I was injured at the World War II and discharged from the army on 20th December in 1941 soon after that DAITOA-WAR (world war II) began in 1941.
I went worshipping at KANNON-SAMA (Hakuseij-temple annex). There was a landing at 15 stairs down from top of the stairs. There were a big zelkova and two oak trees on the cliff side of a landing. They were extended to beach side. When I saw these trees, I thought what if these three trees would fall down when it would be a big tree.
Even if they would fall down on beach side, they would not fall down on opposite side. I though that a big damage would be happened, if these three trees fall down on beach side. I though that a house and warehouse of Higehei Kanai which were on down side should be collapsed completely. Therefore, I though to cut these three trees before falling down on beach side to avoid expected disaster. I felt that this should be suggested from my ancestor. I had decided to cut them. Then I told Shigehei Kanai my estimation.
Kanai-san understood my concern and said to me that it was a nice advice because I had forgotten even that there were three trees due to being usually accustomed to seeing. If you did not let me know about trees, they would suddenly fall down on some day and break my house and warehouse. He said to me his thanking very much. Then I said to him that I would ask him to cut the trees because a woodcutter had came to Okikamuro from Otsumi (village).
I asked TOMARIKOs (young men before become fisherman can stay at fishing group’s chief’s home if their family wanted.) to come together and told them a reason to come together that it was working to cut the trees now due to my sense of danger to break Kanai-san`s house and warehouse. I explained that it would be easy because the trees were not so big yet so that we could cut them down now. If falling down of them would be happened, it would cause a big damage. So I was going to cut them down today with your help and I had already told Kanai-san that I would ask a woodcutter came from Otumi, I said to them.
In a little while, the day had come to cut the trees. We could succeeded in cutting two oak trees because of falling down on mountain side. And also the zelkova was going to fall down on mountain side, then we were satisfied at that moment. However it was suddenly falling down on opposite beach side. We were very surprised and were confused to see it. Buntaro Nishimura and Sakaichi Nakayama and I tried to stop it by binding a rope twice with a root of the big tree which was on the hill on mountain side, but it was impossible to stop it because a skin of palm was peeled off. Even if I recited NAMIAMIDABUTSU of ONENBUTSU (Buddhist pray), we could not stop it and finally released a rope.
Although another group was tugging a rope on the cliff, a woodcutter did not release a rope because of his duty and was drawn into with a rope from the cliff and lost consciousness. A officer of Post Office came rapidly, he said to us what you were going because you cut a telephone line. A madam of Kanai`s jumped up and said loudly to us that Kanai`s house was messed up. I apologized and asked an officer of Post Office and Kanai-san to give us a time because a woodcutter fell down. We had to prioritize to save human life in order for us to send him to the hospital. An officer of Post Office said to me why you did not know how important telecommunication was and when you would cut the tree, you should submit an application.
Because an officer of Post Office murmured too much, I said to him what you were saying to me and we should hurry up to recover a telephone line before discussion. I said to him that I did not know how much it was to recover, but I would pay the cost to recover by all my treasure, please hurry up to recover. He was overpowered by my behavior and flew back to the office with saying yes.
I went to Kanai-san`s house and saw that 3 windows were broken. I first apologized and agreed with Kanai-san to discuss about repair of windows later. It was happy to hear that a woodcutter had not specific damage without a faint. Since the zelkova fell down on safety side with all our effort to avoid the tree to fall down on beach side, there was not a big damage. Thanks God.
An officer of Post Office came to me and suggested me to submit an application when you cut the tree like a risky place. He got angry with me that since you did not submit an application, you cut a telephone line. So I questioned him that if Typhoon would cut a telephone line with a tree fell down, you would claim to an owner of a copse, not Typhoon.
If I did not cut, the tree would fall down in the future on some day. I wanted to avoid it, but it happened such like trouble. So I said to him that I would like to apologize it. An office of Post Office stated that since you did it with kindness, I would not like to claim you.
When I went through there to visit KANNON-SAMA(Hakuseiji temple annex) and the grave by up and down of stairs, I remember it. I am satisfied to cut the tree at that moment.
After several years later, the cliff was collapsed with heavy rain by Typhoon. However Kanai-san`s house did not get any damage. Nobody know there was a zelkova and two oak trees on the cliff right now. Also there was not a person to think about KAWANOHATA(Yamada family house) , Yamada`s in future like this.
My grandmother was planting vegetables on the small field above place that a zelkova was there. I will take over this field. One day, aunt claimed me that this field was belonged to her and pulled vegetables on the field out. Although it was not true, I disregarded it because I had not any problem on me without this field. However a cliff was broken by typhoon in some years. As I mentioned before, Kanai-san`s house and warehouse did not get any damage because there were not a zelkova and two oak trees yet. However a younger madam, Yasuko Kanai, confirmed me if above field was belonged to me. Then I said to her that I did not know. I suggested to her that if you would have any claim, please talk with my aunt. So I estimated that a younger madam would go to my aunt in order for her to claim. But this was what I was not related.
After the war, OKIKAMURO was very busy because returned people from Taiwan, Manchukuo, Korea and a people who was burned out at Tokyo, Osaka lived in OKIKAMURO due to a food shortage. Therefore it was difficult to find a place to live in. However I had the field which my grandmother was planting and moreover the field which a grandmother of Mitsukuni Yamada was using after that my grandfather, Matsuzo, promised with grandmother of Mitsukuni to return it to me when I would return to OKIKAMURO and wanted to get the field. Then grandmother of Mitsukuni was always saying that she could return the field to me anytime when I wanted.
As I had expected, I believe that my grandfather , Matsuzo , kept it for me.
Recently I dreamed about my grandfather like that I went to MINASE island with my grandfather to see a plot and mowed the grass and he taught me that if the grass was higher than pine tree , pine tree would be died or he said to me to understand a boundary of Yamada`s land where it was from that beach up to third layers of pine trees. And also he said to me there was 8 fields at SUKUBI and there was also the field in KITAURA. What he said to me still lingers in my ears.
printed Oct. 10th 2000, 20:01
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