Gene in His Element, Exploring Post-war Japan (85)

Maj. Pfile was by nature interested in everything around him.  He liked to explore and learn new things.  We are left to speculate on our own how and why warehouses and offices were left unlocked, for what the machines and chemicals were used, and what niche the many hawks were filling.

Town plan of Wakayama showing where the troops came ashore

17 Oct. '45
Beloved,
     Am I ever getting to be a gad-about!  Yep, off the boat again today!  This morning they started giving the men a few hours on shore.  I drew the afternoon shift.  You know, it is soft being a major!  I had 4 officers who had about 28 men each to look after, while I could go my own way.  They had to stay with the men and try to keep them together, which really was a job with about 20 boats sending in a couple of hundred men each.  We left at 12:30 in an LCM [landing craft mechanized].  We didn't land in the town but at a village in the industrial area.

Partially completed factories at Wakayama

     Really it was the darnedest feeling to walk into the buildings where things had just been left!  The first was about a half a block long and a huge open affair - roof 75 or 100 feet high and it was all one story!  I climbed to the top of an outside traveling crane as high as the building and took some pictures [see photo above and that in post #84].  The inside of the plant hadn't been finished and there was not much machinery in it.  Outside there were some sort of chemical processing towers, huge electric gadgets and motors.  Darn if I know what it was!
     Back of it was a wooden building that housed a chemical lab.  It had 3 large rooms just filled with chemicals and apparatus of various kinds.  And no one was around - not even any "keep out" signs in English!  There was a library in the place of at least a thousand books - US. German and English - all on chemistry.  I looked at all the chemicals, but refrained from rifling the desks!  Practically all bottles had English or Latin labels.  A few had German.  There was even some perfume!  There were 2 pint bottles that I think had rose oil.
     In another building - a sort of office, there was the first complete household shrine I've seen.  I saw several dismantled ones in odd corners of the factory.  They are wooden affairs - plain wood but carefully made.  They are about 18" high and almost that wide.  They are made to look like the front section of a building, roof sweeping down, doors, a sort of porch, fence and steps.  On each side was a blue and white bud vase holding a sprig of pine.  At the side of the "steps" were 2 small porcelain "stone lanterns", shaped just like the man sized ones they have around the shrines.  By them were 2 doll sized saucers with dry rice on them.  On the stops were correspondingly sized cups, probably for some liquid.  Inside the 2 lattice doors were some papers with figures on them - printed, not painted.  Oh you bet I looked around to see no Nip was watching me finger his shrine!  But Honey, you'd have been proud of me!  As much as I wanted to swipe the vases and the "lanterns" for you, I refrained and didn't do it!  Have I reformed!  Besides souvenir hunting in Japan is apt to be labeled looting by the unfeeling M.P.'s!
     Another building manufactured some sort of chemicals and had big vats of sulfur-smelling stuff.  Another place had some huge electrical things.  Of all the places, the chemical plant was the only one which looked as though it had been used.  On the sand dune back of the wide beach there were oil tanks in the making, but they were very rusty.  There were fox holes and trenches all along there and one place for a gun mount.
     It is remarkable how many hawks there are.  I saw at least 6 today and there were that many around the town the other day.  They fly quite low, too.  The dune was overgrown with pine trees and a great many of them had been tapped for pine resin, like rubber trees for catouche [caoutchouc, or natural rubber].  They had a series of gashes with a bit of metal as a gutter at the bottom and pieces of bamboo to catch the gum.  It looked like a mighty slow, slim yield!
     Back at the ship - no news, no mail, no nothing.  Just think, the last news I had from you was way last month.  Confound this inefficient brass!  I wish congress would turn loose on them!

Bored on the Boat (84)

     Gene was lucky.  He was an officer and had been allowed to go ashore.  The enlisted men had been denied that pleasure, but they had to watch the sailors line up to go ashore every day.

