Interview with Suezo Uchida
Nagasaki Shipbuilder

Q: The Americans arrived at the end of the war...

Uchida: Yes, I was scared then. The woman and children would evacuate... escape... because of this danger. We had work to do at the job site. We couldn't leave... we had to stay. We didn't know what to expect from the Americans because we were the losers. I thought it was such a pitiful situation, to be in, to lose. I felt scared, fearful, pitiful... I wondered about the future.

Q: Personally, what did you expect when the Americans came?

Uchida: I was involved with military secrets and the building of battleships. I was concerned that... I would be punished as a war criminal and I was scared. I wondered where I would be summoned to... every day was frightening.

Q: Were supplies scarce at this time?

Uchida: Yes, food became scarce gradually. Seaweed was abundant, but other food was scarce. I was responsible for buying food for myself and for my colleagues at the company, that was the big job I had to do. I went to the countryside with items to trade - such as children's clothing - and in exchange we received food. Purchasing was difficult.

Q: What else did you trade?

Uchida: Agricultural tools, pots and pans from the kitchen -- those were welcome in the countryside. I could have lots of potatoes and green vegetables... sometimes a chicken... eggs, those were so precious. I went to Isahoya and Shimabora too. The people there were very kind and generous. When I went to Shimabora, we received the black sugar called ecurusa from them and then, in exchange, we gave them something. There were various ways we had then... things we had to do.

Q: Did the Americans help?

Uchida: The Americans knew that food shortages existed after the war. In Nagasaki you can catch fish; they permitted us to make fishing boats and we appreciated that. We started building boats, small boats and then gradually bigger boats to catch tuna fish. I was so relieved and so, so pleased; I felt happy. I felt relief and gradually I had hope. We worked so hard.

We also worked for the service of the American people... the occupation people. We even went to clean their houses, we had to take care of these Americans in various ways... everyday things... we did service for the Americans.

Q: Was there a commitment to the rebuilding effort?

Uchida: Yes, yes. Of course, many employees quit the company after the war. But some remained and those who remained in the company had this resolution to rebuild.

Q: Was there a building boom?

Uchida: A shipbuilding boom, yes. The size of the fishing boats we were making gradually got bigger and then we remodeled the whaling ship Nishima into a cargo ship. Then the real shipbuilding started. An order came from the Philippines for three ships and orders came from other areas too. Gradually Japan was making ships which were good but made inexpensively, that was the policy. Productivity went up and wages went up. So this was a growing time, very constant growing.

Q: How did Nagasaki fit into the structure of the shipbuilding organization?

Uchida: Within the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Company, the top yard was Nagasaki... it was the best shipbuilding yard. For ship repair or for small- to middle-size ships, there were several yards, but the Nagasaki yard was big, with high technology and the geography was good too. It was the number one shipbuilding yard in the world, with one launch a month at that time. Yes, I remember, maybe twelve ships launched in a year. That was a good time -- everything went smoothly.

Q: To what do you attribute that?

Uchida: Well, I don't like to brag but... within Mitsubishi, the various technologies -- designing, building, and so on... the Nagasaki building set a high standard.

Q: Were you using standards set in wartime?

Uchida: Yes, the basic technology was used in the battleship Masachi. This was handed down, this technology was handed down. The duration of building was made shorter and it in turn became inexpensive and the safety was good and effective. That was done very quickly, at an early stage in Nagasaki and the company grew.

Q: Tell us about your work schedule.

Uchida: Yes, usually I went to work at eight in the morning and I worked until nine o'clock in the evening. That was the usual day. On a late day I'd stay until ten or eleven or, in the worst case, I had to stay overnight. That was the working situation then. One day only, Wednesdays, I could go home early -- I went home at four o'clock.

As I think back, I was a workaholic. I worked too much, I think. I worked almost every Sunday too. Yes, Sundays! But on Sunday I would come home fairly early, so Sunday and Wednesday I communicated with friends in the town.

Q: Did you socialize with your colleagues?

Uchida: On the way towards home, by the gateway, there were pubs. We'd run inside and sit on the beer boxes and we'd chat. While we drank we'd discuss the next day's schedule. And then we toasted.

The next morning we didn't have to discuss the day's agenda because we had discussed it the previous night. And we were all in the spirit to work. This way the energy came. And at noon time we promised, well, let's go and drink again, after work is over.

Q: Didn't you ever have a hangover?

Uchida: Hangover, hangover, if you have a hangover you have no right to drink. Maybe we did, but we were all fit to work the next day.

Q: How did your wife feel about this life?

