It was there at Grandfather Hisakichi’s feet… a Coleman stove! My guess is circa 1920 up near a Mt. Rainier campground… It’s just so…unexpected to see a Japanese family of the early 1900’s with such an “American” icon. I hope I am not a rascist but I sure didn’t expect it.
Grandfather Hisakichi at the right. Unretouched.
And amateurish-ly (is that a word?) retouched with free software. I’m El Cheapo:
As retouched.
Grandmother Kono is not pictured but I wonder who snapped the photo.
There was a photo of Mt. Rainier dated August 1920 on another page in the deteriorating album kept by Grandmother Kono.
Unretouched.
It is remotely possible the man on the right is also Grandfather Hisakichi but I doubt it. I feel this was at a separate outing from the campsite photo.
They walked on it. They posed for family portraits on it. They passed away on it. It felt as if their souls were infused in it.
Although my ancestors have come and gone through that house for about a hundred years, the old sakura wood shared their souls with me.
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Then:
The Kanemoto’s sat on the cherry wood walkway for a portrait. Notice the glass paneling at the center-rear. My father (second from left) is sadly all who remains from that generation. Circa 1928, Hiroshima, Japan.
Now:
Although aged and weathered, the sakura (Japanese cherry) wood upon which my ancestors sat upon for family portraits is unchanged. Even the glass paneling in the background is the same.
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While I am certainly not in the construction industry, my father’s family home is based on the Edo design era. Generally speaking, they are built on stone foundations, with supporting square timbers and a raised floor. “Tatami” mats were used for flooring.
My father, while now 93 and suffering from dementia, fondly recalled the floor plan of the Kanemoto house…especially of the main room seen the family portrait. He said it had a “tokonoma”, or a small alcove alongside the altar, or “butsudan”. He also clearly recalled the floor space measured by the number of tatami mats used; in this case, “hachijyou” or eight mats.
This is the room in which my cousin Masako “saw” Aunt Shiz a few days before she passed away.
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The house was indeed damaged from the atomic bomb’s shock wave. This same shock wave shook the Enola Gay violently even while trying to escape the blast at about 30,000 feet altitude. She was 11-1/2 miles away.
The house is about 4-1/2 miles away by way the crow flies. Almost due west of the hypocenter. Masako was knocked down by the hard-hitting shock wave while in her classroom.
A low lying hill called Mt. Suzugamine served somewhat as a barrier, deflecting the shock wave. Still, nearly all of the sliding door panels were knocked down and the ceiling was sucked up more than a foot per Masako. Roof tiling was also blown away from the force.
Masako is trying to show how the atomic bomb’s shock wave lifted the ceiling up over a foot. It is repaired now but was left as-is for decades.Masako in the process of trying to show how far the ceiling was lifted by the blast on August 6, 1945.
My Uncle Suetaro took one of his last photos in front of this house in May 1944. My grandmother already had her stroke and is not in this photo but his sister, Michie, is standing to his right.
One of the family treasures found during our journey to the family home in Hiroshima this month. Uncle Suetaro is going to war and his death.
Grandmother Kono’s funeral in 1954; my father can be seen in the lighter suit to the left standing next to Michie and Masako (hidden by the flowers):
Grandmother Kono’s funeral at the house. 1954
The home does have spirits within. It’s not cornball. It is an incredible sensation. We were called to those souls in the wood this month. Seriously.
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When I saw my son in front of the home, I saw that I’m in the last half of my journey in life… but I came back to myself on that old sakura wood.
Early family picture in front of the house. The entry is on the right.My son Takeshi standing next to the Kanemoto name in front of the house just this month. The entry can be seen behind him.
Too much of a coincidence… A dull dagger… Cutting my heart out with a dull spoon… Now this… Chatter Master has it out for me. I kneel before the Queen.
But the dental hygienist got me to lay on my back… Man, sharp tools. 🙂
I never met Joe Kubert in either of my stints in the comic-book world, but I spoke with him on the phone a few times. Mr. Kubert, a pioneering artist who worked mainly for DC Comics, had started a school for cartooning and graphic arts in Dover, New Jersey. There were two young friends and employees of mine in whom I saw great potential.
I spoke with Mr. Kubert about them both. These conversations were about ten years apart, but Mr. Kubert had the same two questions about the young men I was touting: “Are they good? Will they listen?”
Both young men attended his school to their decided benefit. He and his staff taught them what they needed to know to augment their talent with real-world chops. After a couple of years at the Kubert School, both these young men were not only pro-level cartoonists, but could handle any…
This is a series of stories of two noble and young sisters from Arizona who volunteered during the aftermath of the devastating Japan earthquake and tsunami. They now revisit the sites where they volunteered their help last year. Feel their joys as well as despair during their fantastic journey.
But my Maytag bleu cheese salad is flavorful, colorful and with nice contrasting textures. To die for if I have to say so myself. Call me James Bond.
My Maytag bleu cheese salad. Notice the color provided by the PERFECTLY hard-boiled eggs. 🙂
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In the early 1990’s, there was a fabulous restaurant called “Stepps” in Downtown LA. It was a great stop for business meals.
One of the most stellar dishes they had was their “Maytag bleu cheese salad”. The bleu cheese exploded with its distinct flavor and the crunch from the toasted almond slivers was an excellent contrast. Indeed, the presentation was like Disney’s “Wonderful World of Color”.
I had to figure out how to make it…even back then. Not being educated in the culinary arts (OK…cooking – I just wanted to be fancy), it was one failure after another.
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But in the years leading up to today, it is perfected. At least I think so. Nobody complains except for my oldest daughter who doesn’t like bleu cheese…or mushrooms.
The key, I feel, is the bleu cheese. There is a specific variety called “Maytag” bleu cheese. You will be rewarded. It is worth the trouble.
The ingredients are simple; no quantities are shown as you pros can figure it out. Besides, everyone’s palates differ:
For the dressing:
Heavy cream
Crushed garlic
Vinegar (or lemon juice) to thicken
Mayo
Salt and black pepper (I use the Japanese version as it is such a fine powder and has a slight citrus-y taste to it)
Dash of Worcheshire (Is that spelled right?)
A dribble of olive oil
After whisking the above, toss romaine lettuce with the dressing and plate.
Throw on:
Toasted almond slivers
Chopped (perfectly) hard-boiled eggs
Maytag bleu cheese
Enjoy
The bright yellow from the eggs add great color to the salad. Be careful to not overboil the eggs. Nothing more unappealing than looking at the dark green stuff around the yolk on your beautiful salad – which I feel would add a touch of a sulphur taste or smell.
Masako and Spam Musubi 