First Impressions (cont.) (81)

     Gene's letter to Beth continues with his impressions of Japan.  He had treated Japanese soldiers and picked up many items of clothing, photos, post cards, etc. they had left behind.  He had also read all the information provided by the army about Japan, but that wasn't the same as experiencing the country first hand.  As long as he couldn't go directly home to his beloved wife,  Beth, he wanted to see the situation for himself and take photos of ordinary things.

Smiling family (the man is tipping his hat) in Wakayama with cars parked in the background on the left side of the street

15 Oct. '45 [continued]
    
     We went on down the street, on which the car tracks ran. They drive on the left side. There were a fair number of civilian cars and trucks - some charcoal burners and 3-wheeled motor cycle affairs. At intervals we would look at stationery shops, radio shops, etc. All of them were more like junk shops than anything else.
     In some of the home shops we stopped in I looked at their living establishments. The first room off the street-level shop room was raised about 2 feet and covered with straw mats. They stepped out of their clogs when entering it. They sat on flat cushions or pads. There was always a large urn (about 2 feet high and 2 feet in diam.) full of sand in which charcoal was placed. If there was a table, it was low. They sat cross legged. Eating, of course, was accomplished with chop sticks. Understand all these were poor people's homes. Out in front might be a couple of dozen pieces of kindling wood drying, or some chicken manure carefully gathered together on a piece of paper, or some sawdust!
     When you'd go in a place they might have on display a bowl or some wooden buttons or fancy hair pins! Kimono prices were something - 2 or 300 yen [$13 to $20] for punk-looking stuff. We passed a few shrines - torii gate, stone lantern pedestal, upright stone tablets. I saw one temple that was off limits but got some good pictures - the horrible looking figures you see in museums, a curved roof affair and black with age. The walls were open around the gates so I wasn't trespassing (t'ain't healthy!)

On the back of this photo Gene wrote: "Stone lanterns.  Steps beyone the Torii lead up to a hill-top shrine.  Woman behind the post of the torii is stretching & drying an obi (sash worn about the kimono) after washing it."

     The further south we went, the better the shops became.  Several times men would stop us and ask if we wanted to look at things.  So several times we sent down devious narrow streets and alleys to go to more private homes to look at more kimonos!  Most of the nice appearing places were surrounded by stone or stone and 'dobe [mud] walls.  Most of the homes had heavy tiled roofs - rather ornate - the tile being almost black in color.  There were pine trees (small versions of our Ponderosa pines) and ones that may have been cypress, all about - none very large.  There were small hills along some of the streets and not much of the area was thickly built.  The houses were mostly of unpainted, weathered wood.  They had garden beds stuck everywhere.
     Finally we began to find lacquer work in the stores.  We took a narrow side street and it turned out to be a short cut to where we wanted to go.  I had 2 packs of cigarettes and he finally traded for 2 lacquer rice bowls and covers that aren't very fancy.  The guy wanted 45 yen [$3] each for them to start with.  Of course we aren't supposed to barter but it is practically impossible to get a thing otherwise.
     Down at the end of the street, we were directed to the pier - where we arrived about 1 P.M. and our boat didn't leave until 5:30.  We just happened to talk to the mess officer of the base [the officer who procured food and oversaw its preparation] and he said to go to the officers' quarters and go to the mess.  We looked in where the field grade officers [senior to company officers but junior to general officers, i.e. major, lieutenant colonel, and colonel] stay.  You have to take off your shoes to go in!  They say the officers sleep on regular floor-level Jap beds and like it!  There is a rack for their shoes!
     We went into the mess and didn't have to go barefooted!  Along this water front is quite a resort spot, with fancy hotels built along the cliffs over the sea.  These places were supposed to be visited by members of the Royal Family at times.  The mess hall was a former private theater with beautiful screens and a marvelous stage curtain all hand embroidered and stitched.  These places had windows from the ceiling to the floor on the sea side.  We were served by Jap girls who knew a few words of English.  Then we sat a while.  I used the latrine.  What a spot!  There were conventional urinals, but the stool was a fine heavy porcelain oblong box set in the floor, complete with a curved shield at one end and self flushing.  A neat trick, that!

Toilet stool in the floor at a theater in Wakayama that had been converted to the mess hall

     Then we went along a wide curving walk, thru 2 short tunnels, with homes, hotels and shops along the way.  The whole place swarmed with sailors at that time of day.  At 3:30 we were back at the officers' club and had a few drinks, then came back at 5:30.  Yours truly feeling quite light hearted and gay [in other words, he'd had a couple of drinks!]
    The Major bought a pearl.  I'm not certain but what it is a fake.  He paid 3 packs of cigs for it and it is as large as a fair sized pea.  So ended the Odyssey.
     All my love, Eugene