Massachusetts Institute of Technology © 2011 Visualizing Cultures
Site 17: High School
My favorite grandfather
was a soldier
site 17 photo 1.1
1940’s. My Suka grandfather, World War II. I loved my grandfather so much, I dedicated my first book to him.
site 17 photo 1.2
Tatsu Go-Ro, (left) in his late 40’s. He was on the medical team at the hospital, a doctor’s assistant.
site 17 photo 1.3
1930’s. Yamada shoe store. Grandfather says good-bye to the family as he departs for Manchuria, drafted to war in China. He was gone for over a year and came back with malaria.
site 17 photo 2.1
1944 or 45. My mother, 16, and friends work in the aircraft factory during World War II. (l to r): Usui-san, Iijima-san, Hosoya-san, Yamada-san (Mitsuko), Tashiro-san, ?,Sawa-san.
Yamada family shoe store. The banners say: “Tatsu Go-Ro;” “celebrating going to battlefield;” and show the Japanese flag. Little boy, far left, Hiroshi, man standing, second from left, Matsugoro (Grandfather’s brother), women seated, third from left, Saku (Grandfather’s mother), child standing, left of center, Yukiko, infant in woman’s arms, Reiko, woman holding infant, Nami (Grandmother)
site 17 photo 2.2
Mother with her friend Chiyo Mitomi
Mitsuko Yamada and her high school friends worked together in the aircraft factory making Zero fighter planes during World War II.
“One of the girls, Hosoya-san, died from a fire in the factory – an accident in the tool shed where she was working,” My mother said. “It was a cold, cold winter day. I see the others whenever I go back to Japan.”
“I don’t remember their first names. We only used last names, because we were friends – the opposite of in America. We felt very close because we worked together for our country. We believed we could win, but toward the end we knew we were losing the war. We later found out that none of the Zero planes we made could fly...we were just high school girls.”
site 17 photo 2.3
My mother in her high school days, wearing school uniform
site 17 photo 3.1
My mother (back row, far left) with her high school friends (front row, from left to right): Yagima-san, Kobe-san, Iijima-san, and Usui-san
site 17 photo 3.2
My mother (far left) with her high school homeroom class.
site 17 photo 3.3
This is my mother’s 7th grade class. Her high school had grades 7-11. Mother is in the second row, 5th from the right, next to teacher
