Manchurian Legacy: Memoirs of a Japanese Colonist
byKazoko Kuramoto
Kazuko Kuramoto was born and raised in Dairen, Manchuria, in 1927, at the peak of Japanese expansionism in Asia. Dairen and the neighboring Port Arthur were important colonial outposts on the Liaotung Peninsula; the train lines established by Russia and taken over by the Japanese, ended there. When Kuramoto's grandfather arrived in Dairen as a member of the Japanese police force shortly after the end of the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, the family's belief in Japanese supremacy and its "divine" mission to "save" Asia from Western imperialists was firmly in place. As a third-generation colonist, the seventeen-year-old Kuramoto readily joined the Red Cross Nurse Corps in 1944 to aid in the war effort and in her country's sacred cause. A year later, her family listened to the emperor's radio broadcast ". . . we shall have to endure the unendurable, to suffer the insufferable." Japan surrendered unconditionally.
Manchurian Legacy is the story of the family's life in Dairen, their survival as a forgotten people during the battle to reclaim Manchuria waged by Russia, Nationalist China, and Communist China, and their subsequent repatriation to a devastated Japan. Kuramoto describes a culture based on the unthinking oppression of the colonized by the colonizer. And, because Manchuria was, in essence, a Japanese frontier, her family lived a freer and more luxurious life than they would have in Japan--one relatively unscathed by the war until after the surrender.
As a commentator Kuramoto explores her culture both from the inside, subjectively, and from the outside, objectively. Her memoirs describe her coming of age in a colonial society, her family's experiences in war-torn Manchuria, and her "homecoming" to Japan--where she had never been--just as Japan is engaged in its own cultural upheaval.
Manchurian Legacy is the story of the family's life in Dairen, their survival as a forgotten people during the battle to reclaim Manchuria waged by Russia, Nationalist China, and Communist China, and their subsequent repatriation to a devastated Japan. Kuramoto describes a culture based on the unthinking oppression of the colonized by the colonizer. And, because Manchuria was, in essence, a Japanese frontier, her family lived a freer and more luxurious life than they would have in Japan--one relatively unscathed by the war until after the surrender.
As a commentator Kuramoto explores her culture both from the inside, subjectively, and from the outside, objectively. Her memoirs describe her coming of age in a colonial society, her family's experiences in war-torn Manchuria, and her "homecoming" to Japan--where she had never been--just as Japan is engaged in its own cultural upheaval.
Product details
ASIN : 0870137255
Publisher : Michigan State University Press (30 September 2004)
Language : English
Paperback : 189 pages
ISBN-10 : 9780870137259
ISBN-13 : 978-0870137259
Dimensions : 15.24 x 1.27 x 22.86 cm
Customer Reviews: 4.8 out of 5 stars 27 ratings
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Review
"Kuramoto's record of her journey is emotionally powerful and historically important."
About the Author
Kazuko Kuramoto lives in Ontario, Oregon. She taught Japanese from 1979 until her retirement in 1992, when she returned to college and earned her degree from Eastern Oregon State University. She maintains a website that is a companion to her book: www.manchurianlegacy.com
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Dalcassian
5.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent, moving memoir full of history
Reviewed in the United States on 8 June 2016
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The life and times of Manchuria and Japan from the pre-war to post-war eras are made physically and emotionally real in one person's memory of life and love and loss. This book, while not a literary masterpiece, is still strikingly good as a memoir, a history, and a slice of human experience. At its best, Ms. Kuramoto's book is similar to, or even better than, "Gone With the Wind", functioning as a tale, but a non-fictional one, of a uniquely determined woman survivor from the defeated and wrong side of a war. But in Ms. Kuramoto's case, the book is also of someone who is far more aware than the real Margaret Mitchell and fictional heroine Scarlett O'Hara that her own side was that of an oppressor. Even at its worst, Manchurian Legacy still holds up at as an honest account reaching the level of penetrating journalism and biography.
Criticisms and weaknesses: I am perhaps overemphasizing the downside at this point to detail some issues that a reader may find off-putting or disappointing. For example, many interesting details from the author's childhood (e.g., interest in ballet, episodes in school) are only told after she is an adult and while she is remembering them during her adult period instead of giving us a full picture of them during the unfolding of the childhood part of her story. There is also not a lot of interpersonal dramatic tension in the narrative's style even though after she settles in Japan following the family's expulsion from Manchuria she faces social and economic deprivation, deep moral compromises, tense reunions, family alienation, bigotry, and abusive personalities. The story is a little too blandly told just at the point we can really get a "Gone With the Wind" sweep. There are also minor odd turns of phrase that sound like leftovers from English as a second (actually third for the author) language, or are simply bad edits. In general, though, her use of language -- English -- is mostly clear and rather compelling.
