STORIES AT THE PANAMA #9
Yesterday, we had another fun session of story telling at the Panama Tea and Coffee. About 15 individuals joined us for conversation on our 9th session since we started last May 2022. It’s particularly interesting to find the Panama Hotel an INTERSECTION and crossroads of people from all around the USA and the world.
Avery grew up in Ohio and is part of a family interested in history. She finds Japanese Kimono and things Japanese of particular interest and has come to stay at the Panama and help Jan Johnson, owner of the hotel. Avery is most impressed with how Jan has created vintage decor in several of the rooms: The Writer’s Room, Ladies Room, Hairdo Room, Chickadee Room, Bamboo Room.
Khulan shared about coming to the USA from Mongolia, sandwiched between Russia and China. She met her husband Jason here and they have traveled the US, but find Seattle the most comfortable saying, “I feel like my own person and not an Asian that looks different.” She brought some of her Mongolian friends and says there is a count of around 3000 who live with us here in the greater Seattle area.
Of particular interest was her comments about the Mongolian history of Russia protecting them from Japanese and making everyone equal with the Russian philosophy of government control of all their possessions and equal redistribution. The Mongolian People were also no longer able to practice their own ancient religions and philosophy of life. Khulan adds, “I have both good and bad feelings about Russia at this time.” We all shuttered as Khulan shared that it was 32 degrees below zero this day in Mongolia - the coldest capital in the world.
Gary shared about his Nisei friend, Shigeo Iwamura, who was a flight instuctor for Kamikazi Pilots (human bombs idea started in the Phillipines) in Japan. Shigeo’s family had moved back to Japan in 1932. It’s speculated that Shigeo was determined to fit in and was caught up in national piety.
There was a healthy discussion of the term “Kokutai” - loyalty to the country of Japan and the emperor (representing the unbroken lineage from the Goddess Amaterasu) during WWII in Japan. Michi talked about women’s group and children in school, during the war, who practiced with wooden swords, and bamboo spears, who were trained to defeat American soldiers. Most of the younger Japanese don’t even know about such efforts as these stories were stricken from all literature. Currently, “Kokutai” only refers to national sports events.
Raku shared how she, as a toddler, was buried under rubble on August 5th, 1945, when her house in Kyushu was bombed. She was coincidentally at a University of WA social event years later and may have met the pilot of the plane that dropped the bomb.
Nothing like stories from different perspectives that help us learn for a better tomorrow.
