Rempang Island War-Prisoner Camp Part Ⅲ(by Tetchan)

Part III
TAKIMOTO Party's gathering of Haiku(seventeen-syllables poem) and homecoming. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　

From the 8th December, 1945, we were gradually recovered from malnutrition since we had ration from the British army, one pack for three-days, 6 ounces of rice a day, and vegetables which we had planted on cultivated field.
When the new year of 1946 came, our eating habits had become stabilized and we came to hear the common talks about homes and the members'laughing voices.

Start of Haiku gatherings and naming of Haiku-poet-names.
At the beginning of February, the leader of the first platoon, ENU KATO, who was a student of a haiku-poet-school of AROU USUDA, took leadership to have Haiku-poet gathering and Captain TAKIMOTO approve of it.　

KATO platoon leader said "anybody can make Haiku-poem.
let's start to have so called 'Haiku gathering' to get a close feeling to Japanese elegance and a thought of homeland.
In the Haiku-world, participants use a Haiku-poet name.
My Haiku-poet name is EN-U(which means swallow rain.)"
And, he ordered "So, name yourself some favorite Haiku-poet name."
Led by Captain TAKIMOTO, each one of us named oneself Haiku-poet name to become an instant Haiku-poet.

Haiku-poet names:

TAKIMOTO, Captain, squadron leader SHUN-MU (mean: spring dream)
KODERA, machine gun platoon leader 　YOH-YOH (mean: leaves)
KATO, 1st platoon leader 　　　　　　EN-U (mean: swallow in rain)
TETSUYA, 2nd platoon leader 　　　　 GUDOH (mean: zany boy)
YAMANOKUCHI, 3rd platoon leader 　　 KANKANSHI (mean: dull boy)
OBATA, 4th platoon leader 　　　　　 KIKYO (mean: go home & leave)
SATO, squad leader 　　　　　SHOHSETSU (mean: snow of pine)
OKUDA, squad leader, warrant officer CHIKUYOH (mean: leaves of homeland)
HAMADA, surgeon, second lieutenant 　SUIKOH (mean: green light)
MATSUMOTO, squadron secretary MATSUMOTO (mean: root of pine tree)

Haiku gathering: Counted were 361 Haiku-poems from the 1st to 10th gathering.
On Feb 11, 1946, former Emperor Day, the first haiku gathering was held at the officers' billet.
We, members of TAKIMOTO Party, landed on Rempang island on October 26, 1945, and departed the island on Jun 14th, the next year, returning to Kagoshima Port on July 2, the same year, for homecoming.
Until the departure, our Haiku gatherings were held ten times.

To compose Haiku-poems, we were taught by our senior platoon leader KATO EN-U from the first point for the biginners, step by step.
To be able to hold haiku gatherings comfort us in captive hopeless life, brought us thought of many emotions to compose 361 haiku-poems in total, in 10 haiku gatherings.
The record of haiku gatherings held by officers was left completely by the efforts of the late Mr. MATSUMOTO, Tadayoshi, but very regretfully Haiku-poems composed by other fellow soldiers were scattered and lost.

Here I present are 5 Haiku-poems of each member, with first five composed by the leader EN-U, then five each by other members of TAKIMOTO Party.

Rempang Haiku-poem gathering, selected haiku:

EN-U (mean: swallow in rain)
On Emperor Day, self-support island life entertain us with rich feast.
A soldier in nude hums "DANCHO-NO-UTA"(song of heartrending thought)."
We sow seeds after rain, looking at deep-blue ocean.
Suffering from worms, my hands close a JYUZU(Buddist rosary) given by my father.
Deep in a mountain, we opened field and plow it while butterflies fly around.

SHUN-MU (mean: spring dream)
Sunshine leaks between clouds and shine widely on the Emperor Day.
Yearning for mother, I look up the hazy moon at midnight.
Farewell Sergeant MARUTA.
Water on ground where is fragrant, thinking of the fellow soldier.
After the air cool down, we exiled hear song of small birds.
Baking soil, soldiers lost flesh in summer, in blue ocean.

YOH-YOH (mean: leaves)
The Emperor Day on the island, we celebrate not raising Hinomaru(Japanese national flag).
Helping soldier carrys a mosquito net on his shoulder, I enter into a freight train.
Wiping body to see the doctor comes around, I hear thunder in a distance.
Rinsing out my hospital garment to return, I look at clouds make gigantic column.
The day come closer for me to go the front, I heard cricket together with my wife sewing something in hands.

