Kenji Comes Home (ca. 1947)

[Music] the [Music] on August 5th 1947 exactly 2 years after an atomic bomb destroyed Hiroshima a trainload of returning soldiers arrived in a Japanese Railroad Station two years after the war and they were still coming back from far away outposts on Pacific Islands from prison camps from hospitals the conquered men the disillusioned and the weary men The Men Who would have to build a new Japan another train another shipment of hopeful soldiers who searched for familiar faces another formal speech of Welcome from another mayor to Heroes who were no longer heroic this was the homecoming of Kenji marawa there were no relatives to greet him there were no friends only the faces of strangers occupied with their own problems their own Sorrows or joys [Music] even the city that he had known so well was a stranger a place where Familiar streets had disappeared as though by Magic leaving only ruins behind impersonal and bleak [Music] it was impossible for him to believe that a house had once stood here a house where people had gotten up in the morning and gone to work had eaten meals and gone to bed at night impossible to believe that this had been his house his family that this was all that was left of home this little teac Kettle how well he remembered it it seemed only yesterday that it was singing Merrily on a stove while his mother prepared tea for the family [Music] every night just before bedtime they used to play a game of Go Grand grandf father always won because they let him [Music] win Kenji would never forget that last night at home the night before he left for the Army it was a solemn moment as they all knelt before the family Shrine and prayed that the gods would find Kenji worthy of sacrifice to the sun Emperor yes they pray prayed but his mother cried was it yesterday or a 100 years ago that this book had lay on the little shelf in his bedroom and the snapshot where were those school boy comrades now [Music] school days have been good days dat of faith of security and shess the teacher was a superior whose authority could not be questioned he was treated with deference and humility you listened you obeyed and you believed Japan must expand to survive the sun Emperor has said it the sun Emperor is divine our destiny is to Rule the World We Will Conquer We Will Conquer The Emperor has said it the emperor is dividing fine War Destiny Conquest yes yes yes the friends of the snapshot are gone now along with the fanatical belief in the Holiness of war the underlying faith in the gods themselves for the gods of Shinto had betrayed Kenji Kenji and all the people of Japan the old gods had somehow lost face and there were no new ones to replace them there was not even faith in a future in this world of ruins of inflation and unemployment this world of Thieves and black marketeers of Beggars and War orphans [Music] [Music] the boy's name was shirou and he was like a lonely puppy who had found a friend Kenji had found a friend too a friend who was hungry and the next day he started looking for work but finding a job wasn't easy unemployment was widespread if a man heard of a job he told a friend about it and Kenji was a stranger in the city he had once called home and then Shiro told Kenji about a factory which had just reopened last week [Music] but it was always the same story most of the factories that had not been destroyed in the war were still shut down and the ones that were open again had all the help they needed the days of searching were long and weary and what little money Kenji had was almost gone now he became so hopeless that even Shiro's boyish encouragement had little effect on him and then as he looked again at the old snapshot he remembered Tomo his friend Tomo who had written down his address here on the picture so many years ago Tomo would know what to do Tomo would help him the address wasn't far away just on the other side of town [Music] the young woman who opened the door was Aki Tomo's sister Kenji was overjoyed to see her and ask for tomio but tamamo was dead killed in the war Aki spoke gently and quietly it had happened early in the war somewhere in the Pacific but there were so many who had died Kenji could hardly speak he could only say he was sorry and leave as Aki and her mother watched him go they sensed something of his loneliness and despair they decided to ask him to visit them and to bring shirou too how about next Sunday afternoon Kenji was touched by their friendliness and gratefully accepted with a renewed courage Kenji continued his search for work and at last he found a job in a small machine shop a job for Kenji meant lonely days for shirou but there would be money for food now and a rent Ed room that they could call home it was good to be at work again to feel useful and wanted to do something that wasn't aimed to destroy other human beings and it was good to find new friends men who gave him a helping hand or a word of advice for the first time since his return Kenji began to believe that there was such a thing as a future but the future for Kenji and for all the people of Japan brought problems the problems of a new way of life called democracy today for example the workers in the shop were meeting to form a labor union an American army officer was on hand and the men wondered what he would order them to do the Americans were their masters now and they were ready to serve them but the officer gave no orders he said he was here to help them to help themselves a labor union was a democratic Institution in which free people could join together and protect their rights as workers they could do their own organizing elect their own leaders it was their Union Kenji listened he was pleased but he was puzzled and so were the others this was something new they were used to leaders