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. In 1961, he talks about his five-year plan to create something resembling a garden on their property, but also speaks of his determination to travel to Central America and return to his hometown in Japan, something he had never done before.
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January 6, 1961
"Loneliness isn't so bad once you get used to it"
Rei-san (niece), today is January 6th. I'm sure Japan is feeling a bit relieved now that the New Year's hustle is over. Japan is experiencing an unprecedented economic boom, and is now the envy of the world. When I read the newspaper, I can't believe it, but I'm told that there is a huge shortage of carpenters and plasterers due to the construction boom, and that 100,000 carpenters and 50,000 plasterers are urgently needed. Until ten years ago, people in Japan were struggling to make ends meet, but things are rotating. There's nothing to be worried about.
My tooth is still not healed. I thought it was healed for a while, but the root of the tooth that was pulled out is still there and it hurts. It will take a month to heal completely. You guys should take good care of your teeth too. If there is any damage, get it fixed right away.
I was resting as usual, and slept all day on New Year's Day. I'm not so bad when I get used to it. I'm grateful that I can have fun and still have enough to eat. One-quarter of the world's population is currently starving.
I tried to imagine the world 50 years from now. I also thought about 50 years ago. I was studying ABC with young children at a rural school. I fell in love with the town mayor's daughter, but I never saw her again. I wonder what she's doing now, and if she's still alive, she's 65 years old.
South Florida is in the middle of the season, and it's crowded with people and cars. Accidents seem to happen every day, with dead and injured people. Kyoto seems to be quiet now, but Rei-san, how was your New Year's ozoni? I want to eat a lot of it, even if it's just once.
January 20, 1961
Five-year garden development plan
Dear sister-in-law, the parcel arrived the day before yesterday. It's full of rare items that I've never seen or tasted before. I'll be grateful to receive them.
I am extremely healthy and playing is more painful than anything else, so I have begun a five-year plan to develop my 190 acre land, and last year I dug my first artesian well, 3 inches in diameter and 130 inches deep. Next, I plan to build a 40x40 machinery shed (a storage area for farm tools and machinery), dig a 1.5 acre fishpond (4-5 feet deep), build a Japanese-Western style house on one side of the pond, build a 100-foot-tall Mount Fuji on the other side of the pond, plant small pines along the pond at its base to create Miho no Matsubara (a scenic spot in Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City), and raise carp and other fish in the pond.
Of the 190 hectares, 100 will remain as pine forest, and the rest will be used for pastures, orchards, and experimental gardens for growing vegetables and flowers. This is my plan, but will I be able to do this? It all depends on my health.
Recently, I have lost a lot of weight. My appetite and sleep are perfect. I stopped eating Japanese food about a year ago because I wanted to give up white rice, but I still use soy sauce regularly. I'm so busy these days that I don't have time to rest. Yesterday, I got home after 7pm after watering the seedbeds. I was tired again this morning. I don't have much time left, so I can't afford to waste even a little bit of free time. A day today is probably comparable to a week when I was young. Because of all this, I don't have any free time, but I feel like I did when I first moved to the US, full of hope.
Perhaps my visit to Japan will come to pass, or it may end as just a dream. This is my destiny. Far from being pessimistic, I think I am a lucky person. I am currently living in the city, but as soon as the telephone line is installed, I will move to the fields, pulling the trailer I am currently living in. I am seven miles from the suburbs, and there are very few houses. The nearest one is about a mile and a half away. It is dangerous for elderly people to live alone in the mountains, but there are sufficient facilities to deal with this, so there is nothing to worry about.
The north of the country has been experiencing rare cold weather in recent years, resulting in hundreds of deaths, but in southern Florida, it is neither too hot nor too cold, and is perfect. However, there is little rain, so farmers are in trouble. My thoughts have changed in many ways over the past few years, but I believe this is the last time. I would like to live as long as possible, at least to 100 years old. First of all, thank you.
January 25, 1961
Rei-san, I want to travel a little to kill time. I haven't decided where to go yet, but I want to start with the West Indies and Central America, which are close by. There are dozens of small, underprivileged countries. They are all Latin and cannot speak English. It will be inconvenient for me, who cannot speak Spanish.
If nothing goes wrong, we'll leave around mid-March. Don't write to me until I give you notice on March 1st. I don't have anything to write, so I'll stop here.
February 5, 1961
(Upper teeth fall out when sneezing)
Thank you for your letter. I am fine except for the constant cold I have. It seems that the temperature in Florida is a little low this winter, but it is not cold.
My teeth have finally healed, but I still feel like food tastes better with them as they are, even though it's a little inconvenient. The most annoying thing is that my upper teeth get loose and pop out every time I sneeze. My sneezes are unusually loud, so the neighbors can hear them. So when I feel like I'm going to sneeze, I quickly remove my upper teeth. Sometimes I sneeze three or four times in a row.
