Chapter 178 - Name and Reality 101 {129 Solo} (307–309 The Process of Oshima Rushing Up the Path to Politics)
"However, as mentioned earlier, while you were forced to abandon your hometown, you haven't extremely hidden the fact that you are from Iwate itself, have you? Since back then. Even Koshiba-san knew about your origin. Well, after you ran for election, because of the Public Offices Election Act, you couldn't lie since it could be found by tracing the family register, but to be honest, that part is mysterious to me. Based on what I've heard so far."
When Yoshimura asked what Nishida was also curious about, Oshima replied,
"That is because... what I wanted to erase most, and what I wanted to hide, was that I was calling myself Kuwano Kinya on the family register; it wasn't the existence of Kuwano Kinya or being from Iwate itself. Discarding the Iwate accent wasn't about discarding my hometown of Iwate, but as I said before, it was due to the trauma of it being the trigger for people knowing I was an impostor... Naturally, the will to never return to my hometown was the same. It might be a subtle point that's hard to convey, but it would help if you could understand that nuance."
He expressed his complex inner feelings.
"While that isn't something we can clearly understand, I don't think it's impossible. It's certain that Kuwano-san was undoubtedly a huge presence for you. I can somewhat understand that you had no intention of denying Kuwano-san himself or forgetting your hometown."
Nishida said this, accepting Oshima's story. This wasn't flattering Oshima's feelings to get a confession; it was how he actually felt.
"And after you started boarding at Tada-san's place, you also met Koshiba-san, and your life began to change rapidly. Please tell us about that in great detail."
Nishida requested again.
"After I started boarding, Sakura-san treated me and the other boarders very well. Originally she had no children, and she had lost her husband in the Great Tokyo Air Raid. Her siblings, who were in Saitama where she had evacuated, also died shortly after the war. The fact that she had no direct family was likely a factor in her pouring affection into us. And especially after she learned of my circumstances—that all my relatives were dead—Sakura-san took even more care of me..."
"I see, so that's how it was..."
Nishida and Yoshimura nodded in agreement.
"And the first New Year's after I started boarding... I believe that was the New Year's of Showa 26 (1951). Since I had no home to return to, I remained at the boarding house even after the other boarders left. To such a person as me, she served a magnificent osechi (T/N: traditional New Year's food) that was unthinkable given the food supply situation at the time... Originally, she was from a good family in Tokyo, so while my hometown's osechi wasn't bad, hers was surprisingly brilliant despite me not paying much for rent... Overwhelmed with emotion and with my feelings heightened by the toso (T/N: spiced medicinal sake), I finally exposed everything to Sakura-san—from that explosion accident to the theft of the gold dust, the sins I had been carrying... The sentiment of wanting to confess the facts to someone and unburden myself... undoubtedly had an influence."
Perhaps remembering his state of mind at the time, Oshima's words faltered slightly.
"I heard from Koshiba-san that Tada-san offered the adoption herself, but are you saying she knew all of your circumstances?"
Yoshimura couldn't hide his surprise either, but Oshima replied shortly,
"That is correct."
He added further,
"And at that time, that scrap of the hanten (T/N: traditional short winter coat) I kept as a memento of Kin-chan... the one you showed me the other day... did you not bring it today? ...Well, if not, that's fine... When I showed that to Sakura-san, she said, 'As long as you have this, you cannot escape from the "past," so I will keep it for you. And you must change the surname Kuwano as well. As long as you call yourself Kuwano, you will never escape that curse for the rest of your life. For that reason, I will become your adoptive mother. I have no children anyway, so there won't be any trouble over inheritance. However, partly as atonement for you stealing that gold dust, you must use what you inherit from me for something that benefits society. And even if the name you use changes, you must atone for what you bear through the way you live from now on. Please promise me at least this.' To be honest, the proposal was so incredibly gracious that rather than jumping at it, I was overcome by hesitation, wondering if this was really okay, and I even wavered for a while on whether to accept it... From Sakura-san's perspective, she later told me she was a little sad, thinking my hesitation was due to dissatisfaction. Anyway, I was looking for that after Sakura-san died, but to think she had entrusted it to Koshiba-san..."
He added the details.
The testimony Koshiba had given to Takeshita and Kurosu back in November 1995, and the reason Tada Sakura had entrusted the scrap to Koshiba saying, "Give this to Oshima if he loses his way," were now completely linked with Oshima's reminiscence, making things quite clear for Nishida and Yoshimura.
"Regarding the fact that you weren't drafted during the war, Tada-san apparently told Koshiba-san that it was 'due to illness.' Given that she knew the circumstances, I suppose that was her being considerate of you."
When asked by Nishida, Oshima agreed,
"That's likely it... I never asked Sakura-san about it specifically, though."
