| １．Passing the Age of 50
We are in the seashore town in Showa 25 (1950) where Kyozo's three children
are going to elementary school.
It belongs to Shingu City south of Wakayama prefecture, being called Miwasaki
area populated by about 4,000 people with Miwasaki, Sano and Kinokawa areas
in all. Schools are Miwasaki Elementary School and Koyo Junior High School
there.
No one can imagine Kyozo Wozumi is usually poor at socializing. The dark
skin from his long life in the South Seas is far more than ordinary, but
it is not particularly strange because this fishing town is located in
the warm district near the southern end of Honshu.
He is rather friendly and not pushy.
Though in fact he is not very positive in talking, it is rather difficult
for him to join a carefree chat even though he is said ununderstandable.
He rarely attends any meeting except the community association, since he
already left the board member of the fishery cooperative.
For the community association, too, Kuma often acts for him, like Kuma
in the daytime. He does not like Kuma to go out at night. He is worried
about anything.
He is entirely working in the field or his paddy everyday, and is eager
in the improvement of variety of crops and cultivated land with the study
of fertilizer. Therefore, he often goes to the related sections in Shingu
City Office. It is the same in the sea life that he does not get satisfied
until convinced. He becomes totally absorbed in such matters without knowing.
He leaves the Wozumi grocery store to his wife Kuma. He is absolutely weak
in the reception of customers. So he rarely appears at the store, but it
does not mean he neglects its management.
Every purchase of groceries like sake, miso, soy souce, etc., is his job
under Kuma's direction. He pulls a two-wheeled cart back and forth to the
wholesalers and breweries around the center of Shingu City over a hill
path with the help of his children.
The sea is his most comfortable place after all.
If there is even a minute of spare time regardless of the weather, he rows
a temma boat of his own off the shore with the underwater gun and a bottsuri
basket, or dives around Suzushima Island.
He does not fail to get some seafood each time which his children are waiting
for as their dinner.
His such character was well known in the town.
Saying "He is a little obstinate but broad-minded", town people
were mostly favorable. So, they sometimes requested such and such positions
or organizers. Kuma had a hard time to be a refuser.
Therefore recently, it is the town's set phrase that Kyozo does not take
care of any public matter.
２．President of PTA
It was when his daughter Yoriko was in the 6th grade of elementary school,
Kyota in the 4th grade and Kyoji in the 2nd grade.
The parents' association (PTA) of Miwasaki Elementary School had a difficult
problem.
There was no one willing to be the president of PTA the next year. The
present president had to be resigned due to his son's graduation and the
same with the vice president.
To make the thing worse, no promising person could be found among the members
of PTA except Kanji Nishi, a city councilman.
All the people involved including the present president and the principal
had looked for some prospective person since a half year before, the so-called
suitable people were limited and all of them were firmly refusing it.
Kanji Nishi, 45 years old, has been serving as a city councilman for three
terms. He is from a landlord family called "Jujiya", the family
line with a long history.
He is not interested in any career advancement, probably not because he
is from such a rich family.
There have been only a handful of people graduated from prewar Shingu junior
high school in Miwasaki, and he is one of them. He is indifferent to such
things, but he is highly cultured and a good speaker.
When he was among younger powers in Shingu City Office, he was appreciated
as being broad-minded and righteous. For this reason, his colleagues during
the junior high school made him run for a member of the municipal assembly
and he won the election in a high rank. Citizens know his good achievements
for three terms.
His couple has two daughters, one will be 4th grade and another 3rd grade
in Miwasaki Elementary School from this April.
Kanji Nishi, one of the few favorite candidates for the president of PTA
finally agreed under a certain condition. Now that he accepted it, he was
ready to do his best. But his present job as a city councilman never has
to be disturbed.
What he really wished as a middle ground was: If Dennojo Sanoh would take on the president, I could carry out my role to the best as the vice president.
Sanoh used to be Nishi's intimate friend during their elementary school
days, and their relationship of mutual trust has strongly been tight until
today. He is confident that he would be able to do something with Sanoh.
He now decides to persuade Sanoh at the head.
Dennojo Sanoh is the same age of 45 with Kanji Nishi. His daughter is in
Koyo Junior High School, but his son is in Miwasaki Elementary School.
His academic background is up to ordinary elementary school.
Dennojo, nicknamed as Den, began working in Arafura Sea at the age of 20.
His two elder brothers were already there. His younger sister is Kuma,
Kyozo's wife.
When Kyozo happened to have a tentative return to his hometown partly for
the marriage ceremony with Kuma, he went back to Arafura Sea taking Den
with him.
One of Den's precious experiences in the South Seas for nearly 10 years was a tie with Kyozo.
Getting used to the work, Den became a trustworthy colleague for Kyozo.
He was also considerably a fresh speaker and a little hot-blooded.
After years, Den started a stationary store in Miwasaki. With his nephew
as a main staff, the store came to be satisfied by all the teachers and
parents with a wide selection of goods for a local town.
Den himself was drafted and stayed in this and that battlefields during
the Pacific War. His last rank was a lieutenant, which was the top in town.
