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TI: We'll come back to that, let's go back to 1945 now. Right before the bomb dropped, let's talk about there because about then is when you started school, right? You started a new class or something. Let's talk about that right now.

IH: School is, around the eighth grade, we have to help once in a while. Not once in a while, maybe once a month, have to help the farmer. Then later, when come to the ninth grade, some of them, they have to go to the army factory from time to time. Then when come to the end of the ninth grade, upper grade student is, all get the order to work on the military factory. Make rifle, make airplane, pitched in, so we didn't have any class, school. Just seventh grade... yeah, only seventh grade had class.

TI: Oh, so after seventh grade, eighth, ninth and the rest, you really were working.

IH: Working, yeah.

TI: And was there any education?

IH: No. Our school, they tried to do it just a little time, teaching in between.

TI: But then if you had passed those tests, earlier you talked about, for that kind of training, what would they do? Would they be in class then? Would they go to school?

IH: No, we can't prepare anything for the college examination. But I was lucky because up to the ninth grade, still we had our classes. And then tenth grade, didn't have, just work. Then we had the end of the war, so pretty good. Like my brother was eighth grade already, he was going to the factory.

TI: And so why was your class different, you didn't have to do that?

IH: Because that time, when the time comes, we had enough to have the class.

TI: Okay. So keep telling me the story because now as we reach August 1945, what happens?

IH: Before that, we were working in the factory, but they had college entry exam. So everybody tried to get out to the college. Like me, the teacher tells me, "You don't have any chance at college, so better not take examination." But I told him, "No, I'll do it." And then I went one day, took one day off and went to the examination. And two-hour entry examination, only one problem come up. And it said on the top, "Bee, when a cloudy day, so much going out, and then a shiny day, so much out," and then they have a number. So from that, what you can find out. Just about this much on the question. So I know about the bee, so...

TI: Oh, so that's what you said earlier, now I understand. Because of working on the bees, you knew so much, and so the question was, it was the perfect question for you.

IH: Perfect question for me. And then rest of the one page blank. And I did possible rainy day is no more honey, or honey but dilute with water. Or with the rain, hit the bee, and then cannot fly out. So just, I filled up everything. And some of them is just about five line answer. And that made a difference. Because I took mechanical engineering, so you have to, imagination, you have to have it. So source and then what's going to happen, everything you have to put down, otherwise you cannot develop the mechanical. And that's the reason maybe I had a chance.

TI: And so because of that question, that examination, what happened next then?

IH: I pass on that one, and they're going to have a, with a professor, have to get a question, too. And before I go inside there, boy, everybody get a hard time because math equations, you have to put 'em down. This equation you have to do the, right down this one. Oh, I thought I don't have any chance. But when I go inside, "How come you are trying to get engineer?" So I tell 'em I'm interested in engineer, especially going to the factory. And they use a machine, and when I'm really interested in the machine, too, so I tried to get an engineer degree. "Oh, that's good. Then what other school did you try to go in?" I tell him, "None. Only this school, college." "Okay." That's the only thing, so I thought I failed. Questions were so simple, then not too long, and other people, it's a really hard time. Then surprising I was passed. So by the time -- and usually, Japanese school system, April is a new year. And should go into the April, but college, too, they don't have classes, so keep working on the same place. July, beginning of July, we had an order, go back to our college. Only the mechanical engineer, because of the shortage of mechanical engineer. Then we go back to the college August 1st. And then first, second, third, and then the sixth is a Monday. And then Sunday, too, we had classes. No rest.

TI: And so tell me, where was the school? Where was the school located?

IH: That's from the center of the atomic bomb dropped, 1.3 miles from the center. And a wooden structure building, and we were on the second floor. The second floor we was on, two class, and our class was fifty and the other class was fifty. That's the reason we are all safe.

TI: So two floors, so you were on the top floor. There were two classes, and then on the first floor, there were more classes?

IH: Empty ones. Empty, but we had the second floor. Because if we had stayed on the first floor, we wouldn't have any chance. Because that tall second floor roof, you can reach out from the ground. And, of course, like me, about twenty people came out from the building and then tried to rescue the other people, hundred people. And then surprisingly, everybody hurt, but that time, we didn't have any die.

<End Segment 6> - Copyright © 2011 Densho. All Rights Reserved.