昨年11月の初め、親戚の通夜に参列するため長崎県大村市に日帰りで出掛けたのですが、帰り道にふと海沿いの道を走りたくなり遠廻りで時間も掛かりましたが、夜の海の眺めと潮の香り(どなたかの曲名のようですね😁)を堪能いたしました！
その道中、ふと夜の唐津城を観たくなりナビのルートを設定して向かったのですが、なんと(❗️)またしても偶然、僕の曽祖父が家族(僕の祖母・久子ら姉妹、その兄弟である大伯父・大叔父たち)と暮らしていた住居跡の本当にすぐ横を通っておりました⁉️⁉️⁉️
僕の曽祖父の片田覺(さとる)は、熊本濟々黌、そして日本大学を卒業後、炭鉱御三家のひとつである貝島炭鉱に入社しました。
入社時には大学出は彼一人だったため重宝がられ、のちに貝島六太郎の妻トモの姪にあたる竹田ムメノと明治42年2月に結婚。
第一次世界大戦時には大正7年からのシベリア出兵に騎兵将校として参加。
45歳で貝島旧宅での勤めを辞め(身内からは貝島炭鉱の番頭さんと言われていた)、その後は小倉の脳外科病院の共同経営に専念。
昭和6年(1931年)の秋、唐津に居を移しました(当時の住所：唐津二ノ門)。
当時54歳。
ちなみに、僕と同じく愛読書の中には夏目漱石先生の著作があったそうです。
彼が亡くなった後、住居はそのままの形で『旅館 城内閣』として引き継がれ、さらにその後近年(平成の初め頃？)になって建て替えられ現在の建物と成り替わり営業を続けていたのですが、いつの間にやら旅館は廃業しておりまして、どうやらその建物は何かの施設として利用されている様です。
その唐津市城内に当時建てられていた片田家の住居『水遠荘』に住んでいた6男5女のうち僕の大伯父・大叔父たちの五人が出征し、うち三名はそれぞれ中国・パプアニューギニア・硫黄島で戦死または戦病死いたしました。
(加えて三女の夫もシベリア抑留にて病死)。
彼らは皆、戦地に赴く際、『水遠荘』の門を潜りそれぞれの人生の行く末に向かって旅立って行く事となったのですが…その夜は僕も同じ場所に立ち、色々と想いを巡らせながら初冬の真夜中のひと時を暫し過ごしました…(側からみるとなんだか怪しい人ですよね😅)。
戦前、慶応ボーイで当時の銀座のタウン誌にいわゆる『モダンボーイ』として紹介された長男・薫さん、同じく慶応ボーイでピアノの名手として将来を嘱望された三男・彰吾さん、そしてやはり同じく音楽好きだった四男・四朗さん。
僕の父や伯父と叔父、そしてもちろん僕や二人の弟も含めた皆が音楽を心から愛しているのは、彼ら三人の想いと影響があるからなのかも知れませんね❗️
以下は、第二次世界大戦で戦地に赴き戦死した、僕の祖母である柳武(旧姓・片田/ 片田家の長女)久子の6人の弟である大叔父たちについての自費出版による本『忘れないで!! 俺たちを - 水遠荘の人々 -』平成6年 (1994年) とその内容の一部、そして掲載された写真です。
唐津市城内に建てられていた、片田家の住居『水遠荘』は、後に譲渡を希望する方がおられたそうで『旅館 城内閣』として内装や調度をそのまま使用して営業し、近年になってまた新しい建物に建て替えられました(現在その『城内閣』は廃業し建物は他の施設として使用されているようです)。
昭和の初めの頃に当時としては珍しい自家用車を持ち、外国種の犬を数匹飼い、ピアノがあり、船遊びをしたり映画を上映したり、庭には棒高跳びの為の砂場をつくったり、子供達は東京の大学に通い休みは唐津で過ごす、と片田家の人々はなかなか恵まれた楽しい暮らしを送っていたようです。
上記のように、片田家は曽祖父が貝島家と関わっており、柳武家の方では当時は郡会議員や村長を務めたり、銀行も経営しておりましたので(曽祖父・勝太郎の兄である亀太郎が頭取でした)、何かの機会で祖母を見初めた祖父が見合いを申し込んだとのことです(最初の何回かは申し込みを断られそうですよ😁)。
