Reflection: Session 7 – Prof Yamashita (Apr 10)
This was the last of the two-par presentation by Guest Faculty, Prof Yamashita of Pomona College. This session was mostly devoted to the war from 1937-45. It affected the national economy as well as ordinary people severely.
One of the ways how the war affected was through “mobilization”. Under this, Community councils organized local people. Council leaders were businessmen in the town and village heads in the countryside. Home ministry sent out orders to the council leaders who carried out the orders.
This reminds of the concept of Neighborhood Councils (NC) we have here in the Los Angeles area. Under a new charter, the City of Los Angeles is divided into about 90 different NC’s. Each NC is composed of elected members from the communities and gets about $60,000 a year in city funds to be spent local projects. It is a privilege to say that I have been elected multiple terms to our Chatsworth Neighborhood Council.
One of the highlights of today’s presentation was the Prof sharing with us the book he wrote about victims of the war. It is a collection of diaries of the children affected by the war.
DO YOU KNOW THAT:
* In 1944, govt. orders mandatory evacuation of children from the 11 major cities for safety reason.
* In the morning before going to school and night before going to bed, the children, turn towards Tokyo, bow down and say “Good Morning Mom and Dad” and “Good Night Mom and Dad” respectively!! These were the children separated from their parents by the govt. decree.
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