"Now then, after that, through Koshiba-san's introduction, you finally started working as a part-time secretary for Representative Kaito Takumi while you were still in school, didn't you? It's said you pleaded with Koshiba-san for it."
"Nishida-kun, that is correct. I had completed the adoption with Sakura-san in the spring, and I was thinking of making my life even more fruitful with a fresh start. It was exactly then that I was recalling the ambitions of the late Kin-chan. The strong will to become a politician and change Japan. And I had also started thinking about the 'atonement' Sakura-san spoke of. When that happened, regardless of whether I would actually become a Diet member, the desire to be involved in politics suddenly reared its head within me. And when I consulted Koshiba-san, who had just become a Metropolitan Assembly member, he said he had an acquaintance—or rather, a long-time senior—among the National Diet members, so I asked him without a second thought to introduce me. Even if it was just as an errand boy!"
At this point, perhaps remembering his passionate feelings from that time, Nishida received the impression that Oshima's speech became somewhat more fluent and eloquent.
"However, when you learned that the important National Diet member was Representative Kaito Takumi, who was elected from a constituency in Hokkaido, you apparently didn't look very pleased at first, according to Koshiba-san's recollection. Based on what we've heard so far, it goes without saying that Hokkaido had become a place you wanted to avoid as much as possible, or rather, a place you didn't want to remember..."
Pointed out bluntly by Yoshimura, Oshima wore a wry smile.
"You've inferred such fine details well... That's right. Moreover, since it was the Hokkaido 5th District (Author's Note: During the multi-member constituency era from 1947 to the 1994 Public Offices Election Act revision) centered on Abashiri and Kitami, if you include Yubetsu, Konomai, Ikutahara, Betsukai, and Nakashibetsu in that constituency... well. My hometown of Iwate had become a place hard to return to, but this place had truly become a place I wanted to avoid. Especially the eastern side of Hokkaido was psychologically... for me. The mine accident, the tako-beya labor... I considered refusing once and agonized over it, but I reconsidered and entered as a secretary, thinking that even if he was the representative from there, I wouldn't be the one living there. Of course, being able to train under such a magnificent politician as Kaito Takumi would become a great asset for me... or so it was supposed to be."
At the end, he spoke in an irritated tone that didn't hide his resentment toward the kind of tragedy that must have started from there. Considering that Isaka Daikichi's blackmail must have stained what should have been a brilliant career as a Diet member from the very beginning, it was an understandable emotion.
"Had you never heard the name Kaito Takumi before that?"
When Yoshimura asked again, Oshima replied,
"To my shame, I didn't know Kaito-sensei's name at all until then. I didn't even know he was a heavyweight of integrity who had resisted the Imperial Rule Assistance elections. That's why I tried to refuse just because he was elected from Hokkaido. On that point, Koshiba-san even rebuked me, saying, 'Why would you refuse when you can study under that Representative Kaito Takumi? Normally, these are conditions you'd be happy and grateful for'... In the end, I was persuaded and started serving him reluctantly at first, but I later reflected deeply that I was glad I did as Koshiba-san said. Of course, it's hard to say that the problems regarding Kaito-san's hometown were all resolved..."
He spoke, pausing after every word as if reminiscing about those days.
"According to Koshiba-san's testimony, even during your time at Meiho University, you would go to the Abashiri area, Representative Kaito's home turf, during summer vacations and such. It seems you also met your wife at that time?"
This time Nishida asked.
"You've got me... Yes, that's right. My wife has now turned into a mere old woman, but she was quite a cute girl back then... It seems my wife and her parents took a liking to me first, but I myself didn't feel bad about it. In the end, I would marry into her family after graduation, but I didn't view it as a 'political marriage' just because my wife's family was wealthy; it was what you might call a mutual love. Just like when I became Sakura-san's adopted son, it's not as if I had some wicked intent."
When he spoke of how he met his wife, he looked slightly bashful, but when he denied it was a political marriage, he looked quite serious.
"And while I was active seasonally in Kaito-sensei's home turf during university breaks, even if reluctantly, as I walked the local area with Sensei, I was made to think about many things. Of course, I was forced to look back at my own wartime path, but rather than something to be avoided, a desire to face it head-on gradually began to awaken. Around Yubetsu, I had opportunities to hear stories from the victims and bereaved families of the mine explosion accident at the time, and I heard what kind of situation the local people were placed in afterward. In the families of the victims, many were apparently quite impoverished due to losing their breadwinners and pillars... And the friction between the local people and the police, who had mishandled the response, apparently continued for a while."
The great blunder of the Engaru Station at the time, to which Nishida and Yoshimura belonged, seemed to have lost them a great deal of trust from the locals. But even so, if they gathered a civil defense unit that was practically amateur in terms of knowledge about mines for the demolition work, and even called in general onlookers as spectators, it could be said that being strongly criticized was a natural consequence.
"Did you also go toward Konomai?"
