Morikami Sukeji, who traveled to the United States as a member of the Yamato Colony in South Florida and remained there alone until the end of his life after the colony was disbanded, continues to write letters to his sister-in-law and her family, who lost her husband (Sukeji's younger brother) after the war. Due to his age, he is in pain all over his body and is not feeling well, but his passion for farming remains the same, and he plants peaches, and plans to plant tangerines and bananas as well. However, he is worried about not having a successor. At that time, he is shocked to learn that his sister, who had taken over the family home in his hometown of Miyazu, has passed away.
* * * * *
<Trying out Shigin in the Field>
March 24, 1965
Aki-chan (niece), I recently received a letter from an acquaintance in Kyoto. She is the same age as you and works at a bank. She has been working there for five years. She has learned everything about banking and has saved up a fair amount of money, so she wants to go to America, a place she has longed to visit, and live there for six months or a year. When she gets there, she wonders if she can be taken care of by her uncle (as he calls me). She can speak English fluently and can type. So I replied that she should talk it over with her parents and come when she has made up her mind. She is a clear-spoken, modern and reliable girl.
Spring has come in Florida, and I no longer need blankets at night. People from the north who are coming to escape the cold have started to return home one by one. I still go to the fields, but something breaks down and I can't get my work done as I would like.
I get a bit anxious because of my age, and I suffer from occasional stomach pains from hernias and seasonal arthritis, but my appetite is fine, so there's nothing to worry about. There's a good hospital in the city, and I have good friends, so I'm living in peace.
The old generation of Japanese in the countryside has almost died out. I can no longer meet them and speak Japanese to them. Sometimes I try to recite shigin (reciting poetry), which I used to love, in the fields, but I can't do it at all. I can't make a sound. It's strange...
"I came here 59 years ago."
June 7, 1965
Thank you for your letter and the photo, Aki-chan. You seem to be getting better. I haven't been feeling well lately. The thing that's bothering me the most is the throbbing pain in my arms and fingers. No doctor or medicine helps. I have no choice but to be patient.
Your mother is lucky. Even if she catches a cold, everyone cares for her. I have a close friend who lives nearby, but I find it more painful to cause trouble to others than to be sick. So I just bear it as best I can.
The 15th was my anniversary. On that day 59 years ago, I arrived here after a long journey. My best friend Alice, a white woman, cooked sukiyaki and other dishes to celebrate. She is 59 years old and was born shortly after I arrived. She is small and pretty, so when she dresses up, she looks about 20 years younger. Her husband, William, is a good man who graduated from the University of California, and his father is a benefactor of the eradication of endemic disease that took many lives when the Panama Canal was dug. His name is Dr. Dedrick.
There are about 100 Japanese people living in this area, but most of the older generation have died out, so I can no longer speak Japanese. I will be 80 years old (by the Japanese age reckoning) in November. There are many things I want to accomplish, and I hope to live to be at least 100 years old. It's my wish.
<Ripe pineapple is the best>
I live in the city now, but when I feel good, I go to the fields. When I see the green crops growing, I forget everything for a while. When I work in the soil, I even forget the pain in my fingers. This winter was cold, and the rare drought caused great damage to the crops.
About 100 pineapples were destroyed by the frost in February. They are only about the size of a fist now, but by July they will be three times as big. The ones that ripen well in the fields are incomparable to other fruits. They are also very expensive. The larger ones can cost as much as one dollar.
We also planted 125 peach trees. They are from Ceylon and Okinawa, and although the fruit is small, it tastes great. They are very early-ripening, ripening around April. This is one or two months earlier than normal varieties, so they are promising. We are also planning to plant 300 clover trees and 500 raspberry trees. We are preparing to plant various tropical fruit trees such as citrus fruits, bananas, avocatos, and mangoes next winter, but we are not making as much progress as we would like due to a lack of manpower. However, most of the work can be done by machine. I'm sure this story will not interest you, so I won't go into it.
The other day, a friend of mine came to the farm. When I told him I wasn't feeling well, he said, "Jode (George), why don't you stop farming?" I understand your feelings, but if you die now, what will happen to you? I know that very well. If there is a suitable successor... If Akira-chan is a man who has an interest in farming, I would like him to come over. I wanted him to study at the agricultural university in our state and continue this business. Sometimes I think of foolish things.
<I was so anxious...>
June 8, 1965
Dear sister-in-law, I received your two letters. I'm glad to hear that you're feeling better. As we get older, we start to have problems like an old engine. They say that those who are usually strong can suddenly die, but those who are always panting and looking green tend to live longer.
As I wrote to Akiko, my health has not been good lately, so I decided to travel for a while, following the doctor's advice. Fortunately, I was able to share a ride with a couple of friends (white) who live about a hundred miles north. Traveling alone is boring.
I plan to leave on the 15th, so unfortunately I will not be able to welcome my guests who have come all the way from afar. The items you sent will arrive if you send them from Miami by POD parcel post (shipping charge payable by recipient).
Maybe it's because of my age, but I'm always in a hurry and nothing is going as I want it to. I'm alone in the world, so why am I so busy? Sometimes I think I'll just make a bold decision and move away. The long drought has stopped and it's been raining since yesterday. I'll just reply to you as soon as possible. An old friend of mine died yesterday. I hate it.
Since where I am now is quite inconvenient, I'm moving to the fields.