今回、以下にご紹介するのが戦死した、そして戦争を生き延びた6人の大叔父たちです。
長男 薫
昭和15年1月9日 北支山西省雲城にて戦病死
享年29歳 陸軍歩兵伍長
お洒落好きで、大学時代は演劇部に所属。
学生時代から車を運転したりゴルフ、乗馬を嗜んだりとまさに絵に描いたようなモダンボーイで、友人には小唄勝太郎や徳大寺伸(いずれも映画俳優)、伊藤久男(歌手)がいた。
当時の銀座の広告誌『はなし』のグラビアには銀座の三人男の一人として背広姿が掲載された。
三男 彰吾
昭和19年7月1日 西部ニューギニア・アルモバにて戦死
享年29歳 陸軍主計曹長
陸上競技部に所属し棒高跳びが得意。
ピアノを弾き、戦地でも機会があればレコードを聴いたりしていた。
四男 四朗
昭和20年3月17日 硫黄島擂鉢山にて戦死
享年28歳 陸軍歩兵軍曹
ピアノが上手で、唐津高等女学校の高宮先生・山上先生の両氏に学び音楽学校への進学を勧められたが、本人は職業としては嫌だと断った。
クラシックのレコードを集めたり自分でラジオや電蓄を組み立てるなどもしていて、買ってもらった16ミリの映写機・撮影機を使って他の兄弟と一緒に映画を撮影し兄弟や友人たちを集めて上映していた。
棒高跳びが得意で県外・福岡県の大会に出場し優勝したこともあった。
長男・薫は東京農業大学を卒業し就職そして結婚した後に、三男・彰吾と四男・四朗の二人は慶應義塾をそれぞれ卒業後就職した後に召集を受け戦地へ赴きました。
二男・正は、出征後ノモンハン事件に参加、ビルマでの戦闘ののち捕虜収容所に収容され、終戦後に復員。(昭和58年他界・享年69歳)
五男・日出男は、肺の病のため招集を免れた。(昭和34年他界・享年40歳)
六男・収(おさむ)は、航空隊に入隊するも終戦により帰郷。(平成元年他界・享年61歳)
長女・柳武久子(昭和50年他界・享年66歳)
次女・江口百代
三女・永田美代子
四女・高田鈴子
五女・洋子(昭和4年他界・享年5歳)
僕自身が片田家の方々に最後にお会いしたのはもうずいぶん前で、唐津で営まれた大叔母の一人のお通夜に両親と叔父の清春(僕にジャズやクラシックについて色々と教えてくれた重要人物です!!)を車に乗せて行ったのが最後の機会だったのではないかと思います。
叔父が「そうかぁ、史雄が俺たちを乗せて車を運転する日が来るとはなぁ〜！」と何度も言っていたのをよく覚えています。
僕が好きだったその叔父も2019年に亡くなりました。
その時唐津でお会いした二人の大叔母の話し方や所作は、まるで小津安二郎監督の映画に出てくる人たちの様にとにかく上品だったのが印象的でした。
そういえば幼少の頃、柳武家の叔母の一人・瑠美子おばさんと一緒に唐津の大叔母の家(『水遠荘』の売却後)へ留守番のために泊まりに行ったことがあるのですが、素敵なお茶室があってその空間がとても気に入ったことをよく覚えています。
曽祖父の覚が茶道具の収集をしており、曽祖母のムメノも茶道をしていたので大叔母たちも影響を受けていたのでしょうね。
あと幼稚園も経営しておられて、現在、園では子供たちに茶道も教えているようです。
Last November, I went on a one-day trip to Omura City, Nagasaki, for a relative's business. On the way back home, I suddenly felt like driving along the seaside, and although it took me a long way around, I enjoyed the night view of the sea and the smell of the tide (sounds like someone's song title 😁)!
