Vignette 9

 

Tokyo 1947

 Author：Judith Lau

It was night in Yokohama by the time mother, my brother Austin and I were processed off the USS Marine Swallow in October of 1947. The one and half hour drive of 48 miles from Yokohama to Tokyo seemed very long. The impenetrable blackness and stillness outside the car window felt unnatural to me after the bustling city of San Francisco, our US departure port for Japan. San Francisco, like downtown Chicago, was energetically frothing with people, streetcars, vehicles and lights. To fill in the time in San Francisco, mother even took us to see the film "I Remember Mama". In contrast, from the window of our car, I could see no lights, buildings, traffic nor people in this cheerless Japanese darkness. Occasionally a gray pile of rubble or the remains of structures would loom in the reflected headlights.

 

Our temporary dwelling in Tokyo, while waiting for our removal to Nagasaki in the following spring of 1948, was situated behind a tall stone wall and high wooden gate. The next day in the daylight, I was able to explore the property but we were told to not venture out of the front gate. The Japanese two-story house was located in a quiet, unbombed neighborhood of similarly attractive houses. It was set a little back of the protective front gate. A compact back garden with a small rock pond was the outdoor playground for my brother and I. We occupied two bedrooms on the first floor which also contained a living room, dining room and kitchen. All the tatami rooms, hallway wood floors, paper sliding closet doors and walls were impeccably clean and smelled sweetly of straw and wood.

 

Upstairs, 范伯伯(Uncle Fan)  and his beautiful wife lived in one of the two upstairs bedrooms adjoining a sitting room. We each had a maid servant and ate separately. 范伯母(Auntie Fan) was quite the most beguiling woman I had ever met. She was in her mid-twenties, with very fair skin lightly sprinkled with faint freckles across her nose and high cheekbones and raven black hair swept into a fashionable updo. 范伯母, draped in a silky robe, would let me linger around her dressing table with a big attached mirror where she sat on a tapestry stool and lightly dipped her fingers in fragrant little pots of creams and tints. Sometimes she would dab a spot of scent behind my ears "一點兒芳菲." Then when I stuck out my other ear for more, she would crinkle her large oval eyes, laughing softly "哎呀姑娘,不可熏死人呀 -!" We made this frequent exchange our ritual banter. Her languid movements while brushing her shiny, luxuriant hair and applying her makeup gave me a peek into the allure of the feminine mystique. 范伯伯 on the other hand with his wire framed glasses, plastered down hair, erect posture, well cut dark suit seemed formal, almost stiff and restrained. He was very polite and correct, but I always dashed off when he showed up. I think because 范伯伯 was a little bit older than my father and very proper, my parents instructed us to call his young wife, 范伯母 rather than 范阿姨.

 

Another lovely, young woman named Nancy Miao also attached to the Chinese Mission, lived upstairs in the second bedroom but she was at work in the day and often out during weekends. My 4 year old brother thought Nancy was quite bewitching and eagerly looked forward to seeing "the upstairs girl" each day. Nancy had several young Chinese officers also swooning over her and we would tease my little brother about his "competition" but Nancy was always smiling and attentive to my brother. Our house was busy with many intersecting visitors of the 3 families.

 

Sometimes these young Chinese officers would take us out of the confines of our house for a ride in their jeep to downtown Tokyo where all the street signs were written in English and given American names. Once we went on a memorable trip to a musical show in the Ernie Pyle Theater, renamed from the old Takarazuka Theater. Besides showing American movies, the Ernie Pyle continued to feature the popular Japanese all girl Takarazuka musical revue - similar to the NY Broadway show with the leggy Rockettes. Waves of graceful Japanese dancers in floating colorful ball gowns twirled with debonair partners in tails and top hats - except all the male singing and dancing roles were also played by females. Austin was so quite carried away by the magic of lush music, sparkling lights, rotating sets and gorgeous performers, that he could not contain his full bladder of Pepsi Cola and wet his pants. For years after, mother would find amusement in retelling this episode of Austin's enchanted evening with a disconcerting ending.

