Bunro Sakaino Concentration Camp Diary

Transcript

July 1 (Wednesday)

It has already been six months since the war started. The German military fought through the Egypt border in the Libya region and is moving forward to the military port of Alexandria. It is reported that they are almost capturing The Suez Canal. The port of Sevastopol has fallen in the middle east region, and the military led by Hitler is reported to be swiftly fighting its way toward the Kaukasos oil field. As for the Pacific Ocean, the Japanese military has full control over it and is gaining momentum. They have reached the U.S. mainland several times, and fears of the U.S. side are currently growing increasingly serious by minutes. It is observed that proactive strategies of the Axis powers will pan out on a large scale in the near future and will launch actions for the victory.

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As for the Unified Combatant Command on the other hand, attacks by the second commands are called for mainly by the U.S., and it is reported that the U.S.military is planning larger troops deployed to the Iceland and Ireland region. I heard the U.S. military also deployed troops to the frontline in Libya, but it is obvious that they suffered bitter losses along with the British military.

If the U.S. manages to have all personal and military needs available as planned, this war will continue for a long duration of time almost endlessly, and at the same time, it will bring unrecoverably enormous damage to humans and the world. Not only is the area involved in the war larger than any others seen in war history, but this is one of the biggest wars with modern science technologies. As the war drags on , the nations fighting in the war will do whatever it takes to win. I imagine if we are not able to reach a ceasefire by this November, U.S. citizens need to brace themselves for a miserable life in the bottom of sorrows for the next decades. The carefree ones are detained fellow Japanese. They do not have any nationalistic views, are just concerned about themselves, doing nothing and daily complaining about their life.

I heard Miyama somebody from Portland, a reporter from the Shinsekai Asahi newspaper in San Francisco, one person from the State of Florida and another from Cleveland are among the fellow Japanese who arrived yesterday.

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These fellows say that according to the reply from the Spanish ambassador regarding their inquiry about the exchange boat to their representative, someone from Hawaii, it will depart around August 10th, the cash allowed to carry is 300 dollars and luggages is limited to be up to 32 cubic [feet?] [1]. It is said the Japanese government will select passengers to be exchanged. I am assuming they will offer priority to several government related people while creating the above mentioned passenger list.

I was going to be hospitalized to receive treatment with a special diet and scheduled to move out of the barrack based on the advice by Dr. Tanaka, but I canceled the plan as the period to go back to Japan is approaching. Both Mr. Okazaki and Mr. Tsuboi were hospitalized on the 27th.

It is unbearably hot, and I do not have a word to describe it. I have fairly high tolerance for cold weather, I cannot help [illegible] in such scorching heat. I was light-headed for the first several days and even was dizzy and had a hard time walking, but it is no longer happening these days. We have been having an evening shower once a day for the last several days, bringing some cooler air, and it is truly a rain of mercy.

Evening showers in this area are truly refreshing as it is relatively close to a tropical ocean.

[1] Only “32 cubic” is written

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The sky suddenly is covered with dark clouds, and swift winds blow and sweep away heated air sitting around at once. That is followed by pouring rain strong enough to almost break the barracks. There is an adjective that says “turning vehicles upside down”, and it is just like that and very refreshing. I would imagine squalls in the South Pacific would be a bigger version of this. However, this type of shower brings leaks from the ceiling, and I need to move my bed by several yards. Evening shower, come to us every day, come through the sky, come without hesitation.