16 Oct. '45
Beloved,
     Today has been nothing and more of it.  Right now we are alongside a tanker taking on oil but that doesn't mean we are going anywhere!  The rumor now has it that we may be here on the boat for 2 or 3 weeks.  Gadfrey!  I don't know how I'll put up with that!  Why we'll be running out of good food and then we will have something to howl about!  We heard that the I Corps was willing for us to get off here and to go overland but the lame-brained Gen. Mullins (and I hope he reads this!) [I could fine no information on Gen. Mullins, other than he was a major general, commanded the 25th Infantry Division from 1944 until 1948, and his given name was Charles, so he probably wasn't very important, which may be why he acted as he did] of the 25th Div. says "no", while he, the regular army ---- is on shore and at Nagoya.  He's the dim-wit who said for us to polish the rough-finished field boots.  But enough of that.  I get so hot when I think how ships times are being wasted that I sizzle!
     They are starting tomorrow to allow several hundred GI's a day to go on shore - one batch each morning and afternoon, and some officers.  Mullins, the ----, had blocked that when we first got here, curse him!  Why, these poor men just have to have something to occupy them!!  That living in the holds is no joke.  They won't be allowed to take things to trade.
     This morning we really laughed.  They line up all the sailors who are going ashore and search them - i.e. make them pull up their pants legs to show nothing is stuck in their socks and pat their pockets.l  They had been inspected and were filing down the gang plank when one started to re-adjust his white cap and 3 packs of gum fell out on the deck.  Was he ever embarrassed and all the officers standing there burst out in a roar of laughter.  He picked up the gum!

From a newspaper, copywrited by King Features Syndicate in 1945

     Yesterday in the cemeteries I noticed the "spirit gates" or I took them to be that.  Inside the open gate was a short straight wall __---__, thus.  Their toriis are quite graceful as are the slight up-curving of the roof eaves.  The tile was certainly an unusual color - almost black.  The pine trees scattered around the buildings and among the rocks were quite handsome in their effect - only it was spoiled by electric wires.  I'd scarcely realized before how ugly electric lines and poles are and how they spoil the overall effect.  We saw some Aussie officers and sailors on shore - all dressed in shorts even though it was quite chilly.  Our sailors were everywhere - dressed in whites and quite conspicuous in them.  Today I noticed they are wearing blues.  There were M.P.'s and S. P.'s [probably shore patrol or special police] only about every mile on the streets.  Some soldiers told us that when they first landed the people were very distrustful and rather uncooperative but a pat of the hand on your .45 along with a request thawed them out.  They said that often the women would cross the street to avoid them.  As soon as they realized they wouldn't be mistreated, they changed their attitudes.
     All my love, Eugene

A crane is poised over an unfinished and abandoned factory;
in the middle is a long line of GI's going to and from the ships

Some photos from Owi to the Philippines (83)

    Here are a few photographs from Gene's collection.

On Owi:

Lt. Joseph Davis getting his mail from Sgt. Ahern on Owi,
Dutch New Guinea

A hut on Owi, Dutch New Guinea, at sunset

Officers' tents on Owi, Dutch New Guinea

In the Philippines:

Ruined bakery in San Fabian, the Philippines (note Gene accidentally
reversed the negative)

Turnips for sale at the market in Guimba, the Philippines

Gene's washstand (a device to hold his helmet) in Baguio, the Philippines

Cub ambulance service airplane in Baguio, the Philippines: "Goldberg's Angel of Mercy sponsored by the students of Goldberg Elementary School, Detroit, Michigan"

Bilibid Prison in Manila, the Philippines

A line of Igorot girls looking for lice in Caba, the Philippines

Granary in Caba, the Philippines

A view of Mount St. Tomas from Caba in the Philippines

Some photos from DTC to Biak (82)

     I'm going to be on vacation for a couple of weeks, so here are some photos that didn't fit in elsewhere.  I hope you enjoy them!


