My Grandma: Born in the Aftermath of World War II
An Interview
By E.T.
My grandma was born at the end of World War II, the most difficult time in Japan. She has become a person who is always kind and helpful to everyone around her. She can advise people on how to solve problems and teach them how to help others when in need. I am interviewing her today to learn more about her childhood and what has impacted who she is today.
Where were you born?
I was born in Iwahira Village. I was the youngest of eight siblings. Later, I moved to Gunma Prefecture, Takasaki City. At the time, it was Tanno County, but it was still a village. When I was 5 or 7 years old, I moved to what is now Yoshii Town. It has changed from a small village to a town.
What was it like in Japan when you were little?
I was born in 1945, the year the war ended. I was born during the most difficult time. But the war ended, and Japan lost to the US. I don't understand how, but Japan continued to grow and improve.
My family were farmers. In those days, unlike now, farmers had rice fields so they could grow rice and vegetables, and people ate lots of potatoes and other things for snacks. When the people who had been in Tokyo during the war lost their jobs, they all came back to my village, where they were born. Because my grandmother’s family were farmers, my family supported them by giving them rice.
Do you know what a silkworm is? Silkworms have to endure hardships. The many people living in that era were silkworms. My older siblings, Hanako and Mamoro, all survived the war and had a hard time. I grew up in good times, so I had food, but it was still the opposite of now. When I was in sixth grade, Empress Michiko married the Crown Prince Emperor Showa. Japan was getting better and better. A lot of movies with actors like Nishihara Yujiro and Nishihara Ibari came out. The Tokyo Olympics were held in 1964, and around that time, I got a TV.
Was there anything you were good at when you were young?
I didn't have any special skills, but I liked making small things by hand. I was a dressmaker. I sewed clothes for everyone, including my mother. However, times changed, and it became cheaper to buy clothes than to make them yourself. Things were moving fast, and I liked being part of that change. I worked in places, knitting and making clothes like that.
Who is someone you looked up to?
When I was little, it was always Misora Ibari and other movie actresses. I watched movies and admired those people. Beautiful actresses and singers. My admiration was different. I wanted to leave home as soon as possible and go out into the city.
What is your Greatest Treasure?
As you would expect, my greatest treasure is a yellow stone called a topaz, the stone for people born in November. It was the first thing I bought after I started working. It made me the happiest.
Do you have any thoughts that you would like future generations to know?
War, of course, I didn't experience it directly, but I hate war. We went to see the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima. We all suffered terrible war punishment when I was little. After the war, there was no blank paper like there is today, so we made things out of folded newspapers at school. That’s why I like it peaceful. War is scary. I hate it. I hope, most of all, that it doesn't happen. There are still a lot of wars going on now, like the war between Palestine and Israel, and the war between Russia and Ukraine.
What do you most want to tell me right now?
I hope you grow up quickly. You have four more years to study, and I don't know where you'll go to college, but I want to stay healthy until then. That's what I want most. I want to stay a little healthier for my grandchildren. I don't want to get sick, that's all. I'm looking forward to seeing my grandchildren grow up.
