Who would have guessed that an old, undated letter from Okinawa would be the link to the past? A letter that would bring those who have lived in times far different from ours to life--and all through a simple email request from Dad, asking Jun to translate an old Japanese letter into modern English. Now this letter bonds our family together in a quest to unravel an exciting mystery of our heritage and past!This is very much in answer to questions I posted in an earlier blog "We Were Here." In that blog, I opened left the door open for comments about our life's journey, and the "messages in stone" or legacies that we should record and leave with our loved ones to show that "We Were Here!"... legacies that would inspire our future generations with a sense of passion and purpose!
Little did we know that we would discover such a "Message in Stone." Below you will find the emails and translations that started it all! I would like everyone to contribute to this blog by telling their side of the story--Aunty Amy, your conversations with Jeanette Lee at Aunty Adele's funeral ... Dad, your conversations with Aunty Amy and Grandma Masako ... and the finding of ... The Letter.
The Quest is on!
Date: Sun, 18 May 2008 19:30:20 -0700
From: lyonashiro@yahoo.com
Subject: Mata Onegaishimasu
To: junito610@hotmail.com
CC: vickie_ito@hotmail.com
Hi Jun!
I hope things are going well for you and Vickie. We enjoyed our trip to Utah. Thank you both so much for taking such good care of us when we were there.
Sorry, I have another request for translation for my Mother. There is no rush, and please only do it if you have the time.
We believe this is an old letter from Hiroko Teruya? from Yonabaru in Okinawa. We are trying to find out if she is the person that took care of our Uncle Adaniya on his trip to Okinawa. Please also let us know if there is a date in this letter. Also, we're not sure of Uncle Adaniya's first name, maybe Kame? Uncle Adaniya was married to Chio Yonashiro, my father's sister. Their children are Donald (Noboru), Gladys (Yuriko), and Jenette (maybe Hiroko?).
Please verify the name of the lady that took care of Uncle Adaniya. We need to find out if she is still alive. Uncle Adaniya, Chio, and Gladys have already passed away, but Jennette wants to find out.
So, onegaishimasu! When you have the time, please translate as much as you can of this letter.
Thank you so much.
Dad
From: junito610@hotmail.com
To: lyonashiro@yahoo.com
Subject: RE: Mata Onegaishimasu
Date: Sun, 18 May 2008 23:07:56 -0600
Hi Dad,
This letter was written by Ushi, who is the mother of 2 daughters, Eiko and Hiroko. All three of them live in Okinawa. Ushi's family live in Hawaii. Noboru is her younger brother. She also has a father, mother, and younger sister(s), who are mentioned in the letter, but not by name. It looks like everyone but Ushi was able to go to Hawaii. We don't know the reason why she was left behind, but it sounded like it was due to the family's indigent circumstances. She does mention 'Grandma and Grandpa Yonashiro,' who we think were in Hawaii at the time.
There was one kanji that we didn't know--indicated by a (--) sign. They saw (--) of Grandma and Grandpa Yonashiro (something that they possibly made) and Eiko received a (--) machine.
Please see attached! (see below!)
Thanks!
Jun
Jun's English Translation of The Letter...
Page 1
It’s now into the rainy season and we’ve been having a gloomy weather over here. How are you doing in the island of Hawaii? It’s been a while since I contacted you. How are father, mother, and my lovely sister(s) doing? The three of us, as a family, are enjoying our lives, so please don’t worry about us.
I have been separated from father since I was little, and I have only seen his face in the picture, so I recognize his face when I see the pictures. But, it is my strong desire to see my father in real life and talk to him about many things.
When my lovely brother visited Okinawa, when I saw him, I felt so glad, and also had sort of a melancholic feeling that I couldn’t even sleep that night. Father, Mother, like many others, I sometimes worry about things in my life, but I feel that I am a really happy person. My brother “Noboru,” whom I saw for the first time, is very smart and treated me as a real sister. In addition, he also took a good care of Eiko and Hiroko. Even though it was a short visit, my heart is filled with gratitude like I can’t describe in this letter.