From the Desert Training Center:

Near Freda looking toward the Chuckwalla Mountains

Members of the 92nd Evacuation Hospital lining up for innoculations

In Australia:

Australian soldiers riding bicycles near Rockhampton

Rockhampton train

Australian men working in the train yard in Rockhampton

In Hollandia:

Piece of a  wrecked canoe near Hollandia Gene sent through the
 mail to Beth

Carvings on the other side of the piece of wrecked canoe

Some of the enlisted men of the 92nd Evac (they look like characters in the musical,
South Pacific, don't they?)

Japanese supplies

On Biak:

Looking from the beach road on Biak up to the the Japanese
bunkers dug into the cliff

Japanese bunker on Biak

Major surgery tents on Biak

Minor surgery tents on Biak

Ward tents on Biak

Capt. Hiram Armstrong's fox hole on Biak

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

First Impressions of Japan (80)

     Gene finally gets to go ashore.  He is interested in absolutely everything!

A Japanese women on the street in Wakayama

15 Oct. 1945
Beloved,
     In later years I want you to remind me that this birthday marked my Jap beachhead!  We left the ship about 8 on an LCVP [landing craft, vehicle, personnel].  We called at another ship and then went on up the inlet.  The map showed "an old fort" and "a fort" on each side of "the creek" (for size) but I couldn't make out a thing but a small hill.  The factories which we passed (which we'd seen from the ship) are really huge affairs - possible steel mills.  We went up this inlet about a mile and landed at a sort of dock.  I talked to the crew man and he said this wasn't the regular place to land, but some Lt. Col.s wanted off there.  I was the only one not getting off there so decided I could at least stick with the others!  Besides another Major had a map!  Well, these Col.s wanted to go to Osaka 20 odd miles north.  They got a truck to go to Headquarters first and we rode along.  We ended up in the so-called Kobe Headquarters in Wakayama, about 8 miles north of the place where the regular shore landings are made.  It was across the street from an old castle area, now a reservoir.  In places there was a moat about 30 feet wide and a stone wall 20 feet height around a small hillock.  We went into the Hq. and procured more maps and found out where we were and where we wanted to go.  It was plain sailing after that - one street to follow south.  The mess officer Lt. and the other Major and I teamed up.
     The people - what a sight!  Out of thousands of women, I saw maybe 5 that wore skirts!  90% wore a variety of pants and about 10% wore kimonos.  The pants are amazing.  Imagine a cloth of gray in a pattern of squares - a kimono top with full sleeves closed at the wrist with elastic, tucked inside pants which are fairly voluminous at the waist and a very baggy seat, tapering sharply to a jodhpur-like leg below the knee, closed with elastic about the ankle!  The feet encased in white cotton "shoes" with a separate toe and wearing a wooden clog with two cleats.  Some kimonos were worn by elderly men, but most men and boys wore a variety of army uniform.  Did I take pictures!  About 30 black and white.  Mostly of people, too.

Wakayama street cobbler wearing army-like clothing

     Bicycles were everywhere - men and women riding them.  Some kimonos were made of a heavy material like the material in men's suits.  Others were every conceivable figure and material, as were the pants affairs.  I saw several slack suits, dark material and of a state side style.  Some kimonos have a sort of bustle affair - like a flat, oblong sofa pillow, tied to the small of the back with a wide colorful sash!  Babies are carried in a sling on the mother's back and seem perfectly happy.  It is alarming to see the angles their heads take when they sleep!
     The street cars (off limits to troops - no room anyway!) are crowded something remarkable.  People hang on the front and rear cornices.  They have real-sized horses (Gene objected to the small ones the Filipinos had - B [Beth added]), a few hauling long carts.  Any time you go down side streets, and often on the main streets, there is a marked odor of feces!  The honey bucket carts (drawn by hand) are prevalent and unmistakable!  There were quite a few bombed and burned out places - all interspersed with gardens, and lots of wreckage already cleared.  We saw a few modern buildings.  Some people were quite pleasant.  Only a few looked sullen.  Many just looked straight ahead.  Most of the women and girls looked discretely down at the ground.  The youngsters, as anywhere, were quite boisterous.  We came past several batches just returning from school.  They came romping along and shouted "hello" and laughed and smiled.  A few of the shop keepers would bow to us.  In all, it was hardly a conqueror-vanquished relationship!