On the way there, I suddenly wanted to see Karatsu Castle at night, so I set the route of the navigation system and headed for it, but to my surprise (❗️), I happened to pass by the ruins of the house where my great-grandfather lived with his family (my grandmother, Hisako and her sisters and their brothers, my great-uncles ⁉️⁉️⁉️
My great-grandfather, Satoru Katada, graduated from Kumamoto Seiseiko School and Nihon University before joining the Kaijima Coal Mine, one of the three coal mining families.
When he joined the company, he was the only university graduate, so he was highly valued. He later married Mumeno Takeda, a niece of Rokutaro Kaijima's wife Tomo, in February 1909.
During World War I, he participated in the Siberian Invasion from 1918 as a cavalry officer.
At the age of 45, he quit his job at the old Kaijima residence (his relatives called him the "keeper of the Kaijima Coal Mine") and devoted himself to the joint management of a neurosurgical hospital in Kokura.
In the fall of 1931, he moved to Karatsu (address at that time: Karatsu Ninomon).
He was 54 years old at the time.
Incidentally, like me, among his favorite books were the writings by Soseki Natsume.
After he passed away, the residence was taken over as "Ryokan Jyo-Nai-Kaku" in its original form, and was rebuilt in recent years (around the beginning of the Heisei era?) and continued to operate as the current building, but the ryokan was closed down before long, and the building seems to have been used as some kind of facility.
Five of my great-uncles among the six sons and five daughters who lived in the Katada family residence "Suien-so" built in Karatsu City at that time went to war, and three of them were died in China, Papua New Guinea, and Iwo Jima, respectively, either in the war or from disease.
(In addition, the husband of third daughter died of illness while interned in Siberia.)
When they went to war, they all went through the gate of "Suien-so" and left for the end of their lives... I stood at the same place that night and spent a while in the middle of the night in early winter, thinking about various things...(I know, me looks kind of weird from the side 😅).
Kaoru, the eldest son, who was a Keio-University Boy before the war and was introduced as a so-called "modern boy" in a town magazine in Ginza at that time, Shogo, the third son, who was also a Keio-University Boy and had a promising future as a piano virtuoso, and Shiro, the fourth son, who was also a music lover.
My father and uncles, and of course myself and my two younger brothers all love music with all our hearts, perhaps because of the thoughts and influence of these three ❗️
The following is a self-published book, "Don't Forget Us - The People of Suien-so" (1994), some of its contents, and photos of my great-uncles, the six younger brothers of my grandmother, Hisako Yanatake (nee Katada/ eldest daughter of Katada family), who died in World War II in the war.
The Katada family's residence, "Suien-so", which was built in the castle in Karatsu City, was later sold to someone who wanted to keep it, and it was used as "Ryokan Jyo- Nai-Kaku" with the interior and furnishings as they were, and was rebuilt into a new building in recent years.
In the early Showa period (early 20th century), the Katada family had a private car, which was rare in those days, kept several foreign breed dogs, had a piano, played boating and showed movies, built a sandbox for pole vaulting in the garden, and their children attended university in Tokyo and spent their vacations in Karatsu.
As mentioned above, Katada's great-grandfather was involved with the Kaijima family, and the Yanatake family served as a county councilor and village mayor at the time, and also ran a bank (Kametaro, the elder brother of my great-grandfather Katsutaro, was the president), so my grandfather, who had first seen my grandmother on some occasion, proposed marriage (I heard that the first few times the application was rejected).
Presented below are six great uncles who died and survived the war.
Eldest son Kaoru
January 9, 1940 Died of illness in Yuncheng, Shanxi Province, North Branch
He was 29 years old and a corporal of infantry in the army.
He loved fashion and was a member of the drama club during his college days.
