Alien Rice; A Novel. (4 page)

That year Mr. and Mrs. Saburo Tanaka received an invitation for the first time, presumably because Mrs. Tanaka was a British woman. From the Tozai Trading Company only Mr. Takahashi, the manager, and Mr. Iida, his deputy, together with their wives, were invited. Other leading Japanese firms were similarly represented.

However, there were many other Japanese present; in fact almost one-third of the guests were Japanese and most Japanese ladies wore colorful kimonos which lent a note of gaiety to the affair. Almost all the Japanese ladies were gathered in one section of the hall, talking and chatting among themselves. As for the Japanese men-folk, they also kept to themselves and few ventured to mix with foreign guests. As a matter of fact, the entire Japanese community was conspicuous in its self-imposed isolation from the British guests.

"Why do the Japanese keep to themselves like that?" Alice asked Saburo.

"Well, the Japanese don't speak English well enough, especially women. Moreover, we don't know many of the British people who are assembled here today."

"But why do Japanese men segregate themselves completely from their women?"

"We are always like that, you know. Our interests are not identical, and topics for conversation are strictly limited. We men talk about mahjong, golf scores and company matters, while the fairer sex are interested in their dress and in household affairs."

Saburo and Alice were still watching this curious spectacle of the Japanese assembly when an elderly British lady came and introduced herself.

"I am Margaret Downes. I was formerly married to Tagawa, who was London manager of Tozai Trading before the war. Perhaps you have heard about me."

"Yes, indeed. You now live in England, don't you?" both Saburo and Alice replied, almost in unison.

"I hear you were married a year or two ago in London. I've been wanting to meet you," the former Mrs. Tagawa said, turning toward Alice.

"I lived in Japan after Tagawa left London but I had to go through terrible experiences, both before and during the war. While in London I found the Japanese people very charming, kind and generous. But when I got to Japan it was a different story. And then the war came. I was followed, questioned and searched all the time by the military police. I told them I was a Japanese businessman's wife and I had even acquired Japanese citizenship papers. But they never believed me. You have no idea how terrible antiforeignism was in the years before the war. I shudder to think of it now.

"You know the Japanese always suffer from an inferiority complex and their repressed feelings sometimes erupt like a volcano in the form of xenophobia. After the war, Tagawa, as he grew old, became a typical Japanese, eating Japanese food and going to geisha houses almost every night. I couldn't stand him and so came back with my daughter Jane."

Alice listened to the elderly lady with sympathy.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all these troubles," she commiserated.

"Well, all I can say is that Japan definitely is not the place for an Englishwoman to live."

The verdict of this ex-Tozai manager's British wife gave little comfort to Alice.

One afternoon in Tozai's London office Mr. Iida, the assistant manager, sent for Alice. Since Alice, in theory, worked for the manager, she wondered what it was that Mr. lida wanted.

"Mrs. Tanaka, I wonder if you can do me a favor."

"What is it, Mr. Iida?" Alice asked.

"You know our Japanese staff members do not speak good English, myself included. We are so busy, as you know, that we have little time to study English. Both Manager Takahashi and myself have long felt a need to remedy the situation. It occurred to me that perhaps you could assist us in this matter. The manager wants you to conduct an English-conversation class for the staff, starting next month in the office," Mr. Iida explained to her.

"I should be glad if I could be of any service, Mr. lida. How do you propose to do it?" Alice asked.

"The class is to begin soon after the office hours end and is to last for one hour and a half and will meet every other day of the week in the big conference room. There shall be only one group to start with, an intermediate class in which those who have a fair command of English will take part. It is an experiment. We could have more classes, depending on how we get on. As to the fee, we shall pay you 50 pounds a month. Would that be agreeable to you?"

"Yes, Mr. Iida. I'm familiar with some of the difficulties the Japanese experience in pronouncing certain English words. So I think I can help your staff members to improve their English. Anyway, I'll do my best," Alice answered.

So the arrangements were agreed on for the staff English-conversation class. Alice was to busy herself now with the extra-office duties it would entail. She knew that almost all Japanese spoke very poor English. Even Saburo's command of the language left much to be desired. Surely English was drastically different from Japanese both in its syntax and its pronunciation, and it would not be fair to criticize the Japanese for their poor performance. Her fellow-Britishers, also an island people, were not particularly gifted in the mastery of foreign languages, Alice conceded.