Have you been to Miyazu (Kyoto Prefecture) recently? I sometimes wonder what would have happened if I hadn't come here. In the past, I had big dreams. In fact, I went to the US to earn money to achieve them. I had heard that if I worked hard for about three years, I could bring back about 1,000 yen. At that time, 1,000 yen was a lot of money. The three years passed like a dream. I barely managed to pay off my debt (300 yen for travel expenses), but my pockets were empty. To make matters worse, the person I was interested in had left. (Note 1)
(Note 1) When Sukeji went to the United States, his sponsor told him that if he worked for three years, his debts would be wiped out and he would also receive a bonus. However, his sponsor suddenly passed away, breaking the promise and Sukeji was never able to return home.
Mi-san, there is nothing more mysterious than human destiny. Should I be happy or sad? I don't know. I will be going on a trip in mid-March. Humans are living things, and property is fickle. Even if I die suddenly or end up with nothing, I want Akiko to be able to go to school without worry.
Nothing unusual has happened, so I'll stop here. Please be careful and don't catch a cold. I'm using an electric blanket now. It's light and you can adjust the temperature, so it's very convenient. When I go back to Japan next year, I'd like to buy one for you. Nowadays, most things are made in Japan, so you can't buy souvenirs here by mistake. Goodbye.
February 23, 1961
"The villagers called him a miser and a filial son."
Dear Rei, I received your letter dated the 16th. Your job prospects are not going well, and you are reluctant to get married. I understand your position, but I think you have no choice but to choose one or the other. As I said once before, I think your mother is more concerned about people's rumors than about your marriage.
As long as you don't do anything wrong, there's nothing to worry about. If your parents don't understand, you need to be firm. You have to be stronger. I remember the time before I went to America. I was so focused on trying to restore my family's fortunes that my parents shunned me, and the people in the village called me a miser and a disrespectful son.
I gritted my teeth and endured, thinking, "Just wait and see, you fool." There are many examples of ignorant people who have achieved great things.
<Mr. Kato from the New Japan-America Newspaper Company visits>
I'm a little unsure about my trip so far. The country I'm heading to is an independent country in name only, with barely any roads and an undeveloped country. There's civil war, revolution, constant commotion, and it's quite dangerous. If I join a tourist group, it's cheap, but there are only a few things to see, like the capital and the port. What I want to see is the condition of the indigenous people and the remains of ancient civilizations.
Yesterday, I received an unexpected visit from three compatriots. I was surprised because it was a hot evening and I was lying naked on the couch reading the newspaper.
It had been a long time since I last met my compatriots, so I ended up speaking in English. It was much easier to speak English than Japanese, which I was not familiar with. One of them was Mr. Kato Shinichi, editor-in-chief of the New Japan-America Newspaper Company in Rafu, California. He told me that the newspaper company was going to publish a directory of Japanese Americans in the United States to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Japan. He said that he wanted to use a photo of Mr. Sakai Joh (the leader of the Yamato Colony) in the book, and asked if he could borrow it for a while. I believe that Mikio's (nephew's) English teacher, Ms. Mutsuko Sakai, is a relative of Mr. Sakai. I will definitely return the photo after making a copy. Could you please ask Mikio to do so? This is urgent. I think my trip will be much later.
February 26, 1961
Thank you for the photos of Aki-chan (my niece) and Yoneji (my brother). I stared at them for a long time. Tears flowed endlessly. His cheeks were like apples wet with tears. He cried and clung to me. It was about fifty years ago. "Don't cry. Nii (my brother, Morikami-san) will come back soon." These were our final words.
I think of him. I think of him every day. If only he had been alive, you two would have been happier, and I wouldn't have felt so lonely.
It was warm for a while, but it suddenly became cold again. In the northern part of the country, there was a lot of trouble, even deaths due to flooding caused by melting snow. February is over. The cherry blossoms will soon bloom. I can imagine the commotion in Kyoto. My trip will be delayed a little. It will probably be around mid-March. There is nothing wrong with me. My foot, which I was worried about, is feeling much better.
I have free time, but I hate cooking. I'd like to ask Aki-chan to come over when she gets good at cooking.
March 4, 1961
Thank you for your letter, Aki-chan. How much does a tape recorder for a student cost in Japan? I think it's much cheaper in Japan than here. Televisions seem to be more expensive in Japan. The use of private washing machines is gradually decreasing here. Most people who live in cities go to public laundry facilities (coin laundromats?). You put in 25 or 50 cents and press a button, and up to 10 pounds of laundry is washed clean in just over an hour, rinsed several times, and hung out to dry properly even on rainy days. Then all you have to do is take it home and iron it.
There's no need to spend tens of thousands of yen to buy a machine. I thought there were many places like this in Kyoto. Even in Delray, which has a population of just over 10,000, there are more than 10. Let's start one in Kyoto. I guarantee it will be profitable. It's still as hot as ever. The cool breeze blowing in from the sea makes it not so bad. What time does the new semester start? I think it'll be quite a while. Get plenty of rest.
Reiko, I am going to write an article about Japanese people living in America (Note 2) so I would like you to please not throw away the newspaper and magazine clippings about Japanese people living in Florida that you sent to you and Akiko, but send them all to me by airmail as soon as possible as reference.
(Note 2) It appears that Mr. Kato of the New Japan-America Newspaper Company requested that I write an article about "Japanese people in Florida."