 

PostScript: In 2003, my daughter, Laura and her husband, Christopher Kentis, took me with their 5 year old daughter, Sabrina to Tokyo on a promotional tour of their successful film. During their all day press meetings, I roamed Tokyo with my granddaughter, Sabrina. With great anticipation, I planned an afternoon at the venerable Takarazuka All Girl Revue in the same theater I had visited in 1947 with my 4 year old brother and mother. 5 year old Sabrina, so much more worldly from exposure to sophisticated and polished New York City entertainment, was not impressed with the lavish show. In truth, I, too, was disappointed. The 2003 production seemed somewhat garish and the performers, mawkish. As often happens, present hard reality does not live up to past enchanted memories.

 

By the time the families of the Allied Occupation forces of the Far East Commission (FEC) had arrived in 1946, the early lawlessness of the conquering American and Australian battle-hardened troops had been quelled. Early reports of 1000's of rapes, looting, robberies and other misdemeanors in Yokohama had dramatically decreased with the replacement of field soldiers with military administrative personnel and their families.

 

Though we never felt unsafe or threatened, we children were not allowed to go out onto the Tokyo streets by ourselves nor fraternize with Japanese children. Unlike the subdued obeisance of the adult Japanese, the children were just as lively and mischievous as children everywhere. I would see their smiling, curious faces impertinently staring at us while their parents would lower their heads and eyes. Signs were posted "Japanese Not Allowed". "Allied Personnel Only" around perimeters of Occupation grounds. I noticed the children looked very skinny and their clothes faded. When an American jeep with servicemen would stop on the streets, the scrawny children would swarm hopefully around for candy bar and chewing gum.

 

It was during this time that I developed a taste for Babe Ruth and Butterfinger from the US PX which the Allies Forces could patronize until our ROC enlisted men began to transact large amounts of goods on the black market. The US Military Government rescinded PX and Commissary privileges for the Chinese Allies for many months. Later only Chinese officers and Mission civilians were granted the privileges again.

 

After the formal surrender on Sept. 2, 1945, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP), 5 Star General MacArthur immediately tackled the alleviation of the approximately 74 million starving Japanese with massive food, medicine, clothing, material supplies which added up to $400million/year from 1945-52. Even during this enormous undertaking of humanitarian relief, MacArthur was working on the execution of the overwhelmingly complex economic, political and social reforms ordered by Truman and the White House advisors.

 

The post WWII Marshall Plan had been carefully thought out by President Roosevelt even back in 1942. Roosevelt and his close advisors firmly believed that the rebuilding of Europe and Japan would secure a permanent world peace. Learning from the mistakes of the previous WWI, the Marshall Plan was a radically different philosophy and strategy than that of the WWI victors who extracted crushing reparations from the vanquished. The post WWII industrialization and financial aid plan to reinvigorate a defeated Europe was the same policy General MacArthur was to establish in Japan. MacArthur would have the added challenge of transforming a centuries-old feudal Imperial system into a constitutional democracy. This policy was an “audacious act of social-engineering” on a an entire conquered nation.

 

Tokyo had lost more than half of its 1.6 million buildings skyline under intensive American fire bombings but the American bombers had been ordered to preserve the area of the Imperial Palace in Hibiya. In 1945, General MacArthur, The SCAP - set up his office on the 6th floor of the Daichi Building looking down upon the Imperial Palace and its surrounding moat. Symbolically and factually, The SCAP of the United States of America now occupied and controlled the heart of the Japanese nation and its former god-like Emperor. The aloof General MacArthur had, by default and by meticulous design, replaced the now "un-divine" Emperor in the minds of the vanquished.

 

Everyday, 7 days a week MacArthur was driven slowly in an old, black Cadillac shipped in from Manila, with the license plate "1", bedecked on each side of the front fenders with the fluttering flags of the United States of America and the 5 stars of General MacArthur.

 

Along the 2 mile drive between the Embassy residence in Asakusa and SCAP headquarters, the Japanese would stop and deeply bow to the General's approaching car and holding their bow till the car had past. General MacArthur's security detail fretted about the undeviating routine and the 20 minute dawdling pace for fear of assassination attacks. But MacArthur was unperturbed and insisted on this daily stately procession.

 

On August 30, 3 days before the formal Japanese surrender on the USS MIssouri, MacArthur had landed for the first time on “enemy territory” at Atsugi Naval Base outside Yokohama, Just before the plane touched down he ordered his officers to remove their sidearms. His confident and fearless display was in keeping with the invincible aura MacArthur had carefully cultivated throughout his career, even during his 1941 ignominious retreat from the Corregidor in the Philippines.