June 27, 1965
Thank you so much for sending me all the rare items, Mi-san. I'm enjoying them for the first time in a while. I had an old backache and had to turn back halfway. I can't even travel anymore. I'm so tired that I'm taking a rest.
"My nostalgia fades with each passing year."
November 1965
Aki-chan, I received the tape a few weeks ago. It's something I'm not familiar with. I've been so busy cleaning up after the typhoon and flood that I've just left it as it is. I'll listen to Aki-chan's nostalgic Tango-bushi and my mother's proud song, Uguisu no Sae-zuri someday.
Japan's recession is a temporary reaction, and things will improve in time. As the State of the Union states, the farmers in this region are in a truly miserable state. Typhoons come, and there have been two rare major floods. Many are barely surviving with government assistance. Prices are rising, while the wives who are poor at housekeeping are struggling with deficits.
Land taxes have tripled in one go, and we are now paying more than half of our annual income in taxes. If you don't pay the land tax, the government will confiscate your land. A few years ago, landowners made a lot of money during the land boom. Land prices have risen, but there aren't many buyers. If you're smart, you don't buy when everyone else is buying, but buy when everyone else is buying with speculation, not being able to hold on to it, and then putting it up for sale at a loss. If you're a businessman, you can't stand up if you try to imitate others.
The other day, I sent you 25 dollars along with the money my mother sent me. Please use it to help with your New Year's shopping. My letters are always full of insults and sarcasm, but I have not received a single word of rebuttal, so I have decided to stop them from now on. Whether we are talking or exchanging letters, one person is excited and the other person is silent. This is like hitting a wall, and it has never been more annoying.
I have no desire to read the usual seasonal greetings and inquires about how I am, nor do I feel like writing replies. I hardly read anything about Japan, and I don't speak Japanese at all. I feel my sense of nostalgia fading with each passing year.
"My sister back home passed away"
My only sister has left. She asked me to go back to Japan and live with her. I sometimes tear up when I think about it. It's New Year's again in a month. I can't believe this is the 60th time. The first New Year was skin and bones because of a fever. The only food I had was powdered milk and unsweetened crackers.
December 23, 1965
Happy New Year, Mi-san and Aki-chan. I hope everyone is in good health and making it through the New Year. This year (65) was a rare bad year. I get sick, and everything I do goes wrong. A natural disaster has wiped out several years of hard work. The worst blow of all was the death of my only sister. Unprecedented events happen. But there are also good things to come.
I bought a very small tape recorder. It was cheap (12 dollars and 21 cents) and I wasn't used to it, so it didn't work well. The first few lines were unclear and my voice sounded unnatural. There are many kinds of recorders. The best ones cost 500 dollars. They are all made in Japan.
Apparently what I wrote bothered you. I didn't mean to be sarcastic or mean anything bad, I just wrote down what I thought and felt. Good medicine tastes bitter, and advice is painful to hear. I'm sorry. The world is full of people, so noisy. I've decided not to give any advice about other people's affairs from now on.
It's neither too hot nor too cold these days, a total paradise. New Year's will soon be here again. By the way, what happened to Fuji-san in Kameyama and Naga-san in Okuyama? In addition to Naga-san, Okuyama had Toku-san, Ichi-san, Okiku-san and others. There was also one son of my mother's sister, but I can't remember his name. They were all nice people. I'd like to eat a hearty bowl of miso soup ozoni. I wonder what time it was. Goodbye.
December 27, 1965
Mi-san, below is an excerpt from a letter I wrote to my younger brother.
"(Regarding the inheritance of my family's land) I have already left the Morikami family register. You are well aware that I have no responsibilities or rights. I have also written down the location of the unidentified forest land. If you still need my signature for any further procedures, please send me all the documents. We are both old, and you are sick. You may die at any time. I think it would be best to sort this out as soon as possible."
The day before yesterday was Christmas. I was invited to dinner by a friend and enjoyed a delicious meal with several guests. I even received a present.
Mi-san, I think the reason I don't feel lonely even though I'm alone is because I have good friends. I wonder why I'm unfortunate enough to not be able to get close to my compatriots. It's been that way since I was still barely able to speak the language.
"At that time, in addition to Morikami Suketsugu, there was also an old man named Kamigama Shobi who was connected to the former Yamato Colony and had remained living in the area ever since. However, the two of them rarely spoke to each other."
An old compatriot of mine lives in the old Yamato Village, five miles south of Delray Beach. I met him for the first time in a long time. It was the first time since the war. When he was young, he was a standoffish man who didn't say a word, but he came to talk to me because he felt lonely. He is a little younger than me, but he is pale and thin, and at first glance looks like he has just recovered from an illness. He is the richest Japanese person in South Florida, but he doesn't associate with anyone and grows vegetables for black people.
Ah, here comes my bad habit again. This is the last time I've badmouthed anyone this year. 33 years ago, around this time, I had an open stomach ulcer. However, the results were poor, and my intestines were blocked, so I couldn't pass food, so they inserted a tube through my mouth and pumped it out. The pain at that time was so intense that I thought it would be better to die. Somehow, I made a full recovery in two months.
My stomach size is now less than half of what it used to be, so I can't eat a lot, and even if I eat just an inch too much, it hurts. Fortunately, there has been no recurrence and I can now eat anything.
(Titles omitted)
© 2019 Ryusuke Kawai
