Otaki Waac's Impressions Of Japan

Chronicle (Levin), 31 May 1948, Page 2

Otaki Waac's Impressions Of Japan

Just" returned after extensive service with the armed forces, including a year in Japan, Miss R. Ransfieid, of Otaki, last week tol'd I a "Chronicle" representative of , some of her experiences and im-| pressions while in the land of the cherry blossoms. | Quite emphatically, she does ncrc like the Japanese. She had found them very cheeky behind one's back and polite and apologetic to one's face. The women, however, were totally different. Very attractive and most hospitable, tne Japanese housewife aid not come up to the stan'dards of the Wesuern world, said Miss Ransfieid. The interiors of their homes were spoilessly ciean, but in their houseworr; they seemed v.ery slow. She could not understand how the Japanese nation, "with its penchant for copying Western methods, could ablcre by the terrible sanitation systems at present in use. "Rather, cme might say they have no sanitation at all. The sewage is collected, bui it is distributed over the fiel'ds as a fertiliser for the rice," she commented. "The backyards in the few h-ouses which have them ars filthy dumps for all the rubbish which comes out of their homes. The front gardens, however, are altogether different. The flowers and flowering shrubs are all neatly set out and are really beautiful." Asked how the Japanese were reacting to the endeavours to democratise the country, Miss Ransfieid sai'd that it was hard to tell. The people were looking on the Emperor more with the respect paid to our Royalty than with the religious adoration of past decades. The Japanese character was unstable and the people did not think for themselves. Past masters at copying, they appeared to accept .democracy too glibly, as they had accepted the orders of the war lords. Miss Ransfieid found Japan very much like New Zealand in many ways. Geographicaily, it had the same features, mostly mountainous country, fairly temperate climate and a propensity for growing almost anything. During the springtime, she said, the country was a blaze of colour as the cherry buds burst into biossom. The flowering trees and shrubs planted along the streets and in the parks were a most beautiful sight. The summers were quite hot and the winters, although snow was experienced at times, were no col'der than in Wellington. She was stationed at Chofu, on the island of Honchu, and was engaged in services weifare work for the Kiwis, continued Miss Ransfieid. In this town she found very little to impress hef. Most of the houses were built of very lignt wood and were little more than shacks. The barracks where sne was stationed were the only buildings which coul'd be called buildings. She had no complaints to I make in regard to the food or quar•'ters, and appeared to nave been quite happy overseas. "It seems as if I had left Otaki only yesterday," she added. "While in Japan, I was amazed at the amount of bomb damage I saw. I had not reaiised that the country had been so extensively bombed by the Allied air forces. Yes, I saw the atomlc "oomb damage at Hiroshimo," she said in answer to a questiop. "It was terrible. I saw some of the victims and it was not a nice sight. They do not seem to have a hold on their mental faculties and walk round in a daze. The worst, however, are the children. Poor little things, they will neariy all die before long and most of them are covered in terrible sores as a r-esult of the bomb. Hiroshimo itself was just flattened and the people wno survived ar.e in an apathy all the time. There has been very little effort to rehabiiitate themselves. "In most of Japan industry is slowly beginnlng to get back into production. There was hardly a f actory in the whole of the coun.try which was not wiped out oy | our bombers. and now they are finding it difficult to begin reconjstruction with the shortage of raw imateriais." In conclusion, Miss Ransfieid told how she had been to see a 'Japanese opera. The first hour of ;the programme had been all in 'japanese, but she had been able ro ;follow ev.erything -by the gestures. I All the parts, even tne male ones, were playe'd by girls. No men appeared on the stage at all ana she' doubted if they had anything to do with the production of the opera. The cast also staged a vaudeville show in Engiish and it was an exact imitation of a Western production. On Wednesday, the Raukawa Hockey Ciub welcomed Miss Ransfieid back. She was officially welcomed by Messrs. Maremare Tewaru and.W. Nlcols, after which the Pukekaka Maori Party gave several items. Mr. R. Carkeek was M.C.