The Posthumous Writnigs of My Father-in-Law----Recollection from the End of World War II to 1953

<Part 11>

Although we tried to make our detention life enjoyable, the thought of returning to Japan never left our minds. The thing I enjoyed most was letters from Japan. I was very glad when I found letters addressed to me in the mailbox at the entrance of the dormitory. I was envied by everyone as I received letters most frequently. It was only me that received letters from the people who had belonged to the same factory and already returned to Japan. I was very thankful for having good friends.

I did little work in the office. Everyday I wrote letters, and sent them off weekly. By knowing that my family was having a hard time in Japan, the thought of returning was always on my mind.

I made a contact with a Japanese Dietman through my wife. He made an arrangement enabling me to return to Japan if I could get to the British Consulate in Tientsin. I tried my hardest to get to Tientsin, and had my wife send me her doctor's medical records. If my wife was thought to be sick, I could use these to apply for permission to travel to Tientsin. But, every effort ended in vain.

Knowing my wife's difficult life well, I devised ways to help her. Once I sent a thin gold plate folded between photographs by mail. This was a grave violation of regulations and I would be punished severely if it were found. But, I was willing to take the chance. I told this story in detail to friends from Anshan on the ship while returning to Japan. Now I recall how courageous I was to take such a risk at that time.

Some of my former colleagues who had already returned to Japan and were working for Nippon Kokan Kabushiki-kaisha (NKK)-Japan Steel Tube Company, sent money to my wife to help out, though they were poorly paid as well. When I came to know of this from my wife's letter, tears filled my eyes. I was filled with happiness and could not sleep at all.

Meanwhile it became obvious that we would soon be able to return to Japan, so I withdrew my application for permission to travel to Tientsin.

by Anmitsuhime

To be continued to Part 12

<Part 12> 　

Return to my homeland

In the beginning of April, 1953, at last it was decided that we could return to Japan, our homeland. When all the Japanese remaining were collected, and the names of people who were supposed to leave in the first group were announced, I was listening with both ears for whether or not I was included. It really was as if a death sentence were going to be judged on me. Therefore, I jumped in excitement when I heard my name called.

All the members of the first group including those with families gathered in the dormitory. After finishing procedures and making preparations, we started from the Anshan Station on open freight cars. The second group members which were about one third of the total, saw us off at the station. We went to Shenyang, and there we got together with the Japanese who came from places other than Anshan. At night there was a send-off celebration held by the Chinese Communist Party, and the next day, another in Chinhuangtao. Both were warm and grand send-off celebrations.

At Chinhuangtao, the ships to accommodate us were already waiting and a few members of the Japanese Communist Party who had come from Japan, gave us a welcome speech and explained the status of Japan the night before sailing out. But, we, members from Anshan were not interested, as their explanations were biased, based on communist thinking.

I intended to have the national flag of Japan with me upon returning to my homeland, and brought red and white cloth on the ship. After the ship got into the open sea, I cut the red cloth into a circular shape and stitched it to the white cloth. Then, I fixed it to the walking-stick which I had also brought. With that, a fine national flag of Japan was made. Among the members from Anshan, there were a few others who made the rising-sun flag as well, and the Japanese Communist Party members who came to greet us at Chinhuangtao looked at us bitterly.

The night before landing, a meeting was held by the people from places other than Anshan, people from Anshan and the the Japanese Communist Party members who had come to greet us. The people from outside Anshan were mainly young people from Tsuruoka Coal Mine who were fully brain-washed by communism. I attended the meeting with Mr. K. from the Hospital as representatives of those from Anshan.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss what the riders of the second ship, the second of the two ships for the first group, should demand of the government of Japan. Their demands sounded to me as being completely out of question. They wanted the government to provide free tickets for the Japanese Railway throughout Japan, and furthermore, wanted be unconditionally employed, regardless of their ability.

Very harsh words were exchanged because we were against sending the telegram to the government. But, they insisted that we join them since, unless the telegram was sent under the names of the all the riders on the ship, the impact on the government would not be effective. But, in the end, our opinion was accepted and the telegram was to be sent under the title, "every one interested among the riders of the second ship".

After the meeting was over, I went to the captain's cabin to greet him. Captain Tamaoki told me that "The people returning to Japan on this ship are quite different from those on the first." It seemed to me that the people on the first ship could not say what was on their minds to the communist party members. The captain told me various matters about Japans current state, and gave me Japanese cigarettes. I remember that we chatted with smiles on our faces for some time.

When we arrived at the port of Maizuru on the morning of April twenty-eighth, I responded to the welcome of the people waiting there by waving the flag of the rising sun. This greatly surprised the reporters. They were shocked as the people who returned from Anshan this time were entirely different from those returned on the first ship, and many of them came to us with questions. I spoke only generally about subjects such as the conditions of our life during detention and how we were treated by the Chinese people. I didnt mention our complaints against the Chinese for the sake of the people still remaining in Anshan, who had to return to Japan safely.

When the train entered Nagano Prefecture, local people came to us at every station, bringing tea, pickles and various things unique to our hometowns, saying Welcome back home. You did a fine job." I felt joy from the bottom of my heart, and felt entirely soothed by my homeland.

The End

by Anmitsuhime