Wakayama children going home from school

     Well, the Major had some business to attend to, so I stood outside and took pictures of people.  Then we caught a ride about 2 miles on our way (a regular army bus line from HQ. to the billets) and then we started walking.  I certainly laughed at this Major.  He has been overseas just a few months.  He's about 45 - has sons 18 and 21.  Well, he had to look into every place even remotely resembling a shop to try to buy a kimono.  We went slowly, needless to say!
     I spent most of my time out on the street looking and taking pictures.  When you stopped to look, a small crowd would gather.  It you went into a shop (just hole-in-the-wall places) they closed the sliding door and offered you seats and then the parley began.  All these shops were very, very poor - a handful of goods only.  One could do well with our Jap phrase books (Gene wrote before he left the Philippines that he had looked thru the book and decided to learn just 2 phrases - "how much" and "that's too much"! - B).  The natives could turn to the appropriate pages as well as could we!  Prices, of course, were outrageous.  Everyone had rolls of yen notes and weren't interested in selling for money.  They wanted to trade for candy or cigarettes.  The standard exchange is 15 yen for a dollar.  Well, the kids on the street would cluster around offering 10 yen for a pack of cigarettes!  The usual price was 20 or 30 yen.
    
     Gene's letter is so long and enthusiastic (and with so many photos!) that I am going to break it off here and continue it in the next post.

Geisha (79)

     Japan had flirted with democracy since the mid 1800's, but the feudal system was difficult to change and the military forces often overpowered and overruled the civilian ones.  After the surrender of Japan in 1945, the Allied Powers decided the whole military structure of Japan would have to be abolished.  The United States and Great Britain were both democracies, and believed a self-governing, democratic Japan would be more likely to remain peaceful than a dictatorship.  General Douglas MacArthur was named Supreme Commander of the Occupation forces to oversee the changes necessary to bring Japan to democracy.  A new constitution was needed.  Civilians, who had been shocked and disillusioned by their military leaders, were open to learning about democracy if it meant better lives for themselves.  The education system was revised to teach and support the fundamentals of democracy.  The goal of military dominance was replaced with a goal of economic growth.
     In 1939 the total population of Japan was about 71 1/2 million people.  Around 4% of the population was killed in World War II (about 80% of the deaths were military, and the rest civilian).  Although the military was abolished, many of the social structures would remain.  One custom needed to be explained to the incoming soldiers: the geisha system.  The article that follows is what the Japanese authorities submitted to the U.S. army, and the army submitted to the men of the 92nd Evacuation Hospital.

REPORT OF PREFECTURE (Gene added "Nagoya" ) TO THE U.S. ARMY:

THE ORIGIN OF "GEISHA"

     In olden times there were some women who served as dancers or musicians in the grounds of Shinto Shrines.  In the course of time some of these women became dancers or singers in hotels and restaurants.  They entertained the men who came to enjoy their time.  Then some of them became "Geisha" and some unlicensed prostitutes.

Gene's photo of a Japanese entertainer playing
the shamisen

     "Geisha" were invited by hotels and higher-class restaurants and they entertained men as singers and dancers with the accompaniment of "Shamisen" (a kind of musical instrument).  Before the China Incident  [Japan claimed it was involving (conquering) other Asian countries for their own good to get rid of Western influence, and the objection of the Chinese was an "incident"] there were many "Geisha" but since the outbreak of the Great East Asia War the number has been decreasing [they were needed in the factories] and in March 1944 they were forbidden to do their business by orders of the Government.  Then some turned to be unlicensed prostitutes.

     In this prefecture the measures of licensed prostitutes were taken away and all the women who serve in hotels and restaurants have been treated as "Geisha".  The authorities are now preparing to give license to 3,000 as "Geisha" to entertain visitors to the city.