When Yoshimura asked, Oshima replied,
"Well, Monbetsu is within the constituency. My appearance hadn't completely changed, but I had become plumper than I was then, so although I was fearful, I followed Sensei, thinking it would be alright. It was a case of 'fear is often greater than the danger itself'; I wasn't caught at all... Well, since I was only there for a few months during the war, even though I was supposed to have been caught in the accident, they probably didn't have much memory of me. Among the bigwigs of the gold mine, there were a few people who remained in my memory, but they didn't show the slightest sign of noticing who I was."
"However, since you were 'supposed' to have been a victim in that mine accident commotion, I feel like it would have had a certain impact."
Nishida interjected with a doubt, but Oshima explained as if lecturing him,
"It certainly would have been an impactful accident, but considering that the gold mine had been closed during the war as a national policy—something I learned later—and that nearly ten years had passed since the war, and the magnitude of the post-defeat shock, it's not that strange."
It was certainly no mistake that for Japan, a turbulent decade had intervened, enough to make people forget the small details.
"So, did you also go to the site of that tako-beya labor?"
Yoshimura bluntly threw the difficult-to-ask questions instead of Nishida. He might not have been taking on the role of the 'bad cop' intentionally; he might just be blunt.
"I have never been directly to the former site of the airfield construction, but among the local people who came to Kaito-sensei's political rallies, there were family members of the farmers who had looked after me... Here too, my appearance was completely different from back then, so I wasn't caught at all, but I offered thanks and bowed my head many times in my heart..."
When he made that statement, it was clear to the two of them that Oshima held a deep sense of gratitude.
"In that case, at this time, for you, Onodera-san, this tour of the constituency was actually serving to wipe away the trauma?"
Nishida confirmed this, keeping in mind the activities within the constituency that would later cast a dark shadow again during the blackmail by Isaka.
"That may be so. However, as I came into contact with various local voters within the constituency, I learned more than I had heard from Kin-chan about how that tako-beya labor had been widely practiced throughout the prefecture since before the war. And I came to deeply understand that it was that very flow that led to the situation where I tasted hardships. I am convinced that this later served as important fundamental insight when I worked on labor issues as a Diet member. In other words, this experience led to a passion for politics even more than the overcoming of trauma. And the knowledge that the essence of that tako-beya labor originated from prisoner labor in the pioneering era was also gained in the process of touring the constituency with Sensei. The so-called Prisoner Road... By the way, do you two know the name Prisoner Road?"
He suddenly asked the two of them in the middle of his story, and they both nodded silently.
After seeing that, Oshima slowly resumed his story.
"Because I had many opportunities to hear stories related to that from the old-time pioneers along that route... And while today, proper monuments for the prisoners who were sacrificed stand in many districts, at the time there was nothing; there were only so-called domanju (T/N: burial mounds), where they were buried while still chained, with just earth thrown over them... No matter if the other party was a prisoner, as I searched for the person who should be held responsible for such extremely inhumane treatment after hearing stories from Sensei and investigating myself, I eventually arrived at an elite bureaucrat of the Meiji government named Kaneko Kentaro."
"Kaneko Kentaro?"
Yoshimura thrust his face forward and furrowed his brow, wearing an expression that clearly showed he had no idea who that was.
"That's right. Kaneko Kentaro."
Oshima spoke the name with loathing, and eventually began to explain about Kaneko to Nishida and the other.
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Kaneko Kentaro was a former bureaucrat who later served in key positions such as Minister of Justice and Minister of Agriculture and Commerce. During his time as Secretary to the Prime Minister under Ito Hirobumi, he was involved in drafting the Constitution of the Empire of Japan and the Imperial House Law of the time, making him a figure who walked the path of a super-elite in Meiji-era Japan shortly after the Restoration.
Born in Fukuoka in 1853, he was so outstanding at the han school (the predecessor of the current Fukuoka Prefectural Shuuyuukan High School) that in 1871, he went to the United States as an attendant to the former Fukuoka Domain Lord, Kuroda Nagatomo, in the Iwakura Mission (among the attendants at this time was Dan Takuma, who would later become the head of the Mitsui Zaibatsu; they were long-time allies and also related by marriage as Dan took Kaneko's younger sister as his wife). Afterward, he remained there to study, eventually graduating from Harvard Law School.
During his Harvard days, he studied not only law but also Western culture alongside Komura Jutaro (Jyutaro), who is famous for his involvement in the revision of unequal treaties, the recovery of tariff autonomy, and the conclusion of the Treaty of Portsmouth.
After returning to Japan, although he was involved in the Freedom and People's Rights Movement in his early days, he later served in the Genroin (Chamber of Elders) and married the daughter of the Governor of Aomori Prefecture, transforming into a conservative.