who issued orders while they had only to obey if they were not told what to do how would they know how to act this democracy seemed good but it was very confusing meanwhile shirro had decided that if Kenji could work so could he he could be a businessman too [Music] but shirro had forgotten that among the boys of the streets there was only only one law the law of the jungle as Kenji came home from work that night he felt happier than he had been in years he had a job friends neighbors a [Music] home and chero [Music] shirou had been beaten and robbed of his earnings in the broad light of day this could never have happened in the old Japan Kenji was thinking but the old Japan was gone and this New Japan disorderly chaotic was this democracy at work the next day Kenji was silent and worried what kind of country had he returned to what kind of future was in the making one thing sure he wasn't going to let shirou turn into one of these Lawless boys of the street to begin with the boy was going to have new clothes at least he wouldn't look like a street urchin [Music] on the following Sunday Kenji and Shiro went to visit Aki and her mother [Music] it had been a long time since Kenji had known the warm feeling of being welcome in a friend's home and there was something about these friends a kindliness and a Tranquility that made their home a happy place to be they were strangely different from the women of old Japan just as polite but Freer to be themselves they were really interested in Kenji and they were concerned about shirou too what had happened how had he hurt his hand Kenji told them how shirou had tried to be a Sho shine boy how he wished that shirou might go to a good school and receive the kind of care he needed Aki knew of a school that would be just the place for sherro it was a Christian School yes Aki and her mother were Christians even shirou had noticed the picture on the [Music] wall shirou's first day at the new school was a happy occasion for everybody but shirou he was full of doubts who were these strangers what were they going to do to him [Music] he felt better when he saw [Music] Aki and when he got into a baseball game he felt still better even during the war baseball had continued to be Japan's favorite sport and shirou felt thoroughly at home with a bat in his hands Kenji went back to work happy and confident that chiro would be cared for he didn't quite understand why these people these Christians should be so kind to him but he asked no questions there were other questions to occupy Kenji now this Union for [Music] example the chairman was a good man and well-liked but he was no leader he didn't tell them what to do he asked them for suggestions and ideas but they didn't seem to have any except for one man and a couple of his friends this man had ideas big ones ideas that he believed in ideas he was willing to fight and die for ideas that he wanted to spread far and wide in this war torn troubled country ideas that could take easy route with a people who had long been used to a strong voice of authority and when that voice promised more jobs more houses more money Kenji along with the rest of them listened they listened and they liked what they heard here at last was a leader and when the chairman called for a vote the voice of authority won its first battle in the fight against the freedom of the individual keni was impressed this man his friend and comrade had spoken forcefully he seemed to know the problems that faed this new Japan to see the need for order and reform and action positive [Music] action and then Kenji fell in love he couldn't have said just when it happened or exactly why it wasn't just that Aki was beautiful and intelligent he met beautiful girls before intelligent ones too it was something else about her a quality that seemed to radiate out toward people toward the world itself a kindliness a warmth she had a sort of dignity too a quiet sureness about her own value as a person and yet he had never known her to be conceited or proud she was interested in everything and so was he and so naturally they never seemed to get through talking one afternoon instead of walking in the park they went to the university where Aki was studying [Music] at first Kenji felt ill at ease his own education had been cut short by the war and he' been taught that teachers were Superior beings who must be deferred to but these professors were different they were human beings they didn't talk down to their students they talked with them as equals they were friends as well as instructors the science lab made Kenji thoughtful science could discover penicillin or make an adom bomb save lives or take them it all depended on people if all people were like Aki and her mother if all people were kind and generous perhaps there would be no Wars maybe that sort of kindness could only exist where people were free to think for themselves without fear without orders from above free to disagree and argue and compromise in the library it was the same thing no books were banned no forbidden political or religious philosophies here in a Christian College there were books on Buddhism Judaism or muhammadanism books on communism democracy or socialism here a man could read anything he wished and come to his own decisions here was the book about Christianity the Bible the basis for Aki's Faith Kenji was curious what was in this book that was so important on the following Sunday Kenji and Aki went visiting again this time to the home of Aki's friend the Protestant minister Kenji had started reading the Bible it interested him but he had lots of questions and so Aki had suggested that he go talk with the minister himself the idea of questioning a religious man about his faith seemed very rude to him and at first he felt embarrassed but