Den's respect for Kyozo Wozumi has been consistent after his return to
hometown, too.
After the end of the war, he often visits Kyozo and drinks together. The
talk is one-way traffic from Den and the listener is mostly Kuma. The brother-in-law
is satisfied only in smile.
- - - - -
When Kanji Nishi persuaded Den Sanoh to be the next PTA president with
an unusually serious look, the thin-eye smile of Kyozo Wozumi came out
to Den's mind.
<Though he never smoothly accepts, what would happen if I would ask him about it in the condition that two of us would absolutely do everything as vice presidents under only the name of the president?>
Den's idea is: If Kyozo should grant my wish, I would do my best with Kanji
in the term thanking him earnestly. This is the only way to repay his favor
in the South Seas and everything. I would very much like to make good use
of his way of life to the future of the school children, talking together
among three of us. There would not be any better job for me.
Kanji Nishi surely had no objection. But anyway, the first problem is "He
will never accept it."
The two of them continued to explain the situation before Kyozo and to
persuade him to their best.
"Please accept us to borrow your name. We will definitely be encouraged
just believing you are with us.
We will try to realize our expectation and hope to children with our whole heart.
Watch us with your own eyes. Be a brother to talk with us."
"Just for this matter, make my (Den's) desire be fulfilled. If any
trouble would be about to happen to you, I would deal with it by my own
actions. Test me."
Having only been listening to them with a smile, Kyozo finally began an
unexpected talk.
"Den, you remember we used to play the Yasukera dance at a village
in New Guinea, right? I am sure you enjoyed it, too. Those matters come
out to me clearly even now, both the song and the dance.
I made such small drums after returning home. I keep them with care in
the shed.
Additionally there are also some others they presented to me together with
dancing costumes."
During his stay in Arafura Sea, his boat often came alongside the wharf
of the village, where business deal was done.
While staying there for a few days, there were actually interactions between
the crew and the local residents. The crew talked in Japanese and Englsh
and the residents the local language to each other. Never understandable.
It was an unavoidable wall.
But like knows like. All the both sides became friendly enough to be reluctant
to part each other by the help of their real friendship.
The local residents earnestly taught their local Yasukera dance and the
crew learned it seriously.
Wearing only fundoshi or a loincloth, they dance, while singing, stamping
their feet on the floor with a spear in the right hand and a bundle of
small bells in the left hand.
Yasukera dance was always shown in the village festival and any other events.
Those days wives and ladies made local dishes pulling all of their cooking
skills to good use to entertain players.
All too soon, the crew were added to them as good friends, and it decisively
made them want to drop in at this village of the island. The local residents
finally came to prepare the square for their Yasukera dance celebrating
the crew's coming alongside the wharf each time.
Therefore, here in Miwasaki town where there were many men with experience
in Arafura Sea, such talk like "Why don't we play it here, too?"
was often heard at any meeting.
Den Sanoh is also familiar enough to the dance through his experience and
his nostalgic memory.
- - - - -
After a while brother Kyozo adds.
"I understand Den and Kanji are so warm-hearted. If I am useful, I
will be happy. I did not go even to elementary school enough as you know.
In spite of it, if my name is worth using for you, don't hesitate. I know
I have nothing to do for you, but if you please.... My only wish now is
I would like to show Yasukera dance of our old colleagues to children at
such a time as a school performance."
Before the two he believed in, his daily desire came out.
"Strong and gentle boys, and charming and kind girls. I would like
them to be happy to be born in Wiwasaki."
The top board members of PTA for the new year from April in Showa 25 (1950)
was a strange structure. The president was Kyozo Wozumi, and the two vice
presidents were Dennojo Sanoh and Kanji Nishi.
Why Kyozo? Is he really OK?"
Everybody worried about this president's selection naturally, but the facts
since then proved the selection right.
That man Kyozo who disliked any meeting never fails to attend every necessary
meeting. This is a surprise unexpected by the both vice presidents. But
he does not talk, even a greeting. He just listens to everybody in a smile.
Answers, remarks or any other things are left to the two.
Besides, Mr. Iwanobe replaced Mr. Nakamura as the principal. He had been
a vice principal of Tankaku Elementary School in central Shingu for two
years, who was known as indecisive by some people in Miwasaki too. It seemed
he was promoted to this seat just as a blessing before retirement by the
municipal school board. Though he must have been pleased than anybody,
the role looked a burden on him.
It also looked like the peak a man who never gets ahead reached at last.
He will just wait for retirement. He talks a lot, but most of them are
brag and with no good judgement.
"I'd like you to decide" is his favorite phrase. For a complicated
discussion he pretends ignorance most of the time. So, the teachers who
knew his backbround accepted Iwanobe as a new principal with no expectation.
- - - - -
There were a dozen schools of elementary and junior high in Shingu City
at that time, and among them Miwasaki Elementary School was well said to
be an outsider. Not only a principal but also teachers and staffs must
not have been the posts to take pleasantly for the people on a career track.
In this situation, the new organization of PTA will become a joyful misculculation to the new principal.
3. School Performance
The year's school performance has approached. In addition to the annual
big moment the children show their parents, this time it is said that the
occasion for parents to show their children is prepared.
