<Begin Segment 18>

[Translated from Japanese]

DG: Did Japanese all got together to live in the town?

AT: Almost, yes. Those who worked lived in the hotel apartment in the city rather than living outside of the city. There were many people who were singles. They were eating at the restaurants and working. At that time, Terao said, "You guys are reading the newspapers, but the newspapers are telling opposite. Japan is losing, not winning." Then, my husband was scolded. [Laughs] They said, "Now, even ojisan started saying things like that." He said, "Of course, they would say they won when they win. But, at this time, Japan is doing terribly. You can see it if you read the newspapers." They said, "Those newspapers are publishing lies." So, he said sho ga nai. He said so. And, this is the last story, but when he said, "Japan surrendered, didn't it?" Then, three Kibei men were, yes, they were young men. They were shedding tears like this, and they were sitting on the sidewalk and said, "Oh, that's regretful, regretful." Three men were shedding tears like this. That was because Japan had never lost the war before. But, my husband said, "It is no wonder because Japan brought the war to the U.S. and started even though they didn't have money or soldiers, or enough guns and bullets." "No, we can win with our spirit." So he said, "We can't win just with spirit. Nowadays, there are things called machine guns that go crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch. Even with the machine guns, Japan took one and wondered what it was. Then, they brought it to Kyushu and opened it, then they went, "Oh, so this is what is called the machine gun," and made them, and for the first time the machine guns were made, then they started going crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch." Then, they became silent. Well, after that, when many of Kibei went home...see, Japan had never lost before. So, they had this idea that "Japan never loses. Japan will always win," which was stuck in their heads. They were receiving such education in Japan.

<End Segment 18> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.