Sayo, Born Into Two Cultures
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It was dawn in June of 1945; one of the biggest formations of B-29s we had ever seen came across the sky and started to drop their incendiary bombs. We realized that one of their targets was the City of Okayama where my in-laws lived. Kameyama was situated over the mountain across from the Okayama so from where we were, we were able to see the B-29s flying in low and dropping their bombs over the city. Not even one Japanese plane attacked in retaliation, but I don’t think they had any air-worthy planes left. I never dreamt that the Americans would bomb such a small city as Okayama. After the planes left, we could not get over the sight. The sky burst into colors of orange and red from one end to the other over Okayama. It seemed like the entire city was burning. We were actually witnessing this bombing with our own eyes. I was just horrified and sick to my stomach thinking about what had happened to my in-laws and all those innocent people living in the city. All this made me feel helpless and afraid, but I had to do something. Mine, Aunt Kimie, and I decided to cook lots of rice balls and food and travel to the city of Okayama the next day to see what had happened to the Fujiwaras. I hoped that they were all right, but the sight of the burning city was very discouraging and brought a chill to my bones. No one could sleep that night but in the middle of the night we heard voices outside. When we got up to see who they were, we were greeted with the most wonderful sight. The entire Fujiwara family, consisting of father, mother, Tadashi’s brother, his wife and their two children and Yuriko, Tadashi’s younger sister, was standing in front of our house. I could not imagine how they had escaped from that inferno. The only things they had were the wet futon on their backs and a small metal safe box that my father-in-law carried with him. I thought I must have been still dreaming because I could not believe my eyes. Their faces were dirty and smudged from the soot but other than that no one was hurt. We all hugged and cried for joy that they were all safe. Tadashi’s father (Mitsuzo) said they walked all night over the mountains from Okayama to get to Kameyama. They had no other place left to go but to come here to Aunt Kimie’s home. Mitsuzo sadly told us how they had to escape the burning city. After the bombs were dropped, the fire broke out immediately and the entire city was engulfed in flames. Mitsuzo made each of his family members take their own futon out to the water basin and soak them in water and put them over their heads. These water basins were placed all over the city to put out the fires in case of an air raid attack. The children panicked with fear but their parents and Mitsuzo helped to calm them down. The flames were cracking and burning all around them while debris from crumbling buildings was falling everywhere. In between the fires and the heavy smoke, Mitsuzo led his family covered with wet futons toward the mountain. They had to leave all their possessions behind so they lost everything they owned. When they looked down at the city behind them, they saw the entire city of Okayama engulfed in flames. They also saw streams of refugees coming out of the city. It was truly a sad and a horrible sight. After hearing about their experiences, I was forever grateful that my mother-in-law evacuated me to Kameyama before the bombing started. If I had stayed a month longer in Okayama, Tadaaki and I would have been in that bombing.
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About the Book
Sayo, Born Into Two Cultures is a gripping autobiography about one woman and her family’s struggle to survive. Told in her own voice, Sayo is a Japanese girl that was born and raised in the United States. Things for Sayo are like any other American girl until she moves to Japan and World War II begins. Sayo and her family endure bombings, near starvation, and tragedy as they struggle to survive in a war-torn Japan. Sayo returns to the United States years later, only to discover that things are not always as they were in the past. She recounts experiences of discrimination and great change, as her children and family, who have never seen the United States, fight a new battle to become "American". This true story of Sayo and her family shows a side of World War II that is rarely shown: what life was like for the Japanese people. Her story will touch your heart and give the reader a greater understanding of not only the Japanese culture, but of the human struggle to survive.
About the Author
Sayo (Kohara) Fujiwara was born on September 8, 1923 in Portland, Oregon. She was the first of four children born to Motoichi and Sadae Kohara who immigrated to the United States from Japan as first generation Japanese American (Issei). She spent her first 16 years of her life in Portland, experiencing the American way of life, attending grammar school and high school. In April of 1940, due to the critical illness of her maternal grandmother in Japan, her whole family went to Japan for a visit when Sayo was 16 years old. While they were visiting in Japan, the Second World War broke out. Her father, Motoichi, realizing that the family is unable to return to the States and Sayo is at the right age for a marriage, arranged her marriage to Tadashi Fujiwara, a Japanese citizen, when she was 18 years old. Tadashi and Sayo had two children, a son in 1944 and a daughter in 1947. Sayo and her entire family survived the War, moving from one city to another, avoiding the bomb attacks by the Americans and subsisting on minimal food. After the War, Sayo, Tadashi and the two children were able to move to the United States in 1957. Sayo and her family resided in and near Chicago, Illinois. She worked for several different companies as a secretary and retired at the age of 70 in San Diego, California with Tadashi. Her children are grown and married. Sayo has two grandchildren and one great grandson. She is still very active, playing tennis whenever she can and enjoying her family.