But the Japanese islanders, to one of whom she was married, were a people so vastly different in racial and cultural background that they were often misunderstood, ridiculed and even ostracized by the rest of the world. Their gregariousness among themselves, and their reluctance to mingle with others, which Alice had witnessed at the recent embassy reception, made the matter worse. It was up to the Japanese to go out of their way to mix more freely with peoples of other lands, to feel and behave more at ease in their midst. Without such a positive effort, the world would forever look upon the Japanese as an odd people, despite their diligence, ingenuity and other admirable qualities.

It was with such a firm conviction that Alice undertook to conduct an English-conversation class when the assistant manager asked for her cooperation. She was glad that she was able to do something meaningful, something in which she found interest and purpose. Besides, Alice's new work meant an extra income for her and kept her busy in the evening until her husband came home much later at night.

It was also the beginning of Alice Tanaka's activities which were to mean so much to her and her husband and even to change their destiny in the years which followed.

CHAPTER
  4

In the meantime Japanese staff members of Tozai, from Manager Takahashi on down, worked incessantly, like busy bees. It would be more accurate to say that they occupied themselves with company affairs, often combining official business with personal pleasure, almost twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.

The Japanese worker at Tozai Trading was assured a two-week paid holiday every year, but few, if any, dared to take this official leave in full, while British employees took stipulated paid holidays as a matter of course.

"Why don't you take your holiday in full?" Alice asked Saburo.

"I could take a full holiday but since none of us is doing it I alone cannot very well do that," Saburo explained.

"Why not?" Alice wanted to know.

"Because I'm afraid that my colleagues and superiors may think
ill
of me as being frivolous or selfish, more so now that I am married to you."

"But that is a very odd way of thinking," Alice replied.

"You know, Alice, that in Japan you either have to follow a leader or go along with the majority. And if you do something unconventional, you attract too much attention and are subject to criticism, and possibly condemnation, by all others around you," Saburo said.

Alice, since starting to work for Tozai almost four years before, had learned that the Japanese preferred to act in a group, that they seldom took the initiative. It was, however, the first time she had heard the reason for the Japanese reluctance to take a prolonged holiday.

When summer came, Alice agreed to spend a week with her husband and to take another week off sometime later by herself. They decided to spend the week's holiday up in the Lake District, as Saburo had never explored that part of the country, and also because it was likely that, after nearly three years in London, Saburo could be recalled to Japan any day now.

"How beautiful these undulating hills and moors are! And how spacious the whole country is!" Saburo exclaimed as they motored around the Lake District and other parts of the north of England.

"Isn't Japan also like England, being an island country?" Alice inquired.

"No, Japan is very mountainous, and living space is limited. It's a very crowded country."

Saburo now remembered how constricted his own country was, compared with the English countryside.

On their way back the couple stopped at Harrogate, Yorkshire. They spent the night at the Grand Hotel and next morning they strolled along the promenade after breakfast. The distinctly Victorian facades of hotels and shops along the main street bespoke the glory and splendor of bygone years, when Harrogate had been a favorite watering place for British royalty and the aristocracy.

Suddenly Saburo spotted along the row of shops a big signboard, "Samurai & Co.," and hurriedly went to spy on the shop. It was a high-class Oriental curio shop and, judging from the signboard, Saburo suspected that the owner was his countryman. Apart from the branch offices of big business corporations in London or elsewhere, Saburo had seldom come across a Japanese store which gave such a sense of solidity.

"Let's go in, just for curiosity's sake," Saburo urged. Sure enough, there was an elderly Japanese gentleman sitting inside.

"Good morning. We happened to be strolling along High Street when we saw your store and dropped in. This is my wife Alice," Saburo spoke to the owner in Japanese.

"Oh, you are quite welcome. More so because out here I seldom meet a Japanese. I've lived here over thirty years. Like you, I married an Englishwoman. My son, who was enlisted in the Royal Air Force, was killed in action during the war. A very fine lad, he was."

The old man had tears in his eyes. Then he abruptly switched to English as he noticed Alice, and continued :

"I come from Yamagata prefecture. When I was in high school I had to take military training. It was in the days when Japan was arming to the teeth and the Imperial Army was almighty. Each high school, college and university had its own military officer who was detailed by the army headquarters.

