Volume XV, Number 3 • Winter 2002
MIS in Japan

“America’s Secret Weapon”:
MIS and the Occupation of Japan
by Harry Fukuhara

The Adventures of “Horizontal Hank” Gosho
by Harry Fukuhara

Witness to Surrender
by Thomas T. Sakamoto

More that Mannequins: Nisei Women in the WACs
by Kenji Murase

My Story, 50 Years Later
by Harry Fukuhara

Recollections of a Nisei Diplomat
by Toshio G. Tsukahira

Descendants of Minnesota’s MISLS
by Edwin “Bud” Nakasone

“Shindara Son!” Ray Aka
by Ken Kaji

Spring Weeds
by David Mas Masumoto

Member News: Year in Review
by Rosalyn Tonai

The People and Progress Behind Building 640
by Gerald Takano

Donors

Program Calendar

Marshall Sumida knows the potential for misunderstanding embedded in a single word. Sumida, a member of the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) during World War II, recalls the challenges facing translators during the negotiation of Japan’s surrender.

Under ordinary circumstances, a translator faced with nuances of culturally coded words or phrases often collaborates with another translator familiar with the cultural context of the language. Japanese in particular is a Noh mask of a language, filled with terms containing layers of meaning and a multitude of interpretations.

Under the time constraints of wartime conditions, such collaboration was a luxury. Translations could easily be literal, failing to convey the intention of the words. A notorious example is the response by the Japanese government to the Potsdam declaration of July 26, 1945, which defined the terms of “unconditional surrender” demanded by Allied forces.

Hoping Russia would intervene to soften the terms, Japan’s Supreme Council decided to buy time. Rather than reply immediately, Premier Suzuki announced their intention to mokusatsu –meaning they hoped to “kill the silence,” or quietly ignore the declaration, while awaiting more favorable developments.

According to the Truman Library archives, “the English translation [of the word mokusatsu] became ‘reject,’ and [President Truman] took it as a rebuff. Years later he remembered, ‘When we asked them to surrender at Potsdam, they gave us a very snotty answer. That is what I got….They told me to go to hell, words to that effect.’”

The result? The use of the first atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

If only a Nikkei had translated Suzuki’s words. As Sumida points out, Nikkei interpreters understood the cultures behind both languages. They were able to effectively bridge thegap between cultures that assisted the war effort and helped rebuild Japan during the Occupation.

Veterans of the MIS founded our organization. Barry Saiki, Tom Sakamoto, Harry Fukuhara, and Gene Uratsu were among the leaders who recognized the importance of preserving the history in which they played so crucial a role. With their vision and support, NJAHS has been able to expand its work to embrace much more of the Nikkei experience.

In this issue’s tribute to the men and women of the MIS, we are privileged to have many first-hadn accounts of the devastation of war, the drama of surrender and the transformations of the Occupation. We also have a year-end report from our director, Rosalyn Tonai, that describes NJAHS’ progress in preserving our history. Gerald Takano, 640 project director updates us on MIS Building 640 re-use feasibility study. Finally, our oshogatsu gift to our readers: a short piece by one of our favorite writers, David Mas Masumoto, from his brand-new book. To all of you, we express our appreciation in a word: kansha. Translate that as “humble gratitude.”

- Chiori Santiago, Editor