In my childhood, say, more than 50 years ago, WINTER was a Wonderland.
Now, winter is not as cold as it should be. The air is not crisp. Winds
don't make children's cheeks red. No ice on the pond. No snowman, no snow
balls. No White Christmas. I mean, here in Kyushu.
So I remember winter of my childhood. Will you go back with me?
I borrow the photos of the dolls from Michiko Ishii and Yuki Atae. Please
enjoy.
Since Japan lost the war, everybody was poor. Small houses, scarce food.
In winter, there was not enough heating.
In most houses, kotatsu was in the center of the living room, if there was a living room.
Kotatsu is a low square table inside of which electric or charcoal heater is installed.
We stretch our legs under the cover, and warm ourselves.
It is a happy talk table of the whole family. |
. |
doll ( Yuki) |
In private rooms, if there were private rooms, the only heating was a small
hibachi. |
| We burn charcoal in hibachi. |
 |
 |
Even here in Kyushu, snow fell. Icy winds made chilblains on children's
fingers.
"Children were children of Wind. Go and play out." said mothers
and sent children out of house.
|
My little brother played tops with his friends.
My brother always lost games and cried back home. |
 dolls(Michiko) |
dolls(Michiko) |
I was a weak child. Once or twice a week, I was absent from school. Mother
didn't send me out.
Wearing warm cotton quilt vest Mom made with small odds of cloth, I always
clung to Mom's apron. I was a real nakimushi (weeping bug). |
Grandmother was there.
Just sitting before Hibachi, all day long,
Once in a while, she gave us some mochi (rice cakes) grilled on her hibachii. |
 doll(Michiko) |
 |
At that time I didn't like Grandmother, because she gave my cousin (her
daughter's daughter) two mochis and gave me (her son's daughter) only one.
Now I can understand why. My cousin's family was even poorer than ours.
Cousin could eat mochi only when she visited Grandmother. I could more often.
|
But when Grandmother took my doll
and gave it to Cousin, I could not but cry.
Oh, I should have been more generous.
I didn't understand why at that time. |
 dolls(Michiko) |
 |
My winter memory is my grandmother, whom I hated at that time, and whom
I miss so much now, since I am a grandmother now.
She lived long and passed away at age 92. She had 24 grandchildren. |
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