"My high school had a Captain Abe who, I remember, was a haughty and most obnoxious fellow. One day I was not feeling well and so asked the captain to excuse me from training that day. Thereupon he slapped my face and shouted: 'You weakling!' I collapsed on the ground.

"Since that day I hated that man, military training, my high school and all that the Imperial Army stood for."

"So you became a conscientious objector," Alice interrupted.

"Yes, exactly, Madame." And the owner continued:

"I was born a son of a poor farmer so I could not afford to go ahead on my own. I decided to be a seaman. Worked on a Europe-bound cargo ship and after a few voyages got off at Cardiff, kind of a stowaway. I was in my early twenties. I worked hard, doing all sorts of manual work in Liverpool and then in London, but earned little. Then I met my wife just by chance. She was all awfully kindhearted girl. Got married. In the meantime her aunt died and left my wife 50,000 pounds in her will. With that money we started a curio business and finally set up a shop here in Harrogate. We've seen better days here. Sorry my wife passed away three years ago. How she worked and helped me! She was an ingenious woman and protected and shielded me all through the war years. I'm deeply grateful to her."

Both Saburo and Alice listened to the curio dealer with intense interest. Above all, Saburo was impressed by this man's moral courage and conviction.

"Don't you feel like going back to Japan sometimes?" Saburo asked.

"No, not particularly. I've been very happy here. I'm still very proud of David, my son who died for England."

Saburo and Alice were greatly moved by this expatriate's account of his own strange life.

"No doubt an exile, but he certainly must be a happy person inasmuch as he has been able to act according to his conviction and do what he thought was worthwhile."

As Saburo said this to Alice he recalled his recent ignominious wait outside the whorehouse in Maida Vale.

Saburo and Alice decided to spend another day in Harrogate. The following day they again dropped in on the curio shop and engaged the old man in conversation. After the visit they strolled in the spa area, where green leaves were already turning yellow in the golden September sun.

Suddenly Alice felt dizzy and nearly fell down to the ground. Fortunately there was a bench nearby and Saburo supported and helped her to sit quietly on it. After she had rested there for a while Saburo took her back to the hotel room. He hurriedly looked for a local telephone directory, found the number of "Samurai & Co." and rang up the proprietor. Saburo explained to him what had happened and asked the curio dealer to find a doctor for his wife. Suspecting pregnancy, the old man got hold of an obstetrician and sent him to the hotel.

After a brief examination the doctor declared, "The baby will be born sometime next spring."

"Alice. Mrs. Mizuno, wife of the vice-president, is coming to England on a pleasure tour next week, accompanied by an old classmate of hers. They would like to tour Scotland and I hear that Mrs. Takahashi and wives of senior staff members will all be based in Edinburgh to look after the visitors for the duration. Since I have been told of the arrangements you cannot pretend not to know about Mrs. Mizuno's visit. You had better inquire of Deputy Manager Iida's wife if you could be of any assistance to the visitors."

So Saburo spoke to Alice one evening upon his return from the office.

"But isn't the vice-president's wife on her own pleasure trip?" Alice wondered.

"Yes, but that does not alter the fact that Mts. Mizuno is the wife of our vice-president and if anything should go amiss while she is there, it would reflect on our London office and on Manager Takahashi in particular."

"But you say Mrs. Takahashi and all other senior members' wives will be in Edinburgh to take care of Mrs. Mizuno and one other lady. So why should I be there?"

"You may be right, but Japanese etiquette demands that we all make obeisance to whomever is superior to us in the company hierarchy," Saburo remarked, "and it is also widely rumored that Mr. Mizuno will succeed Mr. Nozaki as president in due course."

"Didn't Mrs. Mizuno live in London when her husband was manager here some years ago? If that is the case, I should imagine that Mrs. Mizuno, knowing her way about, would prefer not to be pestered by us. "

"Yes. Mr. Mizuno was the manager here before Mr. Tsunoda. You know, Mrs. Mizuno is a vivacious and talkative woman and is likely to tip her husband on whatever we do or fail to do while she is here. You never can tell."

