chinese foreigner, our family was under supervision by the police. We had to apply for permission from the police even to go outside of Ōsaka city. I attended a school in Kōbe, and even to go to school, I had to get permission. The most cruel event was when one of the policemen came to our school and asked me “Do you respect Chiang Kai-shek?” I told him, “I do respect Chiang Kai-shek, because he is the most powerful man in my country, China.” Because I was small and so innocent, I told the policeman the truth, my real feeling towards Chiang Kai-shek, even though I knew that China was the opponent of Japan at that time. One week later, many policemen came to my house and scolded my parents for my statement that I respected Chiang Kai-shek. When the policemen blamed me and my parents, I was so scared, and I cried. This experience still hurts my heart and makes me cry whenever I remember it.
Q: How did you feel when the war ended?
A: I heard that the war was over when I was swimming in the river in Okayama. A young boy came over to me and my sister and told us the news. I felt really happy and relieved. Thinking that Japan would become a peaceful country made me confident for the future. All of my Japanese friends felt sad that Japan had lost, but because I was Chinese, I didn’t feel any guilt or sympathy for Japan. In fact, I was really, really happy.
Q: What were your overall feelings about the war?
A: World War II was a good experience for me. Remembering the cruel events encouraged me when I faced hardships after the war. Because I had gone through the war in my adolescent years, it taught me how to live as a strong person, rather than just being nice to my friends. I didn’t like the war itself, but the cruel and harsh experiences made my personality become stronger.
I was impressed by my mother’s experiences. Although she was a second-generation Chinese immigrant to Japan, the fact that she had Chinese feelings and respected the leader of China impressed me a lot.