This was the last interview I did with Mas Hongo. We sometimes talked about philosophical things in our past discussions. I was hoping to capture some of these thoughts with this interview.

If you did not read any of the past interviews, the thing that you should know is that Mas was part of the US Army’s occupying force in post World War II Japan. Mas was even able to travel to Hiroshima to see the devastation there. He talks a little about his experience in Japan for this interview. (The other article where he speaks at length about his post war experience can be found in our August 2022 newsletter article.)

I have this related memory of Mas at this film festival at the College of San Mateo. We had just watched a documentary about the atomic bomb drops in Japan and a microphone was being passed around to people in the audience.

Mas was allowed to speak and he spoke with such emotional sadness about his experience of viewing the devastation, that I felt everyone in the audience had been touched by his words.

The following interview doesn’t quite capture that moment, but I could still hear some of that emotion in this interview.

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L: Okay. We’re here with Mas. It’s Sunday the 23rd of October, 2022. Hi Mas.

M: Hi.

L: So we were going to talk about your life philosophy.

M: My philosophy in life is trying to leave this earth in a better place than what it used to be. Of course, there’s famine, there’s war, and there are many other obstacles that come into our lives. But we have to overcome them, and try to focus on what we can do, to do our best to make this a better planet. And to leave it for the future people so they can enjoy this earth.

Of course, there are many things that happen that most people will never have faced, like going into internment camps by the United States government, and … then they taking them to the Armed Forces, in the Army, and serve your country.

So, to me, it’s hard to understand that they want to take as much as they can, and even though they had done many bad things towards human beings, but I tried to do my best to make this planet a better place for people in the future that are coming after me.

I’ve seen the devastation of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, and it’s… un-describable what one bomb can do. For miles, there’s nothing but devastation. All the buildings flat to the ground. And yet, as a military in Japan, we are expected to bring the country of Japan to enjoy democracy from an authoritarian emperor controlling the country.

It is hard to understand what they try to do overnight, seeing the devastation of that atomic bomb in Hiroshima, a manmade cruelty of a single bomb. As far as your eyes can see, there’s nothing but devastation and yet, a few miles away, on an island called Itsukushima or "beautiful island," there are maple trees in beautiful colors in the foliage. The contrast...

I have been through many things, but these vivid views come into mind, and I say it because this is my memory, and the real life history. See, an atom bomb, devastating...for miles… and yet a few miles away … there are maple trees in all its glory of different fall coverage. So it is hard that man can do such a thing and create atom bombs to kill people, and it is hard for me to understand why they allow people to do this kind of thing, because each of us live but once on this earth, and each of us want to live in peace, and enjoy this earth while we’re here.

L: You were raised in a religious family.

M: Yeah, I was raised in a Christian family.

L: Your mom was pretty religious, right?

M: Yeah, Aoyama Gakuen, a missionary school in Japan...

L: Did seeing the destruction in Japan, in Hiroshima, did that kind of shake your faith, or did it kind of change…

M: I can’t understand how people can be so cruel. And kill hundreds of thousands of people, with one atomic bomb, even if it’s a war… And to do such a thing, it’s just, to me, it’s just cruel, and it’s against the Christian philosophy. As we all are on this earth, live but once. We want to leave a footprint behind, so those that come after us can enjoy this earth.

L: Do you think it is man’s choice to do good or evil, or...is it predestined…?

M: Well, you see, the leaders of this country, they are to be held liable, because they’re the ones that lead us and create all this havoc. And it is their duty to leave this earth in a better place for the future people who come after us. And it’s hard to believe that they call themselves Christians or whatever religion they are, and to do something completely...which is anti-human. That’s it.

L: Does seeing the maple trees kind of...restore your belief that the world has good in it?

M: Yeah. Nature. Still there’s all this hope in this country. And I hope in the future that people who come on this earth will enjoy this earth peacefully and leave it a better place than what it was before.

See, because people after you still have the wishes and the goodness in them, and the power to enjoy this earth, this planet, and so we should all try to do the best we can to leave this earth in a better place.

L: Do you have any tips for people to...how to...?

M: … well the thing is, it has to come from yourself. It’s not a phony thing that’s made up…

L: Do you believe there’s a heaven or afterlife of some sort?

M: It’s not so much about heaven or what, because you want to leave this earth in a better condition for the others after you to enjoy as much as you did because I don’t have the power or the foresight to understand all this other things, so…

L: We can only control what’s happening here then, right?

M: Yes, we can control certain things, and we hope we do our best to make it a better place for the future generations. Okay?

L: What else…

M: It all has to come in from your mind, your heart, your spirit and your upbringing because you come on this earth but once, and you want those that come after you, to enjoy this earth... Thank you.

L: Is there anything else you want to add?

M: Well, I wish to leave this planet, I hope, in a better place than what it used to be before. That is my hope. And I have been through many things, but I shouldn’t let the bad things get in my way because life is what you come through with once, and only once, and you want to leave this earth in a better place and you hope to leave it in a better way.

L: Does some of the news you hear kind of discourage you sometimes?

M: Well, the news itself, they come from all over, 360 degrees. But I have no control over it. But I hope that people understand that they themselves come on this earth but once, and I hope they will leave this planet, in a better condition than how they found it.

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Mas Hongo passed away in March of 2023.

Thank you Mas. Our time on this planet was made better by your presence. You certainly improved things for us.