<Begin Segment 25>

[Translated from Japanese]

TY: By the way, as you know, on August 6th and 9th in 1945, atomic bombs were dropped in Japan.

YI: Yes?

TY: On August 6th and 9th in 1945, atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. How did you hear about this?

YI: People must have heard from the radio.

TY: What did you think of that?

YI: What?

TY: What did you think of the fact that atomic bombs were dropped?

YI: Of course, we heard on the news that the atomic bombs were dropped.

TY: What did you think when you heard of it?

YI: I wonder what I thought... it is really sad.

TY: Yamaguchi Prefecture is close to Hiroshima. Didn't you worry about your family?

YI: Even if they were close to Hiroshima, they were spared. But a friend of mine died in Nagasaki. Because of the atomic bomb. She was a school teacher.

TY: So did you learn that at a much later date?

YI: Yeah.

TY: Then the war ended and Japan surrendered unconditionally on August 15th.

YI: Huh?

TY: Japan surrendered unconditionally on August 15th. When the war was over.

YI: On a ship. Mr. Yoshida was a prime minister, wasn't he? Mr. Yoshida. He signed the document. I hear that ship is now turned into a hotel or something.

TY: Is that right?

YI: Somewhere in Tokyo, in the sea.

TY: By the way, many families returned to Japan as you told me just now. Many families returned to Japan, didn't they?

YI: Uh-huh. Mainly people from Peru.

TY: But you decided to stay in the U.S. You and your family decided to remain in the U.S. You said you are happy with the decision, but do you know anybody who returned to Japan?

YI: After that?

TY: Yes.

YI: Well, my husband returned twice. I returned only once in 1959. A group of temple members decided to visit Japan with Mr. Kawabe as leader. We toured temples in Kyoto by bus. We did some sightseeing here and there.

<End Segment 25> - Copyright © 1999 Densho. All Rights Reserved.