Bunro Sakaino Concentration Camp Diary

Transcript

March 5 (Sunday)

It is Easter Sunday when each church celebrates the resurrection of Christ with white lilies fragrance in the air. Someone like Mr. Osuka would have given me a pot of my favorite white lilies in a normal year. This year in the wartime though, no advertisements for lilies are seen in English newspapers in Po [1] City, and that reflects the sadness of the city.

[1] Portland?

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A big cross was constructed by the fence in the open field in front of the 24th barrack by christians in the camp several days ago. Easter prayer service was held at 7 a.m. today led by Mr. Ban with prayer by Reverend Nakajo and Reverend Matsunaga. There is a vast wild field with a range of mountains far away in the background and just a few lonely small trees spotting near and far. Dawn has passed, and the rising sun cast shadows on the mountain rims. It is so refreshing to hear robins chirping somewhere. Fresh air in early spring morning waves into dreadful barbed wire fences. I saw three fellow detainees already praying, quietly and motionlessly, in front of the cross. There were lights on here and there in rows of barracks, probably because people woke up early to attend the Easter service today. Shortly after, attendees dressed in distributed clothing came out from each barrack and gathered around the cross through different passes. Everyone looked sad. No one displayed joyful positiveness toward life with faith and love of Christ. It looked like a crowd of gray-haired and bald-headed outcasts we were becoming to be, struck with frustration, sorrow or hopelessness. It was a truly sad Easter celebration. I saw not only the Christians, but many people who have identified themselves as Buddhist and elders who have been voluntarily working for the Buddhist Association to promote the religion were also in front of the cross, listening to the prayers with their heads down and asking for loving protection by Christ with hymns sung around them.

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Those superficial leaders who are not practicing self improvement and enlightenment on a daily basis would beg for comfort from Christ and Buddha now. However, it is not too late, and moreover, it should be most desirable that people freely search for his own belief from Buddha to Christ or from Christ to Buddha. I hurried away and escaped from the cross as Mr. Ban started to give his sermon. As our 25th barrack is close to the cross, the majority of people living in the barrack attended the service including those who are truly religious, those who are supposed to be a Christian and happened to attend to ask God for loving consolation for the current situation, and those who were just curious.

I visited Mr. Fujioka in the 17th barrack who is sick this afternoon. He is making steady recovery and regaining his strength.

Mr. .Hirayama with Konkokyo suddenly became an early riser several days ago. He had been the last to wake up in the morning and one of the least punctual. People badmouthed him saying Konkokyo is a religion that hibernates in the winter and starts to move in the spring. Reciting ritual prayer in the boiler room behind the barracks is a seasonal scenery in the spring.

Mr. Takeoka presented a report regarding the number of telegrams and letters sent by internees in this camp. It is as follows.

Total telegram fees as of today $3,187.49

Postage $804.00

Number of correspondence between 16,500 and 17,000

Number of people hospitalized 43

Total number of people hospitalized so far 1,208

Prescriptions 2,983

Medication administered 244

Those numbers were presented. Telegram fees are in such a large amount.

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Report on Transfer Orders