Now, Kaneko's involvement with the development of Hokkaido began in Meiji 18 (1885), during his time as a Senior Secretary of the Dajokan (Grand Council of State), after he inspected Hokkaido, which at the time was under a three-prefecture system (Hakodate, Sapporo, and Nemuro Prefectures).
He received a proposal from Tsukigata Kiyoshi, the tengoku (equivalent to a current prison director) of the Kabato Shujikan (the predecessor of the current Tsukigata Prison in Tsukigata Town, Hokkaido; though they are not directly linked due to a long gap in time), to use prisoners for development, and he approved this. Afterward, he submitted a petition regarding the development of Hokkaido (Report on the Inspection of the Three Prefectures of Hokkaido) to the government.
In this, Kaneko stated:
"Regarding the employment of prisoners from the Shujikan for road construction projects:
Once the road lines are determined, surveys completed, and the budget for reclamation costs is announced, it is necessary to commence work immediately. In commencing this construction now, there are places along the route where dense forests of over 10 ri (T/N: 1 ri is approx. 3.9km) must be cleared. There are places where steep mountain ridges must be leveled. There are places where valleys must be drained. However, if ordinary laborers (kufu) are used for these difficult tasks, one situation is that they cannot endure the labor, and another is that the wage ratio is extremely high. Therefore, I intend to have the prisoners from the Shujikan in Sapporo and Nemuro Prefectures engage in this. Since they are originally violent and wicked criminals, even if they die from being unable to endure the hard labor, it is different from the tragic situation where an ordinary laborer leaves behind a wife and children and buries his bones in the mountains and fields. Furthermore, in these times when there are many felons and the prison expenses paid by the national treasury are increasing in vain, having the prisoners submit to these necessary works, and if they cannot endure and die, reducing their numbers, is an unavoidable political strategy in these days when we are facing difficulties in prison expenditure. Also, comparing the wages of ordinary laborers and prisoners, in Hokkaido, ordinary laborers generally do not cost less than 40 sen per day. Prisoners only receive a wage of 18 sen per day. If so, when prisoners are employed, we will see a reduction of more than half in the labor wages within these construction costs. This can truly be called a strategy that achieves two goals at once..."
To put it simply (Author's Note: This is my own summary, with some liberal translation): "In the road construction for Hokkaido's development, surveys are done and the budget is ready, so we need to start construction immediately. However, when starting construction, the planned sites for those roads are often deep forests, steep mountains, and wetlands, and ordinary workers (kufu) cannot endure the labor, and their wages are high, so it is better to use the convicts (prisoners) in the prisons. Since they are violent criminals and felons, even if they drop dead from the harsh labor, unlike ordinary workers with wives and children, it won't be a problem even if we bury them right there in the mountains and valleys. Also, if the number of felons increases and the tax expenditure for prisons grows, it is more desirable for the finances if they die from hard labor. Using ordinary workers costs over 40 sen per day, but convicts only cost 18 sen. Since the budget will be less than half this way, it will be killing two birds with one stone." That is the gist of the text.
For someone who studied the world's most advanced law and culture at Harvard and was involved in the Freedom and People's Rights Movement after returning home, even considering the difference in human rights situations between then and now, it is quite a violent opinion (especially the part about it being better for convicts to die from harsh labor to save tax waste, which might be a true feeling but is extreme to write in an official document). Furthermore, considering that many of the prisoners gathered in the Shujikan in Hokkaido at the time were political prisoners as so-called "state criminals" rather than violent criminals (it would be quite a stretch to say Kaneko lacked awareness of this), one can see how he was leaning toward quite dogmatic nationalist and elitist ideologies.
And this political stance was adopted as-is by the central government, leading to the harsh construction of the Central Road (commonly known as the Prisoner Road) between Abashiri and Kamikawa, and being passed down to the tako-beya labor that became rampant among private construction contractors in later generations.
※※※※※※※ Reference Materials
Kaneko Kentaro: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%87%91%E5%AD%90%E5%A0%85%E5%A4%AA%E9%83%8E
Prisoner Road related:
http://www.kangoku.jp/kangoku_hiwa3.html
http://www.geocities.co.jp/SilkRoad-Desert/7248/album/kusarizuka.html
http://www.city.kitami.lg.jp/docs/7135/
http://www.town.tsukigata.hokkaido.jp/3673.htm
The last site for Tsukigata Town was not used as a reference for the main story and won't be mentioned in the work, but those guys Iwamura and Yasumura are also quite cold-blooded.
History of Makubetsu Town: http://archive.fo/h5cU
As many of you may know, Makubetsu Town is also the hometown of the Takagi sisters, Pyeongchang Winter Olympic medalists, and Fukushima Chisato, a legend in the Japanese women's track and field sprint world.
Also, while the sites managed by various public organizations regarding the Prisoner Road clearly mention the "negative historical heritage," it will be interesting to see how long they can maintain this kind of mention, thanks to the recent "supporters of beautiful history."