Quincy (CA 71) - Naval Cruise Book

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.,,,.,4, ,M E,-faq-u l:x!-L . , , 1, i V' f ' E, , . , t ' ' WAR or PEACE JAPANESE LIFE GOES ON E731

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Japanese women carry their infant children papoose fashion. PEOPLE OF NIPPON Far different from what the tourists of 1936 had seen were the Japanese who greeted the Americans who landed on the Isle of Nippon on VJ Day. Peof ple could be seen scurrying about, but not in the same manner that they did before the war. It was not uncommon to see families pushing their worldly belongings before them in small handcarts-searchf ing for a place to liveg to see garden vegetables sprouting from plots that had been scraped clear of rubble, to see a railway station crowded with soldiers who were going home from war. Silk! Kimonas! Highly colored parasols! All of these which were usually associated with this section of the Orient had become a war casualty. Only the Geisha Girls, who themselves were very few in num' ber, wore the traditional kimona. The women seen on the streets were clad in black, billowy trousers and blouses. The western style of dress that most of the men previously had adopted was replaced by the khaki of the army-young and old alike. Wooden sandals were the style in footwareg occasionally, however, a man walked by wearing a pair of beaten and worn leather shoes. Everywhere the American goes, he is interested in souvenirs. Japan was no exception. Armed with yen and copious quantities of cigarettes, candy, and chewing gun, the serviceman went ashore in quest of Japanese products. At first the natives were ref luctant to bring out their wares, but after the first taste of American luxuries they were eager to barter. Children with dirty faces, women with children strapped to their backs papoose fashion, and men of all ages crowded about the American conquerors gesticulating and crying Cigaretto! Chew' Gum! and Chocolate!,' Bartering became so serious and In search of a new home the girl is carting her worldly goods around. This is a typical street scene in Yokosuka. prevalent that it had to be outlawed as black market' ing. These were the japanese which the Americans saw in 1945 . They were far more humble and anxif ous to be friendly than were the ones who pulled the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. 4 I 1. i 1 1 6 9 f. ': i 1 l w 1 1 E 1 1 4 A 'i '1 I

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SI GH TSEEIN 'G A M ERI CANS MEET THEIR DEF EA TED ENEMY , E743