<Begin Segment 21>

TI: Well before you get to that, why don't you... were you able when you went back to Japan to connect with Takayama?

SK: Yes.

TI: Why don't you, why don't you just go ahead and start there.

SK: So years later in 1949, I'm back in the army and, and into Counter Intelligence Corps after I've gone through the basic officers' training at Camp Holabird, right outside Baltimore, Maryland. And I'm in Japan, 1949 and suddenly one day I'm going past the Army Demobilization Bureau and the thought enters my mind, I promised that Takayama, 1944 -- that would be five years ago -- that I would look him up if I ever got to Japan. So I drove my car into the Army Demobilization Bureau and told my story to the first man that came to me, to the window and he excused himself, took off and came back with the head man himself of the entire organization, who was just flabbergasted to know about this strange relationship that existed between a Japanese prisoner and an American. And he said, "This is the Army Demobilization Bureau," and he said, "The man you're interested in is a Navy man. However," he said, "I would be honored if you would give us the task of finding that man for you." I said, "Fine, fine, go ahead." Well in three days he had him. He had him located on a farm in Kagoshima prefecture. So, he said, "What is your pleasure now?" I said, "Well no sense giving him my name, he doesn't know my name." He never did. "I would like to visit you and, and have you send him some money that I will bring you so that he can buy a round trip-ticket to Tokyo to indicate that it's not a one-way trip for him." [Laughs]

So I did that and I said, "You find out from him when he's coming up, day and time and so forth and you let me know." So the day finally arrived and I went down to Tokyo railroad station and it's a big crowd. It's 1949. So I waited in to see what the attraction for this crowd and I come across Takayama seated on the floor, everybody walking around gawking at him because he didn't know what to wear to come up to, go off to Tokyo and he inquired around to officials, public officials so forth, nobody knew what to wear. In fact, hardly any of them had ever been to Tokyo. So he thought, 'Well I can't go wrong if I wear part of my uniform." So he had Navy leggings on, Navy rucksack, no suitcase in those days, Navy rucksack on his back, and a Navy cap on. And everybody's going, milling around him wondering, where did this guy come out of, wearing part of a defeated Navy uniform? And so I went inside and then approached him and he looked up, saw me, recognized me instantly, big tears welled in his eyes and I quickly took him out of there, took him to the nearest clothing store and made him look more presentable. Got rid of his leggings and... well, we kept his rucksack, got rid of his hat and took him home. And he slept on the downstairs couch for about oh, a good ten days before I could talk him into at least letting your family know that you are safe here in Tokyo and that you found, that you and I have met and you know who I am and let your family know. He says, "I don't have to do that because I don't intend to go back." He said, "I'm here to work for you as long as you're in, in Japan." I said, "Oh, no. You've go to go home. You're the head of a family. You've gotta look after parents, you've gotta look after the farm." So I said, "You've got to go now." I finally got him on the train to go home. So many days later I get a phone call that there's a young man here to see you. So I go to the gate and there's a young man who says, "My name is Satoshi Hirano." And he says, "The Hirano family and the Takayama family are next door to each other for generations. We're very, very close, like blood relatives." And he said, "I know about the, the what has happened so far with the Takayama, Takayama-san," and he says, "I am here to represent Takayama-san as his substitute to work for you here in Tokyo as long as you are here because I have no family, I have no parents to look after, I have no farm to look after." And I said, "I can't use you either." I said, "I've got a house boy and a maid." He says, "Well I can't go home. I just can't go home." He said, so I said...

<End Segment 21> - Copyright © 1998 Densho. All Rights Reserved.