 

After the formal Japanese surrender on Sept. 2, 1945, General MacArthur requisitioned all the available homes and buildings of the wretched Japanese for housing and offices for the Occupation forces. At the height of the Occupation in 1948, almost 15,000 US military families and additional 100's of Allied families were settled across Japan to oversee the demilitarization and rehabilitation of their enemy.

 

The 3 other Allied Powers: Great Britain, Russia and China were relegated to an "advisory" position, mere observers of the remote Supreme Commander's plans. MacArthur hardly ever entertained, even high ranking American or foreign dignitaries, at his residence or to dinner. Every evening he, his wife Jeanne and an aide would watch movies flown in from Stateside. His wife always referred to him as "The General". MacArthur never saw any of the sights in Tokyo and Japan outside his daily round trip between residence and headquarters. Every 6 months the Supreme Commander would meet briefly with the Emperor.

 

It was very clear to the Chinese Mission in Tokyo that they were at the noblesse oblige of the US Military Government. Father took that observation close to heart and upon his first visit to Nagasaki, in August, before his family's arrival, had already begun setting up his plans for his administration of Nagasaki and Kyushu beginning in the following spring.

 

To best represent and protect the Chinese nationals in Kyushu, father knew he had to develop a congenial relationship with his American counterparts in the US Military Government. Father's hapless predecessor, Consul Jen had been stuck in a rut since the arrival of all 1945 Allied occupation forces. From 1945-47 ROC Consul Jen was not able to secure an office nor home nor transportation for himself and for 6 months in 1947, not even able to depart Nagasaki to return to Nanjing upon his recall.

 

In order for Allied personnel to travel, the Americans made all the decisions and arrangements. The American Military Government would attach a special train compartment for traveling allies so as to prevent intermingling with or disruption of the masses of repatriating Japanese soldiers and civilians. The Americans pretty much ignored our Nagasaki Consul in the same dismissive manner as their Supreme Commander bypassed his allied partners in Tokyo. As incoming Consul in 1947, Father needed all his skills: fluency in English and observation of American customs. Father's childhood social decorum was honed by my grandfather who had exposed father to the niceties of Western manners at their father-son dining rounds in the best Beiping foreign restaurants.

I remember our first Christmas in Japan was celebrated in Tokyo by the Chinese Mission in a large dance hall festively decorated with lights and tinsel. A band of Japanese musicians played popular dance music and Christmas carols. A friend of my parents, Major Chien Ming-nien (錢明年) was the dashing, handsome aide of the head of the Chinese Mission, Lt (?)General Chu Shih-ming ( 朱世明). Major Chien, one of Nancy Miao's swains, had a deep baritone voice and scooped me over to the microphone, knelt down with his arms around me to prevent my escape. He announced to the more than 100 gathered families and personnel that Ying Ying was going to sing "White Christmas" with him. I was shocked and mortified, unable to bleat out a single squeaky measure. I'm sure Major Chien just wanted to use me as an excuse to show off his rich voice to pretty Nancy but I was "scarred" for life about my singing and have never since been able to karaoke!

During most of those wintry days in Tokyo, I clambered around the rocks in the garden, watched our pleasant, giggling Japanese maids cook, and read the books my father ordered from the Calvert Home School Program for me to keep up with a basic 3rd grade curricular. Over and over, I would read the book "Mighty Men" on western legends and ancient warriors. The battles of such heroes as Leonidas of Sparta, Darius of Persia, Alexander the Great, King Arthur and his Round Table knights were vastly more interesting than the "Dick & Jane" school books of anecdotes like "See Jane run! Run Jane run!"

戰後的東京

我們從海燕號下船後，橫濱已經夜幕低垂。父親開了一個半小時的車才抵達東京，在漆黑的夜色裡行駛48英里，路途似乎特別漫長。黝黑寂寥的夜色裡，沒有燈光，沒有高樓，沒有車流，甚至看不到人。偶爾從車頭燈投射的光圈中，浮現斷垣殘壁散飛到路面的碎石或瓦礫。

 

