Mitsuyo's Story

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Mitsuyo's Story
by Leon Liang

There was once a saying “With great determination and effort, dreams can be achieved.” Mitsuyo was born in Tokyo, Japan. She was very close to her family. The name Mitsuyo was chosen by a Buddhist priest. Her parents were both Buddhist and decided on the name Mitsuyo, which means “bright light in the world.” Her grandfather was a blacksmith and forged many brilliant swords. Her maiden name, Watanabe, was given by a clan when her grandfather forged a sword for the Tokugawa Shogunate. As a child, Mitsuyo grew up with three younger brothers: Yasusatige, Makoto, and Tamotsu. Mitsuyo was the only girl in her family, so her life was very different from the three boys in the family. Being the only daughter, she said she was spoiled, and was the “princess” of the family. As a child, Mitsuyo followed her mother around the house a lot, helping to cook and take care of the household.

Since Mitsuyo was the only daughter, she looked up to her aunt as a role model. “She was like my big sister,” Mitsuyo exclaimed. Her aunt worked as a librarian at a school. Mitsuyo looked up to her aunt, as she admired her interactions with the children. Mitsuyo wanted to be a teacher ever since she was very little. Mitsuyo was always happy to see little children. Seeing the children brought happiness and joy to her life. When Mitsuyo saw her aunt work with the children, she thought to herself, “I want to be a teacher.”  As Mitsuyo worked her way through school, the dreadful World War II approached and interrupted school life. During the war, studying was less important, as the Emperor made students work and help out their country by picking seeds in the fields for oil.

During the times of World War II, the country invested every resource in the war, and the country became very poor. Japanese officials came into their houses and took what was needed for the military. Rice was scarce and families were hungry. Mitsuyo’s family became very poor during the war, and began trading precious items for rice. Once, Mitsuyo and her mother traveled by train all the way to the countryside to trade her beloved kimono for rice. As people pushed their way to board the train, her mother would make sure that Mitsuyo got on first. Her mother pushed through the crowds, lifted Mitsuyo through the windows, then went around the train and jumped in. “My mother would make sure I got on first,” Mitsuyo somberly recalls. Times were very hard during the war.

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