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Former Mokenan Tells Of Life And Times In JapanIn a letter to Mokena friends, received during the holidays, Mrs. George Rumbley, formerly of Mokena and active in various groups there, presents a vivid word picture of Japan.Mrs. Rumbley's husband, Major Rumbley, is an army chaplain who was sent to Japan when regular troops were withdrawn from the Orland Park Nike base last summer. Major Rumbley was at the Nike installation three years. He was active in the Mokena Lions club.Mrs. Rumbley’s letter reads in part as follows:“The Japanese shops and big department stores celebrate Christmas; at least the Ginza (Tokyo’s State st.) is gailydecorated, and the stores are full of gifts and elaborate decorations. Less than one per cent of the Japanese are Christians despite the years of missionary effort expended here, but that doesn’t deter the merchants, and, after all, I guess our commercialized Christmas is not very Christian!“The really big time here for the Japanese is New Year’s, it seems that everybody who can, takes a whole week off from work and celebrates. Their way of celebrating is not too different from that of many Americans - with the bottle, but in this case, the sake bottle. However, it is supposed to be a time for visiting all relatives not seen since last New Year’s, and renewing family ties.“The Japanese people are caught in a twisted era of the ancient customs and modern technological achievement. They have tried to come so far so fast since the war that some aspects of life couldn’t keep up. Most of the people one sees on the street are dressed in American - type clothing, but there is still a heavy sprinkling of kimona - clad mama-sans carrying babies on their backs and wearing zori-those little thongs that you can buy in the drugstore. Many workers -most, I’d say, wear geta -wooden clogs which keep their feet out of mud.“At present in this suburban Tokyo area most of the streets are in process of repair or reconstruction, and new streets are buing built to accomodatethe tremendous influx of foreign visitors Tokyo expects next summer for the Olympics. The Japanese desperately want to present a good appearance to the world - the old oriental idea of “face’’.“We have not been able to get away yet to see something besides our ownnot-too-appealing area and the American bases where we live and work, but we do hope to, maybe right after Christmas. We can see Mt. Fuji here in our housing area on clear days, and we have a freak camellia blooming in the front yard, but except for one trip to downtowm Tokyo, I have not seen anything really breathtaking. Tokyo is overwhelming-the Japanese Dist. Bldg., the Imperial Palace, surrounded by a moat - many things are truly amazing.“George has been into Tokyo to the Hilton to two meetings of the only English - speaking Lions Club in Japan. Most of the members are Japanese who speak very good English. I think he is disappointed in them because they don’t slt; 11 fruit cakes. Good news that the fruit cakes sold so well. The fruit cakes have become a :radition with many people, and as such there is always an assured market for many cakes.“’We will have a normal American Christmas so far as we can, and will have a few other lonely army people -soldiers and one young couple-in to share our turkey. We really miss not being able to go to Kentucky this year.”
Newspaper Details
Oak Forest Times
Oak Forest, Illinois, US
Thu, Jan 09, 1964
Page 9
Full Page
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Anonymous
USA 11 Jun 2024
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