我們一家人先暫時住在東京，等待隔年春天搬到長崎。東京的住處前面有一道高高的石牆，還有一扇高高的木門。第二天的大白天，我和弟弟好奇地四處探看，但是大人警告我們不能跑出去。那個地帶房子都很類似，兩層樓建築，附近很安靜，沒有被轟炸過的痕跡。那個木門似乎有點保護作用，離房子有一段距離，後院的小花園裡有個小小的石造池塘，成了我和弟弟遊樂的地方。我們就住在一樓，一家四口佔了兩個臥房，另外有客廳、餐廳和廚房。房間的榻榻米、走道的木頭地板、櫥櫃的紙門和牆壁，所有的一切乾乾淨淨，一塵不染，空氣中瀰漫著草香和木香。

 

樓上客廳旁邊那一間臥房住的是范伯伯和他美麗的妻子。我們各自有個女傭，所以三餐由各家自己打理。范伯母是我見過最漂亮的女子，大約二十五、六歲，皮膚細嫩，鼻子和兩頰有一點淡淡的雀斑，烏黑的秀髮梳了很時髦的高髻。我喜歡在范伯母的梳妝台前打轉，看著她穿著絲袍，坐在大鏡子前面，輕輕地用手指往瓶瓶罐罐的面霜或粉盒沾一下。有時候她會在我一只耳後搽一點點香香的東西，說：「一點兒芳菲。」我會伸出另一只耳朵還要她抹一點，這時她就笑著說：「哎呀姑娘，不可熏死人呀 !」這樣戲謔的對話彷彿是例行的儀式，常常要來這麼一回。她梳理一頭亮麗濃密的頭髮，或者在臉上撲粉化妝，動作慵懶隨意，讓年紀小小的我見識到女性神祕的魅力。范伯伯就完全不同了，戴著金絲邊眼鏡，平整的頭髮，直挺的姿態，加上合身的深色西裝，整個人非常正式，甚至有點僵硬、拘謹。其實他很客氣，很得體，只是我每次一看到他就一溜煙跑掉。可能是因為范伯伯比父親年紀稍微大一點，而且一板一眼，父母教我要稱呼他太太范伯母，不可以喊她范阿姨。

另外一位漂亮的小姐苗南希 (Nancy Miao)，也是中華民國駐日代表團的人，住在二樓另一間。她白天上班，但周末通常都不在。我四歲的弟弟很喜歡南希，覺得她很漂亮，每天都想要去找「樓上那個女孩」。其實好多軍官都為南希著迷，有時我們還會故意取笑弟弟說，他的「情敵」可真多。我們這棟房子住三家人，每天有很多有趣的訪客。

 

有時候這些年輕的軍官會讓我們姐弟坐上吉普車，順道帶我們到東京市區裡逛，街道上店家的招牌都寫著英文，而且都是取英文名字。有一次我們還到當時名為Earnie Pyle的寶塚劇場，欣賞歌舞劇， 這個地方除了放映美國電影，一直是寶塚歌舞劇團的表演場地。那是日本人非常喜愛的劇團，表演者都是女生。優雅的舞者穿著篷篷裙，五顏六色的長禮服隨著她們的舞姿輕輕擺動，身旁的舞伴身穿燕尾服，頭戴禮帽，溫柔地相伴共舞，只是這些男性的角色和歌舞全部由女性扮演。]

 

    美澳軍隊在日本以征服者的姿態，引發諸多目無法紀的作為，但是到了1946年遠東委員會盟國占領軍的家屬抵達之前，已經被有效約束。雖然我們小孩子不覺得有什麼危險或是受到什麼威脅，大人還是不讓我們單獨到東京街頭，也不准我們和日本小孩玩。日本小孩不像大人那樣壓抑，順服；他們跟世界各地的孩童一樣活潑，一樣喜歡嘻鬧。他們會直盯著我們看，臉上的笑容其實代表了他們的好奇，而他們的父母總是低下頭，眼睛不敢看我們。盟軍占領區的街上常見店家掛著牌子寫著：「日本人不得進入」，「僅限盟軍人員」。當時我覺得那些日本小孩特別瘦，衣服也很舊。每當美軍吉普車停在街上，這些瘦巴巴的孩子就一湧而上，爭先恐後要糖果或口香糖。也就是在這段時期，我開始對美軍福利社裡面兩個品牌的糖果特別感興趣—BabyRuth和Butterfinger。

 

