Memory of Hershey's
Decades ago, when a Japanese musician Masahi Sada was a school boy living in Nagasaki, he sometimes visited a humble museum for the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Attack.
As it was just about 15 years or so after the end of WWII, the museum was not so big and well facilitated. But it displayed real things, such as a burnt baby in the womb and fingers exposed to strong radiation.
The US attacked this port city in the southwest part of mainland Japan with an atomic bomb or a nuclear bomb on August 9, 1945. A week later the Empire of Japan surrendered. Today, the museum was replaced by a modern one with advanced equipment and sophisticated displays.
So, the boy Masashi sometimes thought how terrible Americans were. But in fact, after the end of WWII, many American naval ships came to Port Nagasaki. And US sailors and soldiers were often seen walking on the streets of Nagasaki. Masashi's friends and other children found that America soldiers were generous. When poor Japanese children shouted at them, "Chocolate!" they gave casually chocolates and chewing gum . However, Masashi could not simply follow other children. He never joined them asking for snacks from US soldiers, though his family was not rich at all. His father was moving around other cities for some jobs while his wife and children were waiting in Nagasaki still in the aftermath of the 1945 Atomic Bomb Attack.
One day, the flagship of the US 7th Fleet came into port Nagaski. One of his friends was excited. He said to Masashi, "A big ship has come. Japanese are being invited to observe it on board. We can get snacks as much as we want. Let's go and join the ceremony!"
Masashi thought that he might find truth of the US military if he had been there. It was the main ship of the US Fleet. He could surely see how terrible American officers were, since they had dropped that horrible Atomic Bomb.
They went to a pier through a big yard of a huge destroyed factory. But as they got in the US naval shop with other Japanese citizens, Masashi found his friend changed his look. His friend who was usually modest and humble suddenly changed to a kind of hunter. He walked to US sailors without hesitation and asked for chocolates so boldly. After getting some sweets, he further caught another sailor to ask for any snacks.
Masahi finally lost him in a large crowd. He went inside the ship, walking narrow paths inside. Some sailors passed by him without minding a poor Japanese school boy wandering inside the flagship. Finally when he came back on the deck, his friend found Masahi, saying, "You have not yet captured chocolates at all, have you. Ok! I will get some for you. See that black sailor. A black soldier is always more generous than a white sailor." Then he said loudly to the black sailor, "Give chocolate!"
So, his friend successfully received a bar of chocolate the black sailor tossed to him. He said, "Thank you!" to the soldier who was smiling satisfactorily. Then his friend gave the bar to Masahi, saying, "This is how you can get it. Now we still have more chances to extract chocolate from them."
But Masashi soon left the ship leaving his friend. He walked back thorough the yard facing the port. When crossing a small iron bridge in the yard, he put the bar of chocolate on a guardrail. He noticed a letter "Hershey's" on paper wrapper of the chocolate. He thought that Americans on the naval ship didn't look cruel at all, but he still could not accept the chocolate, though his young brother and sister would have been glad if he had brought the bar home.
Now Masashi Sada is a successful musician in Japan. He is good at lyric songs. He performed a solo concert 4,000 times up to today. He never sings war-related songs so far as I know.
Masashi Sada (1952-) is a Japanese singer, lyricist, composer, novelist, actor, and a film producer.
Throughout his career as a musician, Sada released over 35 solo albums and 70 singles, and multiple live albums or compilations. Since the release of Shourou Nagashi published in 2001, Sada has also worked as a novelist.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masashi_Sada
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Luk 2:23 (As it is written in the law of the LORD, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
Luk 2:24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.
Luk 2:25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
Luk 2:26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.