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Osaka.
Noriko and sister Yoko I've held this story in a long time-since 1983 to be exact. It just wasn't a topic that came up in conversation often but now, with President Obama heading to Japan and all the talk about should he apologize for the US dropping the atomic bomb, it seemed like the right time to share it.
Let me tell you how my husband and I ended up going to Japan. In the early 1980's we hosted many Japanese high school students. We lived in a small rural town in Western Massachusetts, population 1,500, that bordered Vermont. The Experiment in International Living was headquartered in Brattleboro, Vermont and they liked to place their students and incoming groups with families in our area. Mainly, we found out, because many countries would not let their students be placed in urban areas because parents thought our country was too violent....and that was in the early 1980's. After many invitations from the students, their parents, and their group leaders we decided to go.
I described it as having eleven Thansgivings in a row. Each family we visited had a banquet for not only us but relatives, neighbors, and distinguished members of their village. At one
Nara.
Largest wooden temple in world stop the Suzuki brothers, a dry cleaner, and elderly grandparents stay in my mind. We were passed from one home to another via the excellent train system. Little signs would be pinned to our jackets (think first day of Kindergarten notes) to tell the conductor when to push us off the train. We always held our breath hoping the next 'hostess' would be waiting on the train platform. It worked like magic.
The transfer to Osaka was different. Yasuhiro, our last host, was to take us to the Osaka Hotel where we were to meet Noriko in the lobby. She seemed very nervous as she explained that we were not welcome at her parents home because they were angry at her for learning English and traveling to the United States. She told us we could stay at her sister Yoko's apartment. Ok.
We took another train, then a bus, and found the tiniest apartment I'd ever seen. The dining/ living room was big enough for a three foot square table. We sat on the floor and our backs touched the walls. The bathroom faucet swung so that it could be used for the sink and tub. In some
of the other homes we has slept on tatami mats and futons but Yoko was very proud that she had a double bed. That was all that could fit in the room. It was fine and we enjoyed the opportunity to see inside what the Japanese, at that time, called a mansion.
The next day we toured Nara feeding the 'sacred' deer that have the run of the city. You can buy wafers the size of a CD disc and feed them to the deer. It is quite something to see. That night we were going back to Osaka to stay with Noriko's aunt and her uncle, Kyugi. He was a retired caterer and, apparently, had a house large enough to accommodate guests. His son and family also lived in the house.
We were met at the door by two chubby children. We handed them a cake we had bought at a bakery as a gift and we never saw it again. We sat in large overstuffed chairs and waited for the uncle to come down from upstairs. Noriko was very tense as she shared with us that she didn't really know this uncle that well but that
she hoped he would like us. The pressure was now intense for all of us.
He entered wearing loose flowing pants and a short kimono jacket. We all stood up. He bowed to all of us. He spoke no English so Noriko had to do all the translating. He motioned for all of us to sit. He asked her questions about us- where did we live, what did we do, why were we in Japan, did we have children? On and on it went. Finally, he motioned that we were to follow him to a small dining room. Only his son, Ryuichi, a tall, handsome curly headed golfer, was seated. He pointed to where Noriko was to sit, where I was to sit, and where my husband was to sit. A small collapsible seat back was placed behind my husband by his daughter in law. When I asked if their wives would be joining us for dinner I was told "No." In fact, they would be serving all night.
The conversation went rapidly all night as the uncle asked question after question of us. I showed him pictures of our house, our children, our dog, our relatives and
No wives allowed
Kyugi , Peter, Ryuichi their children, my parents. He was so full of questions that Noriko later told us she had learned more about her uncle that one night than she knew her entire life. He invited himself to join us the next day when we visited Kyoto. This surprised Noriko as she told us he didn't particularly like Kyoto because he had worked there many years. He also invited us to stay another night and to have a special feast of lobster and steak served upstairs in the large grand room. It was then that Noriko started to relax. She whispered that she was so happy her uncle liked us because if he didn't we would have had to find another place to stay.
Kyoto is famous for its dolls. I had expressed a desire to buy one for my daughter's doll collection. Kyugi said he knew the best shop. He took me in and told me to pick out a few dolls that he would like to give her as a gift. I gagged as I saw the prices. Little one or two inch high dolls were $75-$100! Whoa, that was out of my price range. Little did I know that
Kyoto
Peter, Noriko, Kyugi any doll I expressed a liking for he was telling the clerk to wrap it up. I told him that was much too much and finally selected two little ones and a 4 inch one.
The entire day was full of great food and cherry blossoms falling on our heads. Dinner was even more wonderful because the ladies were allowed to join us. After dinner Kyugi asked to say something. He was very serious even somber. "My heart is full. I like these people very much. They are the first Americans I have ever talked to or eaten with. I fought in World War ll. I shot and killed Americans. For thirty seven years I have been waiting to tell an American this- thank you for dropping the bomb. Please tell every American that the Japanese were thankful that the war ended because we knew that the Emperor and the military leaders would have continued until every one was killed by bullets or starvation."
There wasn't a sound in the room. I flashed back to a college debate about should we or shouldn't we have dropped the bomb. There have always been pros and cons on both sides.
Saying good bye
Peter, Fumiko, Carolyn, Kyugi
Junko, Hiro Even today the controversy goes on. So that now seventy years later the issue is still not resolved.
I wanted to share this story that one man had held in for thirty seven years till he met his first Americans. And now thirty three years later, I think it is time to tell it to more Americans.
Sayonara,
Carolyn/ Gunga
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Delaine Arnold
non-member comment
Thank You
What an amazing story. It's hard to believe someone would thank an American for dropping the bomb. Somebody in the US knew the Japanese leaders would never stop. Thank you for sharing.