On channelⅠon TV, the news casters were telling us all day about Japan’s defeat. There were the Showa Emperor who has already died, the General Tojo who was hung, and other famous people, and scary scenes on the screen. It was 55 years ago. Commentators said, “Old people, who are alive today, have to tell young people about the war tragedy and never make war.” Mr. Nakabo, who is the most famous lawyer in Japan and one of the commentators, replied. “I almost never talked with young people about my terrible experiences of the war, . But in the future, telling the truth will be necessary for us”. I never said anything about the war tragedy to my sons either. If possible I would like to forget everything. But August 15^th is coming and I remember it like yesterday.

My father used to be a doctor. But at that time he was a naval officer and a teacher of the Navy Medical School. After the Second World War, he was removed from public office for five years because of the war responsibility.

On April 13^th, bombs burned my house and the war caused my family to scatter. My school burned in the same day, but a dormitory escaped the fire. I lived in the dormitory at my school for five years. While I was there, I almost could not meet my family.

After my family lost our house, my mama, sister and I lived in a small house like a barn in the forest in Kanagawa prefecture for a while. It took about two and a half hours on foot from Totsuka station. My older brother died and my father and another older brother moved to an unknown place. My family was really scattered.

After the war finished, farmers did not sell us anything to eat because my father was a war criminal. So we have to steal some vegetables from others’ fields in the midnight. Then we planted a vegetable garden near our house. Soon we grew some vegetables; pumpkins, potatoes, tomatoes and green peas. .

After the end of the war, Douglas Mac Arthur and American officers came to Atsugi airport in Kanagawa prefecture. The airport was near the house where we lived. One day some American officers appeared around my house. Before this my father gave me a pill and said. “If you have a serious problem, drink it.”

An American officer came closer. I was scared. He asked me. “Do you like chocolate?” He showed me a piece of chocolate. He laughed then gave me some chocolates and Coca Cola, and said something in English, but I didn’t understand at all. I just answered, “Thank you!”

The next year I entered my school dormitory. I often talked about the war with my classmates. “What is the war?” At that time I was 14 years old. I had a lot of experiences and I learned a lot of things from the war.

Before the war, my father lived in Boston in the USA and he studied medical science at Dr. Hideyo Noguchi’s office. My father liked Boston and he had many American friends. He always taught me that Japan is a small country in the world and we have to visit foreign countries and see other country’s cultures with our eyes.

August 15^th is coming, and I remembered a lot of things, but in the future, I still don’t want to talk about the war to young people. The war greatly changed the trend of the times.

My husband was naval officer too. We often talk about the war like it was a nightmare^. We think that after our generation dies, the Second World War will end. We are having a peaceful life after the war.