Uchida: My wife... I had no time to talk with my wife. We'd talk when I came home at two or three o'clock in the morning. Well, it was rather a hard time. Now I am sorry; I think quite probably my wife was lonesome, but I couldn't come home. I wanted to but I couldn't. Luckily, we had parents living with us. Father was also involved in shipbuilding so he had a high degree of understanding; that was good.

Q: And your children?

Uchida: The children were probably lonesome too, yes, but luckily they liked me and I took them out for a walk when I had a day off.

I recently looked back at my old diary; I read about my old days. I was surprised at what I wrote... the things I wrote about work and the family. Yes, reading this diary made me younger.

Q: Nasoverin was the first ship you were responsible for, independently...

Uchida: That ship was really memorable. It was the first ship I'd been in charge of from start to finish. The responsibility was all mine. I'd done it. I had a great feeling of accomplishment.

It was purely my plan, my design, from beginning to end. I was able to launch it safely and I was very happy about it.... I thought there's nothing that I cannot accomplish and that is what I was told by senior colleagues... The launch was compared to a birth.... I was called the obstetrician... I was so happy with the launch, a smooth launch. I was so happy.

Q: But generally, was shipbuilding a group effort?

Uchida: Yes, it's not individual work in shipbuilding. The power of, oh, so many people is gathered together. Along with their cooperation and support, their advice and supervision.

One time the director of the Mitsubishi headquarters in Tokyo came to observe the Nagasaki shipbuilding. Afterwards we went to a restaurant and talked and we drank to each other. We had hard times but I was happy then... Shipbuilding got busier... we had good wages and bonuses in Nagasaki... When the good times came you probably used all your bonus money on sake.

Q: Were you recognized for your contributions to the company?

Uchida: Five or six times, I received the President's Award - for improvements. For example, previously we had used oil for launching; I changed that to 9-centimeter balls, high quality balls. This technique was used in Nagasaki and in Korba. I introduced this method... I received various awards. For inventing new things too. It was fun. Once you start it's fun. Even when I came home from drinking, I was thinking this way and that way, after discussions with my coworkers.

Drinking is not bad. I like to tell young colleagues it's a good thing. But you drink sake; sake shouldn't drink you, that's no good. You have to control yourself . I tell that to my children, my sons too.

Q: What did you think when you saw television for the first time?

Uchida: Oh, I was impressed, very impressed. I wanted to know how the image was reproduced, what was the mechanism... but I was too busy building ships. The human brain is so wonderful. I was surprised by... taken aback by television.

Q: Did you have a car?

Uchida: Although you have to pay, taxis are more convenient. My wife and I almost enrolled ourselves in driving school, but decided not to because of the advice of our parents. I did drive, but I did not get a driver's license... I think it's inconvenient not to have a driver's license.

Q: Did you travel?

Uchida: During the shipbuilding days, I went to Taiwan. After retiring... I mean the moment I retired, I went to Hong Kong. Recently I went to Taiwan.... and I plan to go to Europe.

Because I had too much alcohol when I was young, I had to have an operation on my stomach. And last summer I had all the stomach taken out... right now I have no stomach. So I have not yet taken a trip abroad. I regret that... if my wife were in good health we'd like to go somewhere but I don't know whether or not we can accomplish that.

Q: Did you play any sports?

Uchida: When I was working at the ship yard we went to various company golf courses, but I injured my back so I refrained from doing it for awhile. Then I got older and decided to give up. I had fun playing golf. I was competing with my senior colleagues ... I was attracted to golf.

The place... the scene... the spaciousness... You look at the ball that's going up and far away... I cannot explain in words the fulfillment that you get. The walking is wonderful. Even a first-time golfer can enjoy it; it's wonderful to play golf.

I got advice from my senior colleagues before my first golfing day -- the advice was not to drink too much. And that was hard. But on the way back it was okay to drink, so...

Japanese people play golf in any weather. Yes, I played in the rain too... if it's not raining too hard. On a rainy day you can be more relaxed. At least that's true for me. A bit of rain helps. You need water, don't you.

There is a driving range in town, yes. But it's a small area, maybe ten meters or so. There was a target I hit and also a putting green. That's where I went to practice.

Q: How do you think Japan managed to do so well after losing the war?

Uchida: Japan is a fairly small country, but it's like that Sumo wrestler -- the small wrestler, what's his name? It's like him.

Technologically, we owe a debt to America, the British and Norway, too. Of course, our own technology developed but we got the impetus from other countries.

For a small country to become number one in the world - the desire had to be very strong. We don't like to lose... that is probably in the Japanese character. So I think we were clever to absorb the good qualities of other countries.

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