GUDOH (mean: zany boy)
Soldiers lost weight in summer wear blurry cloth of patchwork indicates wandering in a strange country.
Feeling relieved after sowing, I sit on a stump and wait for shower.
Soldiers' shoulders have become so thinner, against burning cloud.
Having the Emperors mandate, I worship humbly while a cricket hums.
Butterflies play around rape blossoms, I grow pessimistic on the remote island.
　　　　　　
KANKANSHI (mean: dull boy)
Carrying provision on back, the shadow is chased by bear foot.
I sit at the table, to see green caterpillar float in soup.
Ocean is calm, while I see face if mother waiting for me.
In a shade of trees, the captain falters words of condolence.
Farming soldiers are busy to manure, when they hear distant thunder.

SHOHSETSU (mean: snow of pine)
The Emperor Day, we said our oath again to the foundation stone.
Soldiers' footprint follow on the slope, showing they have had hard time.
Reclaiming forest, we hear small birds sing noisily.
A telegram tells me my father is dead, when cherry blossoms fall in a storm.
Getting used to be unclad, we plow the ground.

CHIKUYOH (mean: leaves of homeland)
Measured the shade of trees, the soldier on duty calls for meals.
Green caterpillar, made a nest surround with a leaf and stayed in.
Flew away now was a patrol plane, leaving a bank of clouds there.
In the morning dew, I reach out a hand to a cucumber.
Piled up and piled up are a gigantic column of clouds.

SUIKOH (mean: green light)
There is a person kills its life, while the sea burns.
Soldiers covered with soil sit down on the outskirts to eat lunch.
While butterfly dance, our self-support life on the island have settled.
Being irritated and spent sleepless night, I hear crickets chirp frequently.
I reprove a soldier of a doze for his being uncovered.


MATSUMOTO (mean: root of pine tree)
The reflection of an empty can reflects to dazzle me and feel hot.
The near sea, the leaves of coconuts rub together, on the Emperor Day.
To catch caterpillars, a naked soldier crouches down.
In the operation house at the rubber forest, there we see mosquito-eaters(flitter-mice).
When the captain talks peacefully, we feel cool on the moon.

The Handmade Haiku-poem Collection Book, Haiku-poem Collection Book, Spirit of Reclamation,"
( attached are photographs taken by a a digital camera.)

This handmade Haiku-poem collection book was made by late Mr. Tadayoshi Matsumoto, just before we leave the Rempang island for home.
He wrote down 361 haiku-poems on the back side of military letter paper, as the fruits of our Haiku-poem gatherings, and made the hand made cover with an empty box of rations issued by the US Army.

The book is small, shabby one of 13 centimeters of length, 17 centimeters of width, and 0.5 centimeters of height, but youths which have devoted to the mother country have been condensed in it.
So, with a thought of requiem, I attach photographs of them.

The title of the book "TAKU-KON (Spirit of Reclamation)," was adopted from a Haiku-poem, "Soldiers lost weight in summer, have spirits of reclamation and grasp stumps," which had been composed during the Haiku gatherings led by EN-U.

Being tied and helped by fellowship of soldiers, who shared life and death, and lived through the 20th century of turbulence till the 21st century, I am so thankful and meditate on my happiness.
Thank you very much.








The end.

Tetchan-san.

This is Toshitsuru, being neglect to write. I have been interested very much in how Japanese armed forces deployed overseas dealt with the defeat at the time and after.

While the Kanto-gun(*) and some others were held as captives, sent to Siberia to spend as remnants in some unavoidable results, I judge, in comparison to them, you had been endowed with much better treatment by dealing of the US and British armed forces.
So, you had a hard time by similar miseries, but I guess you have been blessed with the difficulty.
Having never been to the front in the foreign land, I had just worried about how things would be for several years of defeat.

(*Note: the Kanto-gun is one of Japanese army troops drafted from the Kanto-area.)

Quote:　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　


I have carefully read up to here. Judging from the result, I guess you have had an indescribable detention period.
It might be hard for you, but I guess you have had a tasteful and strange period of life, thinking of the present.

Please, let me hear some more old story.
I pray for your better health and happier life.

By Toshitsuru: Sep 24, 04.

Toshitsuru-san;

Thank you very much for reading the old man's awkward account of experience and giving me the generous comment.

I am thankful for the experiences of that time have been made use of and made me of today.
I especially gratitude to noncommissioned officers and soldiers, who had long military records but followed rules of the armed forces, under a young low-class officer who had only seven months training at a reserve-military academy after a moved-up graduation.
It has been engraved deeply in my heart.

In comparison with the lives of those who abducted as captives in the Soviet Union,
I must be thankful for our lives as captives were largely differed.

Thank you.

Tetchan