Finally, on the more profound downside is a recurring sense that despite her intellectual realization of Japan's abusive rule in China (of which her father was a part despite being a decent and kind person in his own sphere, and respectful of the local Chinese), nevertheless the author did and does emotionally look down on the Chinese, and deeply resents their takeover of the place of her idyllic childhood. To a degree some of that emotion is understandable because expelling the Japanese of Manchuria, innocent and guilty, young and old, native and colonist may have amounted to one revenge too far. And worse, the direct terror and violence the Japanese settlers experienced from the newly liberated Chinese - and the author's family especially - was quite brutal. ("Colonist" in the title may contain a bit of willful irony as Manchuria was her only known home.)
The sense of a continued anger and even condescension towards the Chinese from the author is supported in an encounter she has just before she and her family leave Manchuria. In that episode, the author's anger causes her to snarl contemptuously at a Chinese customer to the point that he in turn unjustifiedly slaps her, while somewhat more justifiably calling her a Japanese snob b*tch. Her narrative shows no regret then or now at her own admitted provocative rudeness. Also, interestingly, she never apparently has tried to go back to the hometown of Dairen in Manchuria though the doors have been wide open for decades.
The above critical thoughts are ponderings that arise from the fact that this book is a profound and eminently readable one that makes you think and feel and learn, and those issues do not detract from the book's powerful value as a collection of eye-opening and historically important memories.
Ms. Kuramoto's memoir should be assigned in schools in subject areas ranging from literature to history to anthropology/sociology. It also should be read by anyone looking to capture, and be captured by, the different experiences of human lives throughout this world, today and yesterday.
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David T. Yu
4.0 out of 5 stars point of view of a Chinese raised in Hong Kong
Reviewed in the United States on 21 November 2013
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How you react to this book depends on your ethnic background. I am a Chinese born during the Sino-Japanese war. My parents and their generation suffered immensely from the war, and some of them were burnt by personal experience under the Japanese occupation. There is a general anti-Japanese sentiment among them, which is being transmitted to the later generations. The current generation of Chinese are also greatly influenced by the anti-Japenese propaganda which are being viewed everyday in movies and TV series. In all these media, Chinese were depicted as courageous victims, and Japanese as brutal and somewhat inefficient invaders. This book allows us to see the world again from a different perspective. The author was one of the colonists in Japan-occupied Manchuria. She viewed Manchuko as much as a British would view Hong Kong at the height of the colony under British occupation. Just as the British at that time, she would view the Japanese occupiers as benefactors to the backward society of their Chinese citizens, upgrading their standard of living as well as education. This book is especially moving because the author also describes in very personal terms the changes of her feelings during the collapse of the Japanese empire, and her exodus to the U.S. She reminds us that each of us is an individual first, a nationalist second. This book would benefit all those who view themselves as being benevolent occupiers, as well as all those who consider themselves suffering from foreign intrusions.
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J. Wu
5.0 out of 5 stars A precious memoir, recording the end of an era.
Reviewed in the United States on 17 November 2013
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As a native Dalianian, when I heard of this book, I felt this is the one I have long been looking for, the real story about my hometown.
Born in one of its suburban counties, I moved to the City of Dalian at the age of eight in the 70's, though had travelled through it on my way to Beijing every year before. It's a unique city, different from any other one in China. Its European style architectures, its numerous public plazas, connected by tree-lined boulevards, all are such a contrast with a typical Chinese city, whether it's Shanghai, Beijing, or Canton. And the aroma of acacia filled the streets in early summer.
Why is it so different. It's all owing to its colonial past. However, the Japanese colonists, who were central to its birth and rise, by then were all long gone. In the school, what we learned were just how bad Japanese colonists were. The official narratives were, they were all beasts and criminals, greedy rapists, and only after they were rid of the city got its life. However, little by little, I found out it's not the whole story, not even twenty percent true.
This memoir, from a young Japanese Dalian native's perspective, recorded her last three years in Dalian. The end of the war, the Soviet invasion, the chaos, the famine, the struggle to survive and final repatriation, or rather the exile, to Japan. This book might be the first in its kind. With the old Japanese Dairenians diminishing every day, and this part of history still a taboo in China, and forgotten in the West, this may well be the last.
I do recommend my fellow Dalianians to read this book, to learn about our hometown's real story, not be blinded by the ultra-nationalism which dominates people's mindset in China.
On the other hand, I do wish the author could have provided more details, especially on the interactions between different ethnic groups in the city.
