Diary Entry: Nov. 1, 1953
"Rainy Sunday. Cut stencils and wrote letters. Rain finally stopped so we walked to the river & children played in sand. Little boys had pants rolled above knees and were wading in water. Had high rubber boots they were filling with water & carrying to their sand castles or pond--whatever they had built in the sand. Letter to Betty Levine and Jennie Louise."
Added Memoranda in Diary: November 1, 1953
"The Japanese salvage everything--make something of nothing--example, beer cans from army post probably turned inside out to make bottle caps or parts for toys. Bob's toy gun parts were Schlitz beer cans. Don't bother to remove labels. Use beer bottles for catsup. Pieces of labels still on bottles. So much from so little. 3 flowers=beautiful arrangement.
 |
| Image from Flower Arrangements of the Ohara School, HOUN OHARA, 1952 |
Products inferior to U.S. People admit it (ex. our iron). Repairman said, "Many accidents with Japanese iron. Not so good."
Gov't. trying to raise standards of production."
What a difference a decade makes. I remember the makeshift nature of toys and household items in Japan in 1953 but by the 1960's, the economic miracle was well underway. I bought my first Japanese transistor radio- the best electronics in the world were being made in Japan.
ReplyDelete