Page 2
I guess this is because Noboru is such a man of character, and also you, Father and Mother, you two must have told him that I am a real sister of his. There is no joyful thing better than this. I strongly regret that I missed the opportunity to tell him how I feel. Since I feel happy to know that I had such a wonderful brother, please tell Noboru how happy I am to be able to see him. We had a wonderful time together going on a picnic.
Hiroko just started going to high school. I’m planning on working hard because I want her to have a good education, not like me. Because Eiko was born as an older sister, we couldn’t really help her because of the life style we had back then. But now, since Eiko is helping me a lot, I’m hoping that a least my youngest one will have an education. If I said this, it might sound ironic to you, my father, but that is not my intent. As a parent myself, I understand the love parents have towards their children. Back then, in that situation, it couldn’t be helped. But, please good take care of my younger brother and sister.
Page 3
Date: Sun, 18 May 2008 11:48 PMPlease tell them that I saw (----) of Grandpa and Grandma Yonashiro. I almost forgot this because my letter is so lengthy—I received $20 from Noboru and $30 from Father and Mother. Eiko and Hiroko were so overjoyed and excited! Eiko received a (-----) machine and Hiroko got a bag and a big present. Please imagine how happy they are.
For now, please take care of yourself. Under the Okinawan sky, I pray that you have wonderful days.
To Father and Mother, and my lovely sister,
From Ushi, Eiko, and Hiroko
Until next time, Sayonara.
From: lyonashiro@yahoo.com
Subject: Doomo Arigatoo Gozaimashita!
To: junito610@hotmail.com
CC: vickie_ito@hotmail.com
Jun!
Thank you so much! That letter brought tears to my eyes. This must have been right after the war, and as you know, Okinawa was devastated. There was so much poverty and suffering. Yet the letter seemed so uplifting and bright, amid the darkness that you know was all around them. Good job on the translation! I think you captured the mood of the letter very well. You are a very good writer!
Now I am really interested! We need to find out if there are more letters from Hiroko. What happened to her and her family? Is she still alive? What has become of her children? And who exactly is Noboru - is he Uncle Adaniya? And how does that make her related to my Obaban and Ojichan? The letter seems to be addressed to them, and yet, it was sent to my Mother.
Now I have a flood of questions. This is like a portion out of a wartime novel of Okinawa!
Thank you so much! Now the investigation begins....
Love,
Dad
9 comments:
That is amazing Vickie! It's seriously like reading a novel...
I couldn't find Jeanette Lee's phone number, so I mailed the letter to her today. We'll see what happens next...
The letter is so heartfelt, while she is uplifting, there is a sense of deep sadness behind it. That's so great that Jun can translate our family letters! Thank you for this!
This is priceless.... I think I may have one or two letters collected in Japanese too... Jun, great translation. Ryan and I watched Japanese anime movies, 'Grave of the Fireflies' and 'Millennium Actress', both reminded me of our forgotten/lost history......... ties severed between geography... Poetic, sad and beautiful writing styles. Thank you, glad you're on blogging Vickie! Need to get mine up and running......thanks for the motivation! Love ya!
05/20/08
Today Aunty Jeanette called to discuss the letter. She clarified many points. First of all, Uncle Adaniya may have had an illegitimate daughter in Okinawa before he came to Hawaii. We believe that was Ushi. We do not know who Ushi's mother was, and perhaps Ushi did not either. The other possibility is that Ushi's mother was killed in the Battle of Okinawa. Ushi might have known Grandma Yonashiro as a girl in Okinawa.
Uncle Adaniya came to Hawaii and married Chio Yonashiro (my Aunty). They had three children: Donald (Noboru), Gladys (Yuriko), and Jeanette. We think that Uncle Adaniya was older than Obaban and Ojichan Yonashiro, and perhaps so was Ushi.
The letter is addressed from Ushi to Mother and Father / Grandma and Grandpa Yonashiro, perhaps out of respect if Ushi did not know her real mother, and thus may not have known who her Grandparents were on her mother's side in Okinawa.
