My mother Hana was born in 1895 as the second daughter between Isuke Aoki and Naho. The registration of her marriage with Jinkichi Yamada was submitted on 2nd Nov in 1916. Right after I was born, my mother name was officially listed in the family register of Yamada`s. However it was estimated that Jinkichi and Hana lived together before I was born.
Since I was just concerning, I confirmed with uncle Masanao Aoki by calling to HAWAII at 12:45 am on 14th July in 1996. He said to me that I remembered clearly when you were born, my grandfather Matsuzo Yamada said this child should be able to jump up over my OBI(belt) in the future and was glad very much. He stated Jinkichi and Hana and Naomasa and Shigetoshi ( I ) were living together until Hana and Naomasa left Yamada`s and Hana and Naomasa left Yamada`s by leaving Shigetoshi when 9 months passed after Shigetoshi was born.
A grandfather Matsuzo and a grandmother Haru did not complained anything about Hana left by leaving me. However I could imagine how much they had trouble in. It broke my heart to think about that. Even if my mother, Hana wanted to leave with me, my grandfather might not allow her to bring me. Although my grandfather had many grandchildren, he was pleased to love me better than anyone else after I was born.
My mother, Hana had 4 or 5 aunts. My mother`s sister (Kuma) said my mother had been kicked out from Yamada`s due to nursing my mother`s elder sister (Kiku) and due to her brother, Masanao. But aunts of Yamada`s said that my mother left by herself. Since my mother`s elder sister, Kiku had died before when my mother left Yamada`s on 16th Jan in 1911, my mother did not leave Yamada`s due to nursing an elder sister, Kiku. When Kiku died, family received the insurance of 200 yen. It was very big money at that moment. So I could estimate something was happened due to the insurance money. However I could not confirm it right now.
Aoki`s was a family of doctor from generation to generation. My mother, Hana was going to make Masanao a doctor. Therefore when she was sick, she did not go to the hospital and died. When my mother, Hana died and it was a funeral, it was rain. I remembered that I said to my mother that I would fire at the cremation. I kept memory that I instinctively understood it was very horrible behavior to burn my mother by firing in a children mind. When I told aunt, Michiko Ymanaka about that, she said to me that you were a small child at that moment, so that it was impossible for you to understand. However I believe that I memorized it.
My grandmother, Haru kept in house everything which I had. When I was burned out of my house by Tokyo air raid, I returned to OKIKAMURO. There were not enough clothes at that moment. My grandmother gave me to make use of a HAORI (Japanese style jacket) which I wore it for my MIYAMAIRI (visiting Shrine to wish future happiness of their child). The Haori was Aoki`s present and was kept by Haru until then. When I looked it carefully, I found there was a trace which got damp by the rain. I estimated that my mother`s funeral was rain surely.
One day, I asked aunt Nakayama to let me know because I forgot which is Aoki`s tomb where my mother`s ashes had been placed in. However I felt it might not be correct grave, I asked her again if it was right. Aunt did not have confidence in my reconfirmation. I questioned to her if you would attend my mother`s funeral, she said to me that she did not attend a funeral. So I said to her it might not be sure eve if you let me know. She said it was true.
It was shame for me, but I asked a cousin Shizuko Aoki to let me know my mother`s grave because although I had come back to OKIKAMURO for OBON (Buddhist event in summer) every year, I could not identify which tomb my mother`s ashes had been placed in. Shizuko heard it from her mother, so that it should be right.
Shizuko let me know a tomb which my mother`s ashes were placed in, so finally I had confidence. the tombs which my mother`s ashes were placed in were lined up and these tombs placed their ashes in for men who was a single and women who did not marry at Aoki`s and a divorced woman like my mother. My mother`s ashes were placed in one of these tombs.
I thought I did not establish a tomb for my mother and did not make anything so far. Then I wanted to make something for her.
I prayed to my mother`s tomb with that I was thinking to make the thing which I could appeal that it was made by me. I saw the iron and piped incense stand and flower stand with black rust in front of the tomb. So I thought I should build both.
When I came back to the company in TOKYO, I made them with a stainless by using my proud lathe in my factory. After that, I built a tomb on 5 square meters land at TOKYO cemetery in Mount TAKAO.
On 5th Sept in 1988, I get a part of my father Jinkichi`s ashes from a tomb of Yamada`s and my mother`s ashes from a tomb of Aoki`s at OKIKAMURO and placed them together in the same tomb after 73 years passed. After that, the relatives of Yamada` and Aoki`s visited to HAKUSEIJI temple and held a memorial service. I had heard that my mother said not to place her ashes in the tomb of Yamada`s even if she died. However I held a memorial service with the new tomb which the only son built at Tokyo and both ashes were placed in together.
I believe my father and my mother should be glad to do it. I had complaints from aunt Nakayama`s and got kind help from the couple of Kaneshige Ishimaru, the couple of Tokuo Yamada, Shizuko and Yoshitaka especially.
I could hold an excellent memorial service by support of relatives and neighbors.
Thank you everybody.
printed July 22nd 1999, 19:33
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