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Alex
5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, informative, and very moving
Reviewed in the United States on 18 April 2013
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I'm not one to normally read nonfiction. In fact, my favorite book is typically something in the speculative fiction genre, whether sci-fi, or fantasy, or something else along a similar vein. I was assigned to read this book for a class, and to my surprise, I like it. I don't just like it, it may possibly be one of my new favorite books, and certainly the most moving that I remember reading in a very long time.
This memoir is the story of a young Japanese girl growing up in the city of Dairen, in what is today China and was at the time Manchuria. It tells the story of growing up as a Japanese colonist, of colonial life during WW2, life in Manchuria after Japan's unconditional surrender, and finally life back on the Japanese mainland. The writing flows easily, making what could easily have been a very dense and somber topic turn into a gripping page-turner. You really feel for the author, for the struggles that she and her generation had to undergo as a result of a war that they never truly wanted or even understood. It paints a stark and realistic picture of life in Manchuria and Japan, but it doesn't just show life in a particular period. The book is also a coming of age story, made especially riveting by the internal turmoil Japan was undergoing, and the fact that the author is a woman, a class that had been largely powerless even in the decades prior to WW2.
Despite its topic, and the fact that as I already mentioned the book is very moving, it is not a depressing read. It paints a balanced picture of life, with moments of great sadness as well as happiness and even comedy. For those approaching this from a more historically inclined angle, the book offers a valuable contribution to Japanese history by showing a very unique perspective of a colonist, a young person, and a woman. It shows the tension between colonists and the colonized in Manchuria, the complex relationship that developed between Japanese and the American occupation, and the mindset of two generations of Japanese, as well as much more. And it accomplishes all this while being very readable and enjoyable. I highly recommend this book to everyone.
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Michael M. Danziger
5.0 out of 5 stars As compelling and poignant as it is historically significant
Reviewed in the United States on 3 October 2014
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If you are even remotely considering reading this book, read it. You won't be disappointed.
After finishing this book, I really can't tell whether its extraordinary quality comes more from the uniqueness and power of the story or from how well it's told. Though finding a first-person narrative of the Japanese colonial civilian experience in Manchuria at the end of the war is in itself extraordinary, the story is much broader than that. It follows the author through Japan and onward to America's doorstep. The confusion and humiliation of the Occupation are poignantly brought to life but from a unique perspective, the "repatriate."
One of the most powerful threads going through this memoir is the theme of landlessness. The author writes that she always felt herself to be a native of Dairen. Initially as one of the privileged leaders of the utopia called Manchukuo but even after that dream was shattered "like a hundred million gems," she did not magically become Japanese in the home islands sense. She is forever haunted by the feeling that her only true home has been irrevocably destroyed; snatched from her in her youth. The fact that she recognizes that she is guilty of the war--on a national if not a personal level--makes the pain all the more bitter.
Reading the Manchurian section, one can't help but wonder what sort of story a native Chinese would have told of the same events. Was the overall feeling of vindication or fear? Did they feel more hatred or sympathy for the fallen Japanese? Obviously the Kwantung army struck fear and probably hatred in the hearts of all the Chinese. But what about the civilians, the "native Dairen" Japanese?
One of the outstanding elements of the Japan section is the painful and detailed description of the moral decay amongst the US servicemen and civilians. Alcoholism, desparate women and a feeling of moral superiority and untouchability go a long way. Looking back, similar mechanics were at play with the Japanese civilians in Manchuria. Having pure intentions isn't enough when the relationship is so fundamentally imbalanced.
A word on the storytelling. The author combines a concise frankness with an eye for the beautiful and significant in everyday life. The overall effect is overwhelming and I found myself in tears every few pages.
In short, this book is a unique and gripping look at one woman's struggle with her own identity in the shadow of Japanese colonialism. It is poignant, informative and endlessly interesting.
