Good Morning, This is part two, of a Japanese man’s history in Sabah during World War II. I never knew Japan had offered opportunities for Japanese peasants to come to Sabah and acquire land for farming. Here is the continuation of his story of a person who left Japan, tried farming in Sabah and returned. Except for spelling and minor mistakes, the translation is from a Japanese school teacher.
Nlukim Table consisted of three kampongs with no names. We gave a name to each kampung and appointed the penghulus. We resolved to unite behind the penghulus and to inform the Headquarters immediately if anything should go wrong. I advised them to work hard, for through hard work we could increase our revenue, demand that the Company protect our rights, improve our residences and become independent farmers promptly
Ten days after the incident, I went to Mukim Tiger again, alone this time. They said I was the third Japanese to have gone over the mountain alone. The settlers had been informed in advance of my visit, and they had already gathered at the office when I arrived. I offered the staff of the Company a chance to hold a discussion with us. The discussion was on the topic of a ‘‘Civilized Society’’ I spoke to them as follows:
Through hard work by every member of the society, we can produce commodities on a large scale for the consumption of a civilized society. As a result of hard work, can build roads, schools and houses and lead a civilized life.
While the staff of the Company was selling our products or planning land reclamation, there were workers confronting the management. They are the same workers as we are.
“Those who work hard are civilized men. Youths should regard themselves as gentlemen. Young ladies should wear high heels, carry beautiful umbrellas and walk proudly.
The audience burst into laughter at this joke. It was a friendly discussion. Lastly, I spoke of the condition of the slaves in the United States and asked the settlers to be united. Then I left.
The Japanese resident had disclosed to me some confidential information: although the company asked the British Authority to arrest me, the latter rejected it saying Japanese problems should be solved internally by the Japanese themselves.
My arrest was the worst situation that I had expected. Hearing this information, I thought that we had won at last.
Twenty days after the incident, I received a letter from the Japanese Consulates in Sandakan ordering fifteen workers to be present at the Tawau Port.The Company guided us to meet the acting Consul, Mr. Satoh’s. He was biased towards the Company. I got angry and declared, “We cannot recognize you as an Imperial Consul. We should all go away” Then I left. I considered the meeting a conspiracy by the Company.
At around that time, people in Japan were celebrating the 2,500th Year of Kohki (Imperial Calendar)- I proposed to hold a grand Celebration of the Anniversary in Borneo. Everyone warmly welcomed my proposal. Local Japanese residents kindly contributed a big sum of money, beer and the like. We built a temporary stage in front of the office. From morning until night, we drank as much beer and ate as much food as we could. We sang songs and danced. In the end, the celebration was a great success. Our settlers seemed rejuvenated.
Forty days after the incident, the Manager and I received an order from the Consul to report to his office. It took two days to reach Sandakan by ship.
The representative of the youth section of our organization and I had bought the second class tickets. The Manager seemed to have bought the first-class ticket. Accommodation for third class passengers was inside the tent pitched on logs, while the second class was a dual occupancy room and the first class room was a saloon for a single person. One steward was responsible for fifty passengers in the third class, ten in the second, and one in the first.
On the third morning, we arrived at the Sandakan Port. A Consulate car was waiting for us. The Young man, the Manager and I were taken to the Consulate in this car. While the Manager entered another room, the young man and I were kept in the waiting room.
When we were summoned to a room where an emblem of chrysanthemum was hung on the wall, the Manager was not there. We met the Consul and another officer.
First of all I submitted the petition and asked for his sympathetic consideration. The Consul left the room. When returned, he said to me, “Sign and seal on this conciliation paper.” I read the paper. It said we should leave the matter entirely to the Consul. As the contents were too simple, I felt uncertain. Therefore, I asked him, “please kindly approve the same working conditions requested by us.” the Consul shouted “Can you not leave it to the Imperial Consul? What an insolent fellow you are. I was in front of the emblem of chrysanthemum. Overwhelmed by tears of impotence, I could not do anything but gaze at him
Seeing that I could not sign the paper, the Consul said to me, “You are tensed vip now. Go sightseeing in Sandakan town in the Consulate’s car.” finally they took us to a cemetery.
