L13U, Yui Shapard ‘04, Grandfather, 1928, Shizuoka
I interviewed my grandfather, who lived through World War II. He was born on February 14, 1928, and now he is 74 years old.
Q: How old were you when the war started? What are your memories of the war, or your impressions, or beliefs?
A: I was 14 years old. Still a kid, really. I don’t remember much. I remember the mission I had. It was the phrase that everyone used: “For my Country” (Okuni no tame ni).
Q: Were you scared?
A: Yes, I was a little scared. But I thought the war was a matter of course. Besides, there was nothing I could do about it, so why panic?
Q: How did you survive the war? Did you go to evacuation places for children like you?
A: My house was burned down by the bombs, so my family and I had to evacuate to our close relatives’ house in Shizuoka.
Q: What were the main foods that you ate?
A: We mainly ate fish and vegetables. We didn’t lack any food supplies, because our rural area wasn’t damaged by bombs. We were very fortunate.
Q: Were you able to buy supplies? Were your parents able to work?
A: My father died, leaving us with his money, so we didn’t have problems with lack of money either. But my mother worked by making and selling boiled fish paste (kamaboko) and running a hanten-ya. You know the restaurant that your great-uncle is running? That was the same thing as she was doing.
Q: Did you lose any of your friends or relatives?
A: No. We were all fortunate.
Q: Did you go off to fight?
A: No, I didn’t. I was 17 when the war ended, and only men from 20 and up were required to go and fight.
Q: When and how did you hear about the atomic bomb?
A: It was announced on the radio, right after the bomb was dropped. Everyone was in terrible shock! I was surprised about the whole idea of an atomic bomb, but I wasn’t frightened. I didn’t see it, and I was far away from the scene. I was still in Shizuoka, where things were fine.
Q: Did you detest the Americans?
A: Of course, I detested them. I detested the Chinese and the British as well. They were all “enemies” to us Japanese.
Q: What was your first thought when you heard that the Japanese government had surrendered, and the war had ended?
A: I knew that we were going to lose, so when I heard that Japan had surrendered, I felt extremely relieved that everything was finally over.
Q: Did you ever feel ashamed for being Japanese?
A: No, I was never ashamed to be a Japanese. I didn’t feel shame when I heard that our government had surrendered. They should have done that earlier, before the atomic bomb was dropped
Q: Do you still hate Americans?
A: No, I don’t. They took care of us by sending food and other necessities. I am very grateful.
Q: In your life, what changed the most after the war?
A: Nothing changed right after the war ended, but ten or so years later, a lot of food became Western. Nothing personally changed in my life—besides meeting your grandmother, perhaps!