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Michael
5.0 out of 5 stars A rare gem in literature about Dalian's past
Reviewed in the United States on 11 April 2016
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As a Manchurian myself growing up in a small town in Dalian area, I have tremendous interested in the history of the city and all things related to its past. As one if the previous reviews by J Wu pointed out Dalian is a uniquely beautiful and charming city or to be exact, used to be. Nowadays, the original characteristics are fast losing ground thanks to the "development". It's looking more and more like all the Chinese cities, faceless and ugly. The true stories about the city are buried through the decades of the horrible and ruthless the communist rule. The Cimmunist official version of the narrative is nothing but a pure typical communist propaganda product that painted the city's colonial past as a huge concentration camp. However I heard some different versions of the story from the older generations of my own my family and other families. Kazuko's personal accounts in this book are very touching and well written. It's mentioning of all the familiar places brings back nostalgic sentiments about te city's past. Reading her words in this book, I feel I am just listening my mom or grandma's stories about their own personal experiences in that era. I'm very honored to get in personal contact with Kazuko through her book. She is such a gracious and strong lady who I consider as a hometown friend of mine. It's definitely the best memoir I have ever read about my home country Manchuria. Michael, Tennessee
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Bucky K
5.0 out of 5 stars Proof that good books don't have to be written by "New York Times Bestseller" Novelists
Reviewed in the United States on 21 June 2014
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...or Iowa Writers' Workshop hipsters. This book is a mesmerizing story because this woman lived it. It ain't fiction. You can't even make this stuff up. She lived through one of the most fascinating times of the 20th century. Kumamoto even confessed that for the longest time her English wasn't good enough (or so she thought) for her to write down her life story: she had to take English writing classes, because she burned with the desire to tell the Western world of her little-known perspective of WWII. It is precisely this kind of burning desire that makes for good storytelling. Notice that it had to take a university press to publish this book that really deserves a wider public. I read this book because I wanted to know something about Manchuria and Japan - stuff that people don't tell me, and that movies and newspaper headlines don't portray. This book was unputdownable and stayed with me for days after I read it. Sure, it ain't some kind of "crafted", "Pulitzer" fiction, but I much prefer it to the stuff that bookstores and publicists are flouting daily via the echo chamber of the media. You will feel extra smug because you discovered such a great book yourself!
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Marilynn
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice Addition
Reviewed in the United States on 15 May 2021
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The author of this work was my next door neighbor until 2years ago when she passed. Kaz said she wrote the book so she would not have to talk about those times; going from a comfortable life to a difficult one.
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James Meek
5.0 out of 5 stars A truly wonderful book
Reviewed in the United States on 22 December 2014
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Alas, I haven't time to write a proper review of this wonderful book, so I am overjoyed to see that others have experienced it the same as myself.
Though I bought it out of interest in the history of the war-end period in Manchuria, and highly recommend it to anyone with similar interests, I found it also deeply affecting as a human interest story.
It fully merits all the praise heaped on it by the other reviewers, and more.
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C. Swallows
5.0 out of 5 stars Historical Insight
Reviewed in the United States on 12 June 2008
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I ended up reading the book, Manchurian Legacy, in one sitting even though I had a lot of other things to do. That is rare for me. The story mesmerized me as I felt like I was learning something about my roots, my mother.
My Japanese mother, to get away from the merciless firebombing of her city, at the age of 19 volunteered as a member of a repatriation team assigned to travel to Manchuria and to help in the repatriation of Japanese colonials there. After training for about a month, she flew to a city in the center of Manchuria on what happened to be the same day that the Russians invaded. She had quite an adventure hiding, being captured, incarcerated, starving, transported by rail in box cars and then force marched thru Korea, to be saved ironically by the enemy American soldiers that she was trying to escape. I am amazed at what she had to go through to get back to Japan.
Not only did this book gave me an insight to what life was like in Manchuria for the Japanese during the end of World War II, it also gave me a glimpse of post-war Japan where both my father and father-in-law were stationed as part of the occupation forces. The stories about the period during the Russian invasion and how they and the local Chinese treated the Japanese colonials was very revealing. Even though Mrs. Kuramoto's experience was not so harrowing as my mother's adventure, the description of the area and the everyday life of the colonials helped me to understand this period of history in this part of the world.
Even though the second part of the book about post-war Japan did not relate to my mother since she had a support system in place when she returned to Japan, the description of Mrs. Kuramoto's experiences with members of the American occupation force helped me to understand the situation that my father lived through during his term of duty in Japan.
Enough of how the book impacted me. Here is a synopsis of the book: The Manchurian Legacy is a story about the life of a young woman born in Manchuria to Japanese parents living there during World War II. Her father is a minor Japanese government official which gave the family trappings of luxury which were not enjoyed by the local occupied Chinese residents. Kazuko was a patriotic 17 year old and to her parent's dismay, volunteered to join the Red Cross to aid in the war effort against the corrupt capitalists and communists. When Japan surrendered, the Russians invaded and the Chinese revolted, sending the Japanese colonialists into hiding. How the colonialists fared over the next year is a testament to their entrepreneurship and tenacious desire to survive in a culture hostile to their former oppressors. The post-war portion of the book focused on how Kazuko coped in Japan after being shipped there on U.S. transport ship and after being rejected by other relatives. This is also a story of her relationship with soldiers and contractors with the American occupation forces, and her struggles in a country not so accepting of the returning colonialists.
A great read and highly recommended.
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