The program of the parents is not the whale dance of young men shown on
the day of village festival every year, but they say the fathers once stayed
in Arafura Sea will play a Yasukera dance.
By this rumor, residents in Miwasaki are curiously waiting for the day
with expectation and uneasiness.
"Why at the stage of school performance?"
"No, they may have something in mind. ..."
Various discussions are flying around. And some well-informed residents
say,
"This idea must be from Kyozo Wozumi and PTA members. It is a naked
dance the local people in the South Seas taught them during their stay
there. They are said to have a wish to show it to children."
The understanding of teachers, staffs and parents were like that.
Principal Iwanobe was worried a lot, and he was not calm, not being able
to raise any objection outright.
"I wonder what the school board would tell me. How shoud I make an
excuse?"
On the day, the auditorium was full of people mostly interested in the
Yasukera program.
In some of the most important shows of children a strange phenomenon occurred.
Though children appeared proudly on the stage, there was a little unusual
excitement in the hall from the beginning which prevented their voices
from getting enough to the rear seats. Some children nearly cried due to
no expected claps at a good timing.
"Be quiet, please!"
Teacher's repeated stiffened announcement settled it somehow. Both the
teachers and PTA realized this happening as a point for improvement in
the next year.
The last stage for the first half is the Yasukera dance itself.
Lighting up on the stage, music members on the left side begin to play
the Japanese flutes directed by Toranosuke, a barber, and drums by Yoshimatsu,
an owner of Hoeimaru boat. They are regular players of the whale dance
of annual event
Following the introduction play, fundoshi-naked men with black charcoal
on bodies appear in line from the other side. They, all 10 fathers, are
not embarrassed but look proud. They hang a decoration around their waist,
with something like rosaries on their wrists and ankles, bumboo sticks
regarded as spears in right hand, and small bells in left hand.
A rithmical sound on the floor by tonton of bamboo sticks on right hand,
and make it more lively, a rinrin-jarajara of small bells on left hand.
Den Sanoh, the first in line, Kyozo Wozumi, colleagues in Arafura Sea,
..., and also Kanji Nishi.
When all the players are here on the stage, they are arranged horizontally
toward the spectators and begin to sing Yasukera dance learned at New Guinea
Island at the top of their voice.
よ〜い、よい
トントン、トトトン、トトーン、トントン
オエヤーオエヤー、オエオエヤー（ほい）
ヤスケラノ〜オ、マルワマンタラノ〜エ
カイガラビスケトッパイカ〜、トッパラピッカノ〜エ
オエヤーオエヤー、オエオエヤー（ほい）
………… |
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yohi yoi
tonton tototon totohn tonton
oeyahoeyah oeoeyah (hoi)
Yasukeranoho maruwamantaranohe
Kaigarabisuke toppaikah topparapkka nohohe
oeyahoeyah oeoeyah (hoi)
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The lively sounds: Tonton of bamboo sticks, dondon of footclaps and rinrin-jarajara
of small bells of the players with music instruments on the right side
of the stage. All of the sounds get together and give the dance a boost.
Their target to show is surely decided. It's the children occupying the
front seats. All of them are enjoying themselves, leaning forward and crying
in a joyful voices.
The parents and citizens on the back seats are also absorbed in supporting
the dance of their well-known acquaintances with handclaps and cheers.
The dancing of Kanji Nishi is quite at home, too. Though he has no experience
in Arafura Sea, he is pretty enjoying himself with a black-charcoaled body
perhaps by the help of special practice under intimate friend Den Sanoh.
The choreography of the players was helped by their wives blushed with
shame under Kyozo's direction.
What is overlapping with in Kuma's mind, watching her husband's satisfactory
smile? She dabs at her eyes.
Den is acting as he likes on the stage. He nudges Kyozo in the ribs and
says, "Look, my elder! Glad, aren't we! The best of all!"
- - - - -
After a couple of days, Kyota told his mother Kuma that all the children
would like to learn the dance.
The Yasukera dance became regular on the school performance stage every
year starting this time.
By the request of the city staffs heard of the reputation, it came to appear
on the stage of the city public hall as one of the events during the city
festival.
It was really a surprise among the citizens when they knew that Kanji Nishi,
an intellectual councilman, was one of the players. It was reported in
the papers, and became a pleasant and amusing topic in Shingu City for
a while.
Thanks to these happenings after the school performance, the plans of PTA
came to be taken up favorably by the city board of education, which led
Miwasaki Elementary School not a negative image to teachers and staffs.
Also, it gave principal Iwanobe an unexpected gift for his retirement.
Kyozo continued to be the president of PTA for 3 years until elder son
Kyota's graduation. Den and Kanji fully assisted him like the two wheels
of a cart.
Competition among parents and children on a field day, quiz contest on
the day of class observation, ..., teachers informed parents of the children's
simple opinions about those plays, and parents cooperated with teachers
to make them more delightful plays.
There was no happening Den had to be any hard target for the name-only
president, and as for Kanji Nishi the inappropriate and bare friendship
with elder Kyozo seemed to give him larger personality.
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