The outline of the regulation on "Geisha" as we said they served as singers of dancers in hotels and "Ryoriya" (restaurants) but some became prostitutes so generally now "Geisha" girls are thought of as street girls.

1)     1. They must have a license from the police station, and live in a certain limited places.

2)     2. Those who come to one of the following items can not become "Geisha"

             a)  Under fourteen years old.

             b)  Those who are suffering such diseases as leprosy, lung disease, veneral [sic] or other                 infections diseases.

             c)  Those who are regarded as bad for Society.

             d)  Those who are regarded as unfit from the authorities.

3)     They must obey the orders of the head of the police-station.

4)     They must take physical examination at on appointed time.

5)     They must keep the rules of the authorities on preventing the social evil disease.

6)     The customers of "Geisha".

They are not called their own names they have special names and those names are used.  The masters of hotels or Ryoriya (restaurants) called "Geisha" their daughters and they ("Geisha") - call the masters as "Father Ottssan" or Nissan (brother).  This shows their relation is intimate, for the masters have all responsibility about "Geisha".

Gene's photo of a young Japanese woman, possibly 
a geisha

The visitors call when they come the second time, the "Geisha" that he called first.  They often hear the lectures on social evil diseases and know how to prevent the diseases.  They are afraid to be stopped their business by orders of the authorities, so they keep the rules made by the local governments. 

          Rules made by the Prefecture to prevent social evil diseases.

               1.  She must not use the same cup of the visitor, don't kiss the man.

               2.  She must us sack. [condom?]

               3.  She must use preventative medicine.

               4.  She must wash her vessel after she used it.

               5.  If the visitor has some disease she may refuse.

Meirakuen (Formerly licensed quarter) about three years ago in the center of Nagoya that is on the grounds of Osu temple the lord at that time allowed to have a licensed quarter that was the origin of the licensed quarter.  But in 1921 the quarter moved to Nakamura.  There were about 138 houses, number of the licensed women were many, men went to enjoy their lives.  Since the China Incident the number has become less and less.  When the war began there were about two hundred licensed.

In September this year all licensed women were set free, so most of those women became "Geisha" so some of the "Geisha" in the Meirakuen can play and dance well, but some are not so well.

To entertain the Allied Occupation forces or citizens they are preparing to have 2,000 Geisha and about 100 restaurants in that quarter.

          Statistic:

Age     Number          Age     Number          Age     Number

17       3                     24      30                    31      0

18      4                      25      16                    32      4

19      1                      26      17                    33      1

20      16                    27      8                      34      0

21      11                    28      13                    35      1

22      38                    29      7                      36      0

23      45                    30      6                      37      0

                                                                    38      0

                                                                    39      1

             Total:             223 [I count only 222]

Education:

No schooling:                   6

1st year                             0

2nd year                           6

3rd year                            8

4th year                            4

Finished primary school  17

Kotoka [?]- 1st year          3

Kotoka finished                12

Finished higher girls

     School                         5

                 Total 223 [I counted only 61!]

41 Geisha cannot dance well

50     "       cannot play or sing well

     What followed was a long list of co-partnership descriptive.  I have copied only a few.  All peculiarities of English and lack of punctuation are theirs!

1. Position                                                 Yakkodori, Toyohawa, Toyokawa City.

2. Name of co-partnership:                                        "Enpukuso"

3. Name of it's representative:                   Kiichi Nomura

4. Number of shops:                                  20 shops

5. Number of girls:                                    65 girls

6. the fee of girl:                                        Short time (half an hour)        Y30.00 [about $2.00]

                                                                         One time (one hour)               Y40.00

                                                                                All night (11 p.m.-8a.m. next morning

                                                                                                                    Y150

Remarks:

          6 shops are in good condition, but 42 shops burnt down by

          Air raid on the 20th June, 1945, and now building up

          Those new houses in the same ground.

"Meirakuen" or "house of licensed prostitution" in Nagoya