Uncle Adaniya's son, Noboru, is most likely the one mentioned in the letter who visited Okinawa. Noboru was in the US military and stationed in Japan. Perhaps this was when he visited Okinawa. This was probably in the 1950's. Noboru was thus Ushi's step brother.
Aunty Jeanette remember's that Ushi visited Maui once. She was still working at the Sheraton Hotel in Lahaina whan Grandma Yonashiro popped in and introduced her to Ushi for a brief time. So apparently, since Grandma Yonashiro seemed to be hosting Ushi, they may have known each other.
Aunty Jeanette also remembers that Ushi's daughter visited Maui twice. Once she came with two other men, but we don't know if they were relatives or not. We believe that this daughter may have been Hiroko, because according to the letter, Hiroko was the only one of her family to get an education. We also believe that Hiroko wrote "the letter" on Ushi's behalf, since the envelope had Hiroko's name on the return address. Aunty Jeanette remembers taking them to the Lahaina Cannery Mall and other places in Lahaina.
Here's an email message Jun wrote to Dad. Jun also found out that the unknown kanji in the letter was "camera." See Jun's letter below!
From: junito610@hotmail.com
To: lyonashiro@yahoo.com
Subject: RE: Doomo Arigatoo Gozaimashita!
Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 16:53:31 -0600
Thank you dad, for your help!
I was looking at the envelop that you sent us today with my Japanese friend at school and found that the letter was probably sent in 1972. Attached is the close-up of the stamp where we see the number 72--meaning 1972. I could also see the number 4, which I assumed that the date the letter was sent was probably the 4th of May or June because Okinawan rainy season is a month earlier than other parts in Japan (July in Okinawa is summer season). Then, I went to the Wikipedia and found that 1972 May 12 is the date that the Okinawa was officially returned back to Japan from US. Since the stamps on the letter still indicates 'Cents' instead of 'Yen,' I assume it was May 4th 1972. (However, there is a possibility people might still have been using stamps with cents shortly after Okinawa was return back to Japan.)
What do you think dad?
jun
Good catch, Jun! I completely forgot about Okinawa's reversion to Japan in 1972. It was quite a big deal then. I didn't even notice that the stamps were in cents instead of yen.
Also, on the Stamp, Mom thought she saw a "1.4.72". Does this mean January 4, 1972? Does anyone else see the "1"?
Also, here's the email that Jun sent regarding the mysterious kanji character:
...
I found that the Kanji I wasn't sure what it was was an old kanji for 写真（shashin), meaning "Photo." So, Ushi was shown the "picture" of Yonashiro ojichan and obachan.
For another missing blank, one of her daughter receive 写真機(shashin ki), which is a camera as a gift.
...
From Jun
Here's the email that Jeanette Lee sent regarding this project. Solomon Lee Jr. is Jeanette's husband.
...
From: "SOLOMON LEE JR" soljan60@hawaiiantel.net
To: "Larry Yonashiro" lyonashiro@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Envelope
Date: Thu, 22 May 2008 10:18:12 -1000
Hi Larry,
I cannot thank you and your daughter/son-in-law for all the help. It has been an enlightening experience to know that it may be possible to contact my family in Okinawa. It gives me goose bumps just feeling the joy and excitement. It also gives me a sense of a satisfying feeling of connection and nostalgia to be in touch with my cousins again. Noboru is planning to write to them and I , too, will. I will let you know about the progression on our side of this project and I know you will, also. Thank you, again, soooo much. Say hi to Patti for me, missed you all at the funeral.
Jeanette
And from Aunty Amy...
From: "tom mizuno" tom_mizuno@hotmail.com Add Mobile Alert
To: "Larry Yonashiro" lyonashiro@yahoo.com
Subject: RE: Envelope
Date: Sat, 24 May 2008 11:21:59 -1000
Hi Larry and Patty,
I'm so happy with the outcome of the "letter" and all that followed and so pleased that Jeanette can finally connect with her cousins on the Adaniya side....seems to have been a missing link. Thanks to Jun for the interpretation...great job. Now, we wait for the next chapter of this interesting saga.....
Love, Amy
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