It happened 76 years ago. The whole of Japan is still in the middle of a war. four of our brothers, sisters and a mother lived quietly in a dark house.
One day, I heard a banging sound on the shutter. The mother thought that the enemy (US Army) came for attacking us. and she was hiding in Imokura (big hole for storage) under the floor with her children. When I looked outside from the gap, it was a father. I was surprised and delighted to be able to meet my father again.
How many years have passed since then? The food situation was bad, and the children were growing up with a small ration, so every day was a fight against hunger. When poverty fell to the limit, a more serious tragedy occurred. Family’s most important person my father became a first-class handicapped person due to the extreme shortage of food after returning to the mainland (Japan) and due to such as the food situation in the war troops.
There was something unimaginable in the heart of the mother who was still young due to the repeated tragedy. My mother's father (Kanekichi Yanagihara), who couldn't see it, had a rather wealthy life, so he repeatedly persuaded my mother to come back.However, my mom cannot return without her children and husband of the first-class disabled. She clearly refused that. She said 'I can return only when I became ashes.'
Now that I'm 80 years old, I'm grateful to my "mother" for making that decision at that time.
When my wife, who turned 79, said, "Dad (Hakutoku), I'm happy now," I decided to do my best to do this job until I was 85.
Kanenori Kanai
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