Morikami Sukeji, who traveled to the United States as a member of the Yamato Colony in South Florida and stayed there alone until the end of his life after the colony was dissolved, continues to write letters to his sister-in-law and her family, who lost her husband (Sukeji's younger brother) after the war. He worries about her life as she works for Tenrikyo in Kyoto. He boasts about the wonderfulness of Florida grapefruit, which is sweet, sour, and bitter. He reflects on his life, saying he would return to Japan, but never did.
* * * * *
Living together with nature
May 19, 1972
Thank you for your letter, Mi-san (sister-in-law). I understand your feelings about the family, but a church is very expensive. You already know that I cannot afford it. I wanted to build you a small retreat after you retire.
For now, I can't do anything more. I'm not any different. I spend my days with nature as my friend. I'm lonely because I lost a close friend. Rei-san (niece). Thank you for the photo. There are a lot of people, but I don't know who else is there besides you.
Is this common sense in Japan?
May 21, 1972
Thank you for your letter, Rei-san. It's been a while since I last read your long letter, and I read it over and over again. It seems that the god of happiness is on your side. If that's what you've decided, there's no need to be so polite as to consult me. Religious leaders and educators are all great, but just as there are two sides to everything, people also have two sides. Some people may be great on the surface, but on the other side they can be arrogant. In particular, if you have any of the following, such as a heavy drinker with a bad drinking habit, a selfish, stingy person lacking gratitude, or a person of bad blood, you cannot hope for true happiness.
My mother has changed her mind and says that a church is better than retirement. It's understandable, but we don't have the money. With the high cost of living these days, it's not easy to build even a small house. Building a church would cost tens or even hundreds of times more. We can't expect much in the way of donations. We haven't received a single cent in assistance from headquarters. Right now, I can't do anything.
My cedar forestation will remain a dream. Looking at the photos, Mom has suddenly become younger. She looks like she's in her 40s. At this rate, she's not ready to retire yet. Apparently Akiko's (niece's) hands still hurt. Can't they cure her somehow? My health is the same. I sleep well. I sleep both day and night, so it's more comfortable than anything. The seeds Akiko sent me have grown well and are plump and splendid. They will be ready to eat in the near future. The pumpkins grew quickly, but only a few shiso stalks grew. Two or three weeks passed, but they didn't grow, so I didn't water them and left them alone, and they suddenly started growing. Shiso is my favorite food. I like to eat tsukudani spread on hot rice.
I don't mind living alone on the farm because I've gotten used to it for many years. However, I feel lonely whenever a close friend dies. Recently, two of my friend's sons got married. One is German and works as a mechanic in my father's factory. The other is Japanese and is a missionary for a new religion. Both are in their 30s, both graduated from university and this is their first marriage. Although we are not particularly close, I sent them a letter of congratulations and a cash envelope. I received a polite letter of thanks in return from Germany, but I haven't heard anything from Japan.
(I sent money at the request of a Japanese clergyman) He just took the money and pretended not to know anything. How outrageous. He is a priest and yet has no gratitude whatsoever. Is this the norm in modern Japan? I was extremely angry. I could write forever. I'll stop here. Goodbye.
"Even if I go back now, no one will know me."
June 14, 1972
Thank you for your letter, Rei-san. I received a letter from Mikio (my nephew). There are occasional delays. It's nothing to get angry about. Maybe it's because of my age or lack of education, but anyway... I'm sorry.
I also received a letter from Sayoko. Her handwriting is beautiful... as expected from someone Mikio is bragging about, it's rare among young people these days. It's the first letter I've received. I also received a letter from my mother. It was all about the family and the memorial service for Masabee (Suketsugu's younger brother), and not a single word about Mikio. Maybe she doesn't know. How did Reiko's arranged marriage go? As they knew each other, I imagine the marriage went well.
It's been raining here for almost two weeks, and the lowlands are covered in water. Bulb onions, tomatoes, water melons, etc. are all rotten. The only things that survived were green onions and pineapples. Southern Florida is a grapefruit producing region. It's the best in the world in both quality and quantity. Sweet and sour. It's not comparable to the sweet and sour and bitter grapes from California and Texas. A lot of people go to Japan too.
Now that the season is over, they are in short supply and a little pricey. High-quality ones, about 5 inches in diameter, go for 25 to 30 cents each. In winter and spring, when they're in season, they're about half that price. I'd like to send them to you if you're nearby, but the shipping costs would be too high to send by mail. Summer mandarins, which are very similar to grapefruit, grow well in fairly cold regions. Before I moved to the US, I planted three in my yard in Takiuma (my hometown, Miyazu City). One of them had a few fruits on it, but they didn't taste very good.
If you build a house, try planting one or two in a sunny spot in your garden. You'll start harvesting fruit in the third year. After five or six years, you'll have more than you can eat.
<Fell off a tractor and suffered severe burns>
The other day, I got seriously injured for the first time in a while. When I got off that high-riding tractor, I slipped and got burned by touching the burning muffler. Unfortunately, I was wearing shorts, so I touched it directly. It wasn't serious enough to go to the doctor, so I treated it with some medicine I had on hand, but it's not getting better. It hurts when I walk.
The bustle a month ago was Memorial Day. It corresponds to the Japanese Obon festival, when people console the spirits of the deceased. A loved one passes away. It may be my turn next. I feel like the afterlife is close at hand. I stand on the graveyard I bought some time ago, knowing that one day I will sleep forever at my feet. I sometimes watch the setting sun, feeling the warmth of this land.