東京經過美國的轟炸，大約有160多萬建築被毀，但日比谷的皇居倖免於難。1945年麥克阿瑟的辦公室設在第一生命館的六樓，俯瞰皇居，象徵了美國占領、控制了日本的核心，而日本人心目中像神一樣的天皇，其神聖地位已然不再。麥克阿瑟將軍每天都坐著那部由馬尼拉進口的黑色凱迪拉克，緩緩駛進第一生命館。他的車牌號碼1號，車頭的兩邊分別飄揚著美國國旗，以及麥克阿瑟的五星上將旗。這一段由淺草的大使官邸到盟國占領軍總部的路程大約兩英里，一路上日本人會停下腳步，九十度鞠躬，一直等到車子經過。負責麥克阿瑟將軍的維安人員對於每天固定的路線，以及20分鐘緩慢的車速頗感憂慮，認為暗殺攻擊可能趁虛而入。但是麥克阿瑟將軍不為所動，堅持每天大張旗鼓地進入總部。

 

盟軍的另外三國英國、蘇俄和中國當時都只有「顧問」地位，計畫執行的決定權完全掌握在最高統帥手中。美國軍政府位高權重，我國駐日代表團對此了然於胸。父親在家人尚未抵達之前，首訪長崎時，對於隔年春天到長崎之後如何執行工作有了初步的想法。為了保護九州的華僑，父親深知必須與美方代表團建立良好關係。父親前一任的任領事和美軍的溝通一直不是很順暢，從1945年到1947年，任領事沒有自己的住處，沒有辦公室，出入也沒有專用的交通工具。甚至在1947年被調回國時，等了六個月才從長崎搭船回南京。

 

當時美方掌控盟軍的人事決定和旅行的安排。美國軍政府有專門的火車載送盟軍人員，以隔離被遣返的日軍或人民，預防他們搗亂。美方在長崎對於任領事以輕忽對待，其心態一如他們最高統帥在東京完全不把其他盟軍夥伴放在眼裡。父親接任領事後，流利的英語，加上對美國人處事風格的嫻熟，事情就比較容易推展。其實爺爺在父親很小的時候會父親到北京的外國餐館用餐，也會教導他一些西方禮儀和細節。

 

我還記得在東京第一次過聖誕節的情景，駐日代表團把偌大的舞廳裝飾得金光燦燦，還請來日本樂師演奏舞曲和聖誕歌曲。駐日代表團團長朱世明有一位得力助手錢明年，當時也是南希的追求者之一。他英俊瀟灑，活力充沛，唱起歌來是渾厚男中音。席間他突然走過來把我拉到麥克風前，蹲下來用手臂圈著我，防止我逃跑，然後對著整個大廳大約一百名團員和家屬，大聲宣布說：「英英和我要為大家唱一首《白色聖誕》!」對他突如其來的宣告，我嚇呆了，連一聲都唱不出來。錢明年一定是利用我當藉口，其實他是想在南希面前展現他迷人的歌聲罷了。但我被他這麼一嚇，從此對於唱歌敬謝不敏，連卡拉OK也沒去過。

在東京寒冷的冬天時節，我只能在後院玩。父親要我依照卡爾維特自學計畫 (Calvert Home School Program)所規定的進度閱讀指定教材，以維持小學三年級的程度。我一直重複讀〈勇者〉(Mighty Men)，寫的是西方傳奇和古代戰士的故事。裡面的戰役和英雄有斯巴達的列奧尼達一世 (Leonidas of Sparta)、波斯的大流士 (Darius of Persia)，還有亞歷山大大帝、亞瑟王和圓桌武士，這些人物比起以前在學校讀的〈迪克與珍妮〉(Dick and Jane)系列故事有趣多了。

父親有一整套的世界百科全書，加上艾蜜莉．波斯特 (Emily Post) 的〈社交、商業、政治、居家禮儀〉(Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home)，成了我三年級在家自學教育的巔峰。我發現閱讀波斯特對於禮儀的解說是一件很有趣的事，因為她的文筆優雅，而且裡面所講的禮節只要依據一般的判斷力、注意他人、自我約束這三點即可做到。長大之後，每當我不確定怎麼樣才合乎禮節，或者不知道應如何擺放餐具，父親就叫我去查那本越來越破舊的禮儀書。在儒家傳統中成長的父親，想必是將此書當成西方外交禮儀的指引了。

芝加哥的三年在父親外交生涯中有如序幕，1947年到1952年在日本的職務無疑是主戲的開端。父母親後來深深體會到，在政府困窘而且局勢險惡的狀況下從事外交倍覺艱辛。