There were hundreds of crosses on the graves. In one corner stood seventy neglected graves. The guide said to us, “In these neglected graves are buried those who possess neither nationality nor name. They ambitiously worked for several years to get 10 to 20 ha. of land. However, when they had nearly got their land, they were exhausted, contracted malaria and finally died without being examined by any doctor. However, you are lucky because you can rely on collective bargaining or the Consul at any rate.”
On hearing this, I felt embarrassed. I shake hand with the young man, and we pledged to resolve our problem.
The sightseeing was finally over, and we were brought to the consulate. Smiling to me, the Consul said, “I would never ill-treat you. please sign here.” I felt much at ease now and I signed the paper.
We were told to stay in a hotel for the night and to present ourselves at 10 a.m. the next morning. The driver took us to the hotel. I asked the driver what could we expect the next day? He replied, “You might be served plenty of food tomorrow. It’s the Consul’s luncheon party.
At the luncheon party the following day, the Consul sat at the center of the table. I’m facing the Manager. Both sides of the table were occupied by the Japanese residents and Consular staff. The party, hosted by a Japanese resident, started with the Manager and I are shaking hands. The food was splendid
We came back by the same cargo-cum-passenger boat that took us to Sandakan. The consul was, I heard from a Japanese resident, Mr. Taniguchi, who had recently transferred from Manchuria. I thought this consul was bribed by the Company too.
After that, we continued our movement without slack in our vigilance. Soon after coming back from Sandakan, maybe because of fatigue, I fell ill and suffered a fever as high as 40 C. I was taken to a hospital in Tawau, The hospital was private, run by a doctor-cum-director from Sendai, a major city in northeast Honshu. He told the nurses, “This patient is an important person, you should treat him carefully! I received special treatment and was discharged on the fifteenth day.
The settlers had planted many kinds of fruit trees such as banana and papaya around my hut. I thought I could spend a happy life now. The staff of the Company were also pleased because production had almost doubled since the incident.
About two months after the incident, I received a letter from the Japan club of Tawau. The letter advised me: “As the incident has already been settled, you had better go back to Japan.” It was like a banishment order.
I consulted my wife and her elder brother. I decided to follow the advice, for we could not expect to own 20 ha. of land, our future would not be promising, and the environment would be harmful to our health –
I heard the Chairman of the Club was the Manager of the Company. I lost no time seeing him and negotiated the conditions for our return. I proposed two conditions as follows:
1) Those who want to go back to Japan should be allowed to do so along with me.
2) Besides travelling fees, the Company shall pay ¥400 per family.
The Manager said that as ¥400 was too little, he could pay more. However, I considered it as a conspiracy and rejected the offer.
When I consulted the settlers, most of them responded: “Even if we go back to Japan, we have neither a house nor any other property. As our living conditions have improved, we want to try a little longer.
Finally, only three settler families went with us. Mr. and Mrs. Samejima, who were dispatched by the Ministry of Colonization, were also on board.
After a long journey, we arrived at Kobe Port. While we were rejoicing, two policemen approached us. No sooner had they seen me than they punched me, shouting, “Konoyciro” (“You idiot”) Along with me, they detained Mr. Yuza, who was from Sendai and who had returned with me. They threw us into jail without saying anything. Mr. Yuza was a bachelor of 28 years old. Though he had joined the movement, he was not in charge of it. I supposed he was detained as a witness to the conflict.
I was interrogated by both the Department of Criminal Affairs and the Special Branch. At that time, almost all who resisted the capitalists were branded as communists.
I was denied any food and I almost died. But, despite a thorough investigation of my past, they could not find anything against me. On the 21st day, I was taken to the Chief Judicial Officer. He ordered my release on the condition that I would never divulge the Borneo Incidents –
I was put under the surveillance of the Special Branch for four years until the end of the Second World War. During that period, I worked as a plasterer in Tokyo. On the occasions when I went back to Fukushima, I was forced to register with the Special branch. While staying in Fukushima, I was constantly watched by both S.P. Tokunaga and S.P. Fujita. I was not given any freedom until after the end of the war.
Recollections of Labor Conflict in Japanese Estate Tawau by Saito Yasuji in Borneo Review December 1992