Alice was unconvinced. Yet, following her husband's instructions, like all dutiful Japanese wives, Alice rang up Mrs. Iida the next day and offered her services. Sure enough, Mrs.!ida said that since Alice came from Scotland Mrs. Takahashi herself had hoped that Alice would join the welcoming team for the vice-president's wife. The manager's wife was certain that the presence of Alice would please Mrs. Mizuno immensely, Mrs.!ida said, particularly because Mrs. Mizuno was inwardly proud of her command of English, such as it was, and would show off whenever an opportunity presented itself.

So the following week Mrs. Mizuno arrived in London with her friend, and after a day or two Mrs. Takahashi, Mrs.!ida and Alice Tanaka traveled with the visitors to Edinburgh on the Flying Scotsman from Euston Station. When the party checked in at the luxurious Royal Caledonian Hotel, Alice saw to her great surprise that there were already three other company wives staying in the same hotel. These three women had come up in the chauffeur-driven company car the day before. They were wives of chiefs of the manager's secretariat, general affairs section and account section, respectively.

Alice wondered what earthly business these ladies had with the vice-president's wife in Edinburgh. The next day, one of them, whose husband was in charge of accounts, accompanied Mrs. Mizuno, with her friend and Mrs. Takahashi, on a shopping expedition on Princes Street. It was the duty of the finance chief's wife to pay for the purchases.

In fact, no stone was left unturned in making Mrs. Mizuno's trip a pleasurable one. Everybody who waited on her appeared nervous lest they should incur the ire or displeasure of the vice-president's wife. Alice thought that even the entourage of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth could not be half as officious or solicitous as Tozai's welcoming party for Mrs. Mizuno. The latter, on her part, was in high spirits, radiating the aura of her husband's prestige and seeming to enjoy herself so long as it lasted.

Too, expenses involved in Operation Mrs. Mizuno and the resultant exodus of the company wives to Scotland, which must have been staggering, were obviously charged to an expense account of some sort. Maybe the Japanese had a special knack of bookkeeping which was as elusive as an octopus or jellyfish, Alice Tanaka thought to herself.

In November of that year a cable came from Tokyo ordering Saburo Tanaka back to the Head Office, to be assigned to its foodstuff section.

Alice continued to work until her departure. Her extra work as an English-conversation teacher was proving to be very popular, because of her patience with the students and her familiarity with the Japanese weakness in pronouncing certain English words. Quite apart from the generous fees which the company paid her, Alice enjoyed the lessons she gave three times a week. As the date of their departure drew near, however, both Saburo and Alice began to have some misgivings as to the future.

Saburo was not at all sure how his parents would receive his wife. He had not written to his parents since his announcement of the proposed marriage but had merely sent them a New Year's greeting-card the previous year. While Saburo and Alice would not have to live in Nagoya, Saburo's parents would surely come to visit them in Tokyo. He did not relish the prospect of the encounter.

Too, Saburo was not without anxiety as to his financial condition in Tokyo. His salary would revert to his basic pay, 60,000 yen a month, plus some fringe benefits. There would be no extra allowances of any kind, save the semi-annual bonus, which obviously would not amount to very much. Alice, true to her Scottish tradition, was economical, and had already saved some money. But if she were to live comfortably in Westem style in Japan, what money she had set aside would soon be dissipated. Above all, the question of housing worried Saburo. To be sure, he would have access to a company flat or dormitory with a nominal rent, but it would be a ramshackle affair, small in contrast to what Alice had been used to. Anything the company could provide in the way of shelter would be a far cry from their present furnished flat in Golder's Green. While Alice was a patient woman and adaptable, there was a limit to her patience and adaptability, Saburo mused.

For Alice, despite her courage, determination and devotion to Saburo, the impending transfer was undoubtedly a great adjustment. For one thing, she had never in her life even crossed the Channel. Uprooting herself, then, from her native land and settling in faraway Japan with her husband, and possibly with unknown in-laws, was a prospect she faced with misgiving, if not with dread.

Alice's apprehension was somewhat mitigated when she thought of what she had had to go through these last four years, right here in London. Had she not, of her own volition, already plunged herself into a Japanese environment? Did she not, as the English-born wife of Saburo, stand out as basically different in race, culture and way of thinking, against her thoroughly Japanese surroundings? But had she not made whatever adjustment and accommodation were necessary to meet the new circumstances? And had she not done this heroically and successfully?