He was a modern boy, as pictured in his school days, driving a car, playing golf, and riding horses, and his friends were Katsutaro Kouta, Shin Tokudaiji (both movie actors), and Hisao Ito (singer).
He was featured as one of the "Three Men of Ginza" in the gravure of "Hanashi," a Ginza advertising magazine of the time, wearing a suit.
Shogo, third son
Died in action at Almova, Western New Guinea on July 1, 1944.
He was 29 years old. He was a Chief Petty Officer in the Army.
He was a member of the track and field club and excelled at pole vaulting.
He played the piano and listened to records whenever he had the chance, even in the war zone.
Fourth son, Shiro
Died in action on March 17, 1945 at Mount Suribachi, Iwo-Jima.
He was 28 years old and an infantry sergeant in the army.
He was a good piano player, and after studying with Ms. Takamiya and Ms. Yamagami, both teachers at Karatsu High School for Girls, he was advised to enter a music school, but refused, saying he did not want to be involved in music as a profession.
He also collected classical records and built his own radios and phonographs. Using a 16mm projector and filming machine she had bought, He and his brothers filmed movies and showed them to their siblings and friends.
He was good at pole vaulting and once won a competition in Fukuoka Prefecture.
Kaoru, the eldest son, graduated from Tokyo University of Agriculture, found a job, and got married. Shogo, the third son, and Shiro, the fourth son, both graduated from Keio University, found jobs, and were drafted into the war.
Second son, Tadashi, participated in the Nomonhan Incident after going to war, and after fighting in Burma, was interned in a POW camp and demobilized after the war. He was demobilized after the war (passed away in 1983 at the age of 69).
Fifth son, Hideo, was spared from the convocation due to lung disease. (Passed away in 1959 at the age of 40)
Sixth son, Osamu, enlisted in the Air Force but returned home at the end of the war. (He passed away in 1989 at the age of 61.)
Eldest daughter, Hisako Yanatake (passed away in 1975 at the age of 66)
Second daughter, Momoyo Eguchi
Third daughter, Miyoko Nagata
Fourth daughter, Suzuko Takada
Fifth daughter Yoko (passed away in 1929 at age 5)
I think the last time I met the Katada family was a long time ago, when I drove my parents and my uncle Kiyoharu (He is an important person who taught me a lot about jazz and classical music!) in the car, and I think that was the last time I met them.
I remember my uncle saying many times, "Well, I never thought the day would come when Fumio would drive a car with us in it!" I remember well how many times he said that.
That uncle I loved so much also passed away in 2019.
I was impressed by the way my two great aunts, whom I met in Karatsu at that time, spoke and acted in a very elegant manner, just like the people in Yasujiro Ozu's movies.
I remember that when I was a child, I once went to stay at my great aunt's house in Karatsu (after the sale of "Suien-so") with my Aunt Rumiko, one of my aunts in the Yanatake family, to stay for a while, and I remember well how much I loved the space with its lovely tea room.
My great-grandfather Satoru collected tea utensils, and my great-grandmother Mumeno also practiced tea ceremony, so my great aunts must have been influenced by her.
Also, they also ran a kindergarten and now teaches tea ceremony to children at the school.
『忘れないで!! 俺たちを - 水遠荘の人々 -』平成6年 (1994年)より
『忘れないで!! 俺たちを - 水遠荘の人々 -』平成6年 (1994年)
『忘れないで!! 俺たちを - 水遠荘の人々 -』平成6年 (1994年)
『忘れないで!! 俺たちを - 水遠荘の人々 -』平成6年 (1994年)より
片田薫
徳大寺伸と片田薫
片田彰吾
片田彰吾
片田四朗
片田彰吾 ニューギニア アルバモ Almova, Western New Guinea
片田四朗 硫黄島における配置場所
柳武(旧姓:片田)久子・哲行・片田百代・美代子・鈴子・収
片田薫・正・収
片田覺・片田(旧姓:竹田)ムメノ
片田(旧姓:竹田)ムメノ
片田彰吾・四朗
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