We arrived in Japan during the early evening of Wednesday, March 13 and were picked up at Haneda Airport by our host, guide and colleague, Mr. Oshima Takayuki. (In Japanese, the family name comes before the given name.) I wrote about him in my last update. A journalist and researcher for NHK (Japan’s equivalent to PBS), he is knowledgeable about the Japanese kamikaze Special Attack Units of WWII.
Takayuki made connections to some of the families of kamikaze pilots and navigators from the squadron that attacked the task force and the USS Franklin on March 19, 1945. None of the planes from that squadron returned to base on that day and all the men died. We do not know which plane bombed the Franklin because the pilots broke off radio transmissions during their attacks, so we made plans to speak with three families of men from that particular unit.
The morning of the 14th, we drove southwest from Shibuya, Tokyo along the southern coast for about three hours. Along the way, we passed the iconic mountain, Mt. Fuji, to the north of us, its peak covered in clouds. To the south, we got our first views of the Pacific Ocean when we passed the coastal city of Numazu.
(Photo by Zach Noblitt, sound mixer.)
We arrived at our destination of Shizuoka in the Shizuoka Prefecture. This area is known for its tea production. After checking into the Kuratake Inn downtown next to the main rail lines of the city, Takayuki spoke to the hotel manager who took us up to the roof so Tim could film some B-roll footage. The temperature was in the low 60s but the chilly wind made it feel more like the 50s. Watching the rail lines, we saw multiple Shinkansen, the famous Japanese Bullet Trains, speeding through the city in both directions. They were likely going to and from Tokyo. We also could see the peak of Mt. Fuji, with the clouds starting to clear while we were there.
We managed to catch the final matches on TV of the yokozuna-level wrestlers in the national Sumo tournament that was ongoing that week in Tokyo, and then we went out to enjoy local sashimi for dinner.
The next morning, on the 15th, we went to a park above the city and shot some more B-roll footage. The city looked beautiful against the blue waters of Suruga Bay, and Mt. Fuji, clear of clouds, seemed to float in the sky above Shizuoka City. However, the cedar trees in the mountains were in their peak pollen season, and people (including us) were wearing masks to help with allergies.
Then we stopped at a specialty tea shop and enjoyed some of the local teas. Downstairs were all the products and upstairs was a tea room.
Finally it was time for our first interview with Mr. Ueda Terutake. Mr. Ueda’s father used to run a gas station on this lot and Mr. Ueda took it over and ran it until 18 years ago. Then his daughter’s husband replaced the gas station with an internal medicine clinic. Their house is the brown one behind the clinic.
Mr. Ueda and his wife and daughter graciously welcomed us into their home. Mrs. Ueda served us tea and sweets, and we gave them gifts of Honolulu cookies and New England honey.
We interviewed Mr. Ueda about his cousin Mototarou who was a kamikaze and who died attacking the U.S. task force fleet on March 19, 1945. He might have been in the plane that bombed the USS Franklin, but we cannot know for sure. Mr. Ueda was only a young boy when Mototarou joined the Special Attack Unit as a kamikaze. When Mototarou said goodbye, he patted Mr. Ueda on the head and said, “Be a good boy.” Mototarou died not long thereafter.
After the interview, we followed Mr. Ueda and his wife to the local cemetery where they showed us the Ueda family grave and where Mototarou is named on the stone marker.
When we went back to Mr. Ueda’s home, he showed us photographs of his cousin Mototarou, who died March 19, 1945 while attacking the U.S. task force fleet, and of his father who died in the Philippines fighting in Japan’s Army. It was very difficult for his family after the war. There was a shortage of food and clothing and Mr. Ueda’s widowed mother had to take care of her six children on her own. Mr. Ueda was the oldest. The two youngest were twins who were born after their father went off to war. He knew of their birth by letter and wrote back, giving names to his two newest children, but he was killed in the war without ever meeting them.
Takayuki conducted the interview, asking Mr. Ueda questions I had written along with some of his own that helped the interview flow. Although he translated Mr. Ueda’s answers for us during the interview, I tried to follow the conversation using Google Translate on my phone. At the end of the interview, my last question was, “What would you like audiences of this film to know?” He thought for a little while, and then answered, “It seems that war is no good. Those left behind will only suffer.”
Mr. Ueda told us during the interview that he did not talk about his father and cousin to anyone, even at the reunions for family members of people who had died fighting in the war. I asked him through Takayuki why, then, was he willing to talk to us? He replied, “Because you asked.”
Afterward, the family sent us off with gifts of sweets and fine sake. They were very gracious and we appreciated their generosity in sharing their home and their stories with us.
All photos by Anderson Clark unless otherwise specified.