Those Days in Muramatsu: One Woman's Memoir of Occupied Japan

Chapter 24: An Accident

CHAPTER 24 AN AN A ACCIDENT CCIDENT Ireceived a letter from Mr. Tsuda, the custodian at the lake at Tennoji, asking me and Lt. Garden to come down and enjoy a day at the lake. Before I delivered the message to Lt. Garden, I asked my husband if I might go. If we were to make the trip, it would necessarily be on a Sunday since it was not an official trip, and I did not feel like leaving home on Sundays. He gave his consent and also gave me an assignment. Food rationing at that time was not delayed, but it consisted mostly of beans. “Again beans!” Ken-chan complained. But it was very hard to buy rice from a farmer. He wouldn’t sell it to people whom he did not know because it was a blackmarket deal. So, it was to obtain rice through Mr. Tsuda’s kind offices that my husband sent me. When we arrived at Mr. Tsuda’s around noon, he and his seventeen-year-old son were anxiously waiting for us. A boat was ready with some Japanese food and beer. Lt. Garden provided some American food, and five of us got in the Japanese-type small boat—Lt. Garden, the driver, Mr. Tsuda with his son, and myself. The boat was rowed by a young man standing at the stern. The two Americans found it curious and interesting. It was a beautiful day with the mild late-October sun shining brightly above. The lake was quite a large one. It took more than two hours to go around it. In the middle part of the lake was a small shallow or two on which reed was thickly growing. “We cut the reed, dry it and thatch the roof with it,” Mr. Tsuda explained. When we went around the shallow we saw several baskets floating on the water. “They are fish-preserves. Let’s have a look into it.” Mr. Tsuda had his son open the lid of one of the baskets. “Not much,” he said. We all looked in turn. There were some hundreds of small carp, busily swimming in the water. They were cute little fish. Mr. Tsuda had opened his boxes and we were enjoying various dishes of fresh vegetables and fish. Mr. Tsuda picked up a piece of tempura (fried fish) with his chopsticks, saying “This is it. This is the tempura of the carp we have just seen.” It tasted good. We went across the lake and came to the mouth of a river. We were amazed to see the water coming up instead of going down into the river. “This lake is below sea-level. Therefore, when the tide is up, water flows in the opposite direction,” Mr. Tsuda explained to us. On the shore was a small fisherman’s house, and there also was a basket or two tied to the pole on the bank. There were many crabs in the baskets, and some of them were quite large. Mr. Tsuda put some into a net bag and said, “Please take this bag with you. These crabs have an excellent taste.” Quite unconscious of their fate, the crabs were moving about grotesquely in the bag. I felt sorry for them. It was already three o’clock and we thought we had better hurry back. The sunshine had a tint of evening hue in it and made the color of the water look more blue and deep. Upon the water was the reflection of white clouds. Beyond the bank of the lake was a stretch of yellowish-green reed. No other boat was seen on this quiet lake. Our boat glided on smoothly, and we sat silent enjoying the landscape. “Look!” said Mr. Tsuda suddenly pointing to the sky above the far end of the lake. Some wild ducks had just flown up. 112 “There are some more on the water.” Yes, there were hundreds of black spots turned into winged birds flying up in the sky. “Oh, wild ducks, wild ducks!” Lt. Garden was excited. “I have been longing to go duck hunting.” When Mr. Tsuda was told that the lieutenant was a good hunter, he suggested, “Why don’t you come back with your gun next time?” “Can I? I have a couple of friends who also love hunting. They will be delighted to join us.” I declined the invitation. Those pretty wild...