March 8, 1961
Rei-san, I received Sakai Joh's photo this morning. Thank you. It's still early March, but the heat is like June or July. Kyoto has become quite warm, and I think the cherry blossoms have started to bloom. While Japan is booming, we are in a very serious recession, with nearly six million unemployed people barely surviving each day on government assistance. I hope Japan will not be complacent with the consecutive years of good economic conditions, and will tighten its belts. After the good times come the bad.
I can pretty much imagine what the problematic Elegant Dream Story (note 3) is about, but I'd like to read it just to be sure. If you have one, please send it to me.
(Note 3) This refers to Shichiro Fukazawa's novel Furyu Mutan, which was published in the December 1960 issue of the magazine Chuokoron. The novel caused a stir due to its disrespectful content.
Most of the winter visitors had left and it was much quieter.
postscript
It's red snapper season now, and I sometimes buy new rice from the store, put snapper sashimi on it, and eat grated daikon radish. The rice in Kyoto fifty years ago was delicious, but I don't know where it is these days, but the rice here is much better than Japanese rice. Most of the rice imported to Japan is from the United States.
March 27, 1961
<Remembering my elementary school days>
I remember the day of my elementary school graduation. The faces of the 78 classmates come to mind one by one. Since then, I have only met a few of them. When I think that I will never see them again, my eyes well up with tears. The school building has been newly built and there is no trace of it. I received a polite letter of thanks from the mayor of Miyazu for my small donation.
I don't know why I haven't been having dreams lately, but there's nothing more mysterious than dreams. A girl from the neighborhood named Masu-chan suddenly appeared in my dream 60 years ago. She was a year younger than me and we went to different schools, but we often walked home together. I loved Masu-chan.
Masu-chan was the daughter of one of the richest families in the village, and was an innocent and friendly girl. She died at the age of 16 from a cold.
Kyoto will be bustling with tourists day by day. A group of tourists from the United States will be leaving in early April. It took 12 hours by jet from Kuwana and Rafu. I wonder what it will be like in 25 years. I want to live a long life. If you push yourself too hard when you're young, you'll definitely pay the price when you're older. Don't push yourself too hard.
April 17, 1961
Thank you for your letter, Rei-san.
How much does it cost to rent a room in Kyoto? I was told that hotels are too expensive and out of my reach. When I return to Japan, I plan to stay for about a month, one week each in Kyoto and Miyazu, but I may extend it a little longer. I've already returned everything. It would be convenient if I went as part of a tour group at the end of October, but I can't stay long because I don't like the cold. I think it would be better to go in the summer after all.
I'm almost ready. The travel procedures are quite troublesome. My friends are encouraging me to naturalize. It seems easier than it used to be. Once I'm naturalized, it will be easier for you guys to come to the US. By the way, how good is your English? You know some pretty difficult words.
Well, if you have free time, you should study. There is no need to study anything difficult. It is enough to be able to have normal conversations. Languages are very popular in America now. I go to a night school for seniors (coed) in their 50s and 60s. I don't have anything else to write, so I'll stop here.
May 1, 1961
Repainted the exterior of the car
Reiko-san, I haven't heard much from you lately. I hope you're well. Last week I went to Miami and stayed at Yamauchi-kun's house for two nights. It's been a long time since we last saw each other, so we had a lot to talk about. Yamauchi-kun and his family will be returning to Japan next spring and living in their hometown of Mineyama or Miyazu. They have a son's family and one grandchild, but as they get older, they start to miss their hometown.
The paint on that little car I bought three years ago has faded a little, so I had it repainted in Miami. It was Irish gray before, but now it's ivory white, and it looks so much better than it used to be, like a new car. It's like putting on makeup on a woman.
It's about 60 miles to Miami. It's about 30 ri from Japan, and it used to take about an hour and a half to get there by car, but the new road doesn't have any railroad crossings, so it's much faster.
As happens every year, in the summer, everything is on sale. Out-of-season clothing and other items can be bought for about one-third of their original price. While I was in Miami, I bought a small vacuum cleaner, I don't know what they call it in Japan, but I bought it for half the price, 15 dollars. It usually costs 30 dollars.
I've prepared for my trip, but when will I actually go? Sometimes I feel like going, sometimes I don't, my mood changes. I guess it's because I don't have a specific destination in mind. When I receive a kind letter, I suddenly want to go, but when I wait and wait and don't hear anything, I suddenly get fed up. I don't know why. It's my unchanging state of mind. Today is May Day, and I'm sure the cherry blossoms in Kyoto have already fallen.
Watermelons and melons have started to come out here. There has been no rain so they taste great. The middle of the month will be the peak season and prices will be much cheaper.
P.S.: When I go to Japan, I'll stay at a Western-style hotel. I can't bend my legs, so I can't sit, let alone sit cross-legged. I'll probably stay in Kyoto for a month, not a week. I won't know until I see everything. I might not want to go back to America. Just in case, I'm looking into residential areas on the outskirts of Kyoto through the bank.
(Titles omitted)
© 2019 Ryusuke Kawai