I have been in the US for almost 70 years, but I have never returned to Japan. My friends tell me to come back once. Even if I go back now, there will be no one I knew, and the only person I sometimes remember is Keiko Itoi from Yamada. She is the wife of Fukuzo Itoi, a former county agricultural association technician, and she helped me a lot when I was running an orchard in Takiuma.
He was a cheerful and kind person. He was a little older than me. I think he would be about 90 years old if he was still alive. It may be a hassle, but when you go to Miyazu, could you please come and visit me? He lived in front of Yamada Station. Thank you for the magazines and books. No matter how many times I read your books, I never get bored.
There is no end to what I could write, but I will stop here for today. I don't have time. Goodbye.
"There's no one else I want to meet besides you guys"
July 16, 1972
Thank you for your letter, Rei-san. As always, I read it over and over again. I know many people here and there, but you are the only people I truly want to meet. I am old and lonely, and I have always wanted to return home. The burns on my legs have almost healed, but the bright red flesh is fading. It may scar, but thankfully it is only my legs. If it had been a young girl's face, it would have been terrible.
Today is Sunday, but there is no rain, so I decided to plant green onions. There are three ridges, each 300 feet long, for a total of 900 feet. They are planted at a rate of four onions per foot. They will triple in size in about two or three months. Even if you earn 1 cent per onion, that will be more than $100. Not bad. They are not infested by insects or diseases. As long as you give them fertilizer, they will grow.
Green onions are sold in stores. They are very scarce compared to other vegetables. A bunch of five or six onions (pencil size) retails for 15 to 20 cents. That's a bit too expensive. Even at half the price there is still a good profit. The white parts of green onions are eaten raw, and the leaves are added to salads.
The matchmaking ended in failure. That's completely unexpected. I don't think my advice was unreasonable. I wrote to Masabee about his memorial service about two months ago, but got no reply. I don't know the details, but I feel sorry for him. Hatsuko from Kyoto (Suketsugu's first love), Shizuka from Kishiwada, and Hiroko from Takahashi are all now people of the past.
People who are distant are estranged. Close friends are leaving one after another. It is the natural course of events. I'll send you a check for $25. That's what you paid your debts with, and the rest is for books.
postscript
This is for my mom (sister-in-law)
Choosing the land to build a house and designing the house require great care. I think it's safer to ask someone who is trusted in this field. Don't rush. If both of you are busy, you will end up not seeing each other for a long time. Please tell Akiko (my niece) that there is nothing to worry about.
There is a typhoon now, and many people are killed or injured in floods and strong winds here and there. The area is calm, and the coast is bustling. The natural disasters that have passed safely in recent years will come back when we have forgotten about them. We cannot let our guard down at all. There are still about three months to go. I do not know what summer is like in Kyoto. I hear that the scenery is beautiful, but it is hot. What do you think?
"It's not your fault, do your best"
August 1972
Rei-san, I'm late in replying again. I'm sorry. As soon as I start writing, I get tired of it. I feel sick. My body is heavy and I don't feel like doing anything. I have no appetite. Everything I eat tastes bad. I spend most days just eating rice with tea. My right leg and lower back have started to hurt badly again. It's difficult to stand or walk.
The rain has stopped, but it's still extremely hot. It's almost 100 degrees and I'm dizzy with no wind. The temperature hasn't changed. It's because of my age. I can't do anything anymore, just relying on my energy. Land in Kyoto is ridiculously expensive. Wasteland is 50,000 yen per tsubo, it's a lie. It's about 10 times more expensive around here, which is said to be the most expensive in the world.
What are you planning to do from now on? In other words, that is the purpose of the promise. Are you planning to be content with the status quo and devote the rest of your life to religion, or are you planning to find a suitable spouse and remarry? Or are you planning to use your trained skills to get a job? You are still young. You have a long life ahead of you, but if you are not careful, five or ten years will fly by in an instant.
It will require a difficult effort. It will require capital, but I can arrange up to $10,000. As for my inheritance... I can't send it all at once because I'm not a church, but the law allows me to send up to $3,000 a year. The future is unpredictable, so you don't have to wait until I die. Think about it. Think about it without rushing. Let me know when you've made up your mind.
I found out the truth about your divorce. I also found out about Mr. XX's current situation. You have done nothing wrong. Why should you be ashamed and belittle yourself? You should be proud and move forward with integrity. You are weak. You are sentimental. Worrying about public opinion and what other people think will not accomplish anything.
Build your confidence and become stronger. I don't think it's right to insist on God. Don't swallow it whole. I wrote a lot of self-serving things. It's nothing more than a lecture to Shaka, but I wrote it with confidence.
Akiko complains that she is so busy that she doesn't have time to sleep. What is the rest of the family doing? It has been the grandmother's role to look after her grandchildren since ancient times. If you push yourself too hard when you are young, it will be difficult when you are older. I am a good example. Akiko is so quiet, she probably can't say anything. Please give her a warning.
Meat is expensive here too. It's too expensive and bothersome. Top-quality beef is over 1.50 cents per pound. Japanese beef grown on beer is said to be 4-5 dollars per pound. The cheapest fried chicken is about 30 cents per pound. I don't buy it. I don't dislike it, but cooking is too much of a pain so I make do with canned ham and smoked sausages. Nothing beats fresh vegetables and fruit for health.
(Titles omitted)
Continued >>
© 2020 Ryusuke Kawai