The Minister's friendliness and informality soon put him at ease the minister talked simply and quietly without trying to force anyone to accept this faith of his and Kenji relaxed and listened thoughtfully at Union meetings Kenji listened too here he learned about another kind of religion whose God was a state this idea was equally puzzling to him and he wanted to learn more about it his friend had answers to his questions answers delivered with a voice of authority a man must give himself to the state this was the only road to Economic Security and happiness one day Kenji anaki attended a discussion group at Aki's Church the subject for debate was communism versus democracy and their relation to Christianity Kenji was excited and interested now at last he was going to watch these two opposing beliefs fighted out in an open discussion maybe now he would be able to clear up his own questions and decide what he believed in because Kenji had reached a point now where he felt he had to make a choice he had to believe in something the debate raged back and forth Kenji grew so excited that he wanted to talk himself but he was awkward and shy and words failed him [Music] meanwhile kenji's friend at the shop gave him some reading to do too kenji's mind was hungry for ideas these days and he took the pamphlets eagerly hoping that here he would find an answer the Communists had an answer one that was as clearly stated at Labor rallies as it was in their pamphlets their arguments were persuasive the capitalists had used democracy as a means to their own ends they had robbed the workers and the the workers had only one recourse to seize power themselves by trickery by Lies by Bloodshed it didn't matter [Music] how to a man in Kenji shoes these arguments were appealing ones they promised him Economic Security such as he had never known all he had to do was believe and Obey let the state be his protector his benefactor and his God pro promises security food jobs houses health and happiness yours Kenji join us comrade fight [Music] fight that night Kenji could not sleep the words of the speakers at the rally echoed in his mind like the beat of drums and Marshal music food jobs houses fight join us fight these were words that he had heard before promises that had been made before other leaders other rallies before the war the same faith in violence the same hysteria sweeping the crowd the same waving banners the same cheers here were the books that promised things jobs houses Health these were important but was happiness only a matter of comfort and well-being the Bible said there was something more and Kenji wondered the next day was Sunday and Kenji and Aki went to church to Kenji this seemed to be a meeting too it was not a very large one and the speaker talked quietly without frenzy and yet there was an atmosphere here that Kenji liked he felt at peace with himself and with the world perhaps this man had an answer too he suggested that love not violence might reshape man's world that Spirits as well as bodies might need food that a state was made up of individual Souls each responsible to himself and to his God and Kenji was thinking I have no God but perhaps I could find him if I tried kenji's friend at the shop became more powerful and finally took over leadership of the Union the Democratic principles of good trade unionism which the American officer had described were lost sight of and forgotten the union became a political organization it told the men what to think and do not only on the job but after working hours too Kenji objected a man should be free to choose his own political beliefs a Union's purpose was to protect its members not to dictate their politics yes Kenji objected and he got into trouble to the Communist leaders Kenji had become a dangerous man a man who dared to disagree and communism unlike democracy has only one solution for a desender liquidation complete and absolute if you're not for us you're against [Music] us a man's machine can be tampered with so that he'll be fired for inefficiency on the job a friend can betray you because friendship doesn't matter honesty doesn't matter moral issues are unimportant because the end justifies the means only the welfare of the state [Music] counts and so now keni was back where he started from jobless and alone but he was not quite alone he still had Aki and she was proud of his courageous action perhaps the university could help him there might be a scholarship or some job for him there a disappointment awaited them there were no scholarships available and funds were low barely enough to keep the school going but there was even worse news in store for Kenji Aki was going away to a teacher College in Tokyo she had postponed telling him as long as she could but the day of her departure was close now and he would have to know Kenji took the news fatalistically he might have known that things would turn out this way Aki tried to cheer him but she felt sad herself on the day of Aki's departure Kenji and cherro went to the station to say [Music] goodbye and it was a sad day for Kenji without Aki he'd feel lost and Aki too was worried she smiled but she wondered what would happen to him as much as he might like the Democratic way of life would he have strength enough to fight for it in his confusion he would need guidance and he would also need a job she prayed that there was something the church could do something that America could do for Kenji and the millions of young men like [Music] him here in this railroad station is where kenji's story began but it doesn't end here in his time of trouble Kenji is turning to the church where he has found friends and the beginning Faith what the church can do for Kenji depends on us you and I will write the ending of kenji's story together [Music]