Obachan: A Young Girl's Struggle for Freedom in Twentieth Century Japan

by Tani Hanes

Mitsuko Hanamura was born wanting very little out of life: a place to call her own, maybe a small garden where she could grow flowers, just a little house with a shelf for some books, where she could live alone, with no need to share a bed, or a meal, or clothes, with anyone.

But she was born in 1916 in rural Japan, the oldest girl in a family with eight children and no money, with nothing to depend on but her clever brain and indomitable spirit. Sent away at thirteen to live with relatives, hired out at fifteen to pay off a family debt, desperate for an education at any cost, this is the story of a young girl who never gave up on herself, no matter what her circumstances, no matter how bleak her life seemed to be.

It is the story of my Obachan, or grandmother, as told to me by her, an amazing story which begins in the countryside of Japan and ends in the war torn streets of Kawasaki. I wrote it down as I heard it, believing it sounded more like a movie than her life; only the names have been changed out of respect for her living family. This is the journey she took as she exchanged one set of dreams for another, as she grew from a wide-eyed, hopeful teenager to a young mother in wartime Japan.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Japan, Memoir, Biography Memoir

106 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 21, 2020

About the author

I was born in Japan, raised in central California, and am now lucky enough to live in New York City. I've wanted to write for so long, and decided to celebrate my birthday by finally doing it! Anyone, everyone who wants to, DO IT. Write what you love, what makes you happy, otherwise what's the point? There's nothing like getting a tearful text from an advance copy beta reader asking, "Why?? Why did you do that to her?!" Being a substitute teacher for fifteen years gave me some good ideas for what today's younger readers would enjoy, and I hope you do :o)

Be sure to visit my web site at www.tanihanes.com and signup for the VIP Readers List for access to pre-releases, bonus materials, giveaways, and other goodies!

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely memorial

This story is a loving memorial to a beloved grandmother from a granddaughter. It relates the struggles of a young Japanese girl struggling to find the freedom to escape the farm fields and continue her education. This is a very sweet story and most enjoyable.

[Jenny Meike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baca ebook ini jadi ingat Ah-ma. Kangen masakan Ah-ma, kangen denger cerita2 masa mudanya. I do love my Ah-ma, and I miss her every day. Rest peace, Ah-ma 💜

[Susan Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hardworking girl forced into labor

I liked reading this book because it was a window into life in ruralJapan during the 1920’s and 1940’s. The granddaughter tells the story of her grandmother’s horrific life. Her parents and her employers treated her very badly and yet she achieved an education and children.

[Georgia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books like these remind me of how lucky I am to be a woman in this time and place.

I wish we got to hear from Hanes' Obachan herself and in her own words, because I wonder what she would have to say if she were keeping a diary rather than recalling her story to her granddaughter. I'd imagine it'd have quite a different tone.

Overall it's a good book, but given that it was written by her granddaughter, the book is lacking the rawness and vulnerability that usually draws me towards memoirs. Moreover, since Hanes wasn't living these experiences herself, it's understandably hard to really set the scene, focus on details, and parse out emotion and character/self development.

For those reasons, 3/5

[Robbyn Chalk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story of the determined young girl. How times have changed, where a girl chooses her own destiny compared to being called selfish back in 1930s for doing so

[Jennifer Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Obachan: A Young Girl’s Struggles for Freedom in Twentieth-Century Japan by Tani Hanes is the story of her maternal grandmother, Mitsuko Hanamura. Born in 1916 in rural Japan, as the oldest girl of eight children and no money, she wanted very little in life. Just a place to call her own with a garden with lots of flowers and shelves full of books. A place where she could be alone, no need to share a bed, meal or clothes, with anyone. The only thing she could depend on was her clever brain and her determined spirit. She held her head high as she was sent to live with relatives at 13, hired out as a maid at 15 to pay off the family debt. She was desperate for an education, when she found a way to educate herself and leave the poverty behind. With so much against her, will Mitsuko find a way to break free and achieve her dreams?
From the very beginning I was drawn to Mitsuko’s story. From the countryside of Japan to war-torn Kawasaki, Ms. Hanes chronicles her grandmother’s journey as she fights for her dreams. Bound by the social expectations, Mitsuko secretly plots and searches for ways to escape to the life she has always dreamed of. Called ungrateful and selfish by her parents, Mitsuko’s spirit could have been beaten and broken by her lack of control over her very life. But she refused to give up. She would bide her time and wait until the moment is right to break free. And every time there was a roadblock to her plan, she would plan again. Nothing was going to stand in her way of achieving her dreams. I eagerly read as I wanted to learn if Mitsuko achieved her dreams. I loved her determination and tenacity and I loved that Ms. Hani included family pictures as she retells her grandmother’s story. I highly recommend Obachan.

Obachan: A Young Girl’s Struggle for Freedom in Twentieth-Century Japan
Is available in paperback and eBook

[Sook Kuan Goh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like real life stories. I like how the character is being told, how she is striving to achieve her dreams, how lucky she had been, and even though she ended up in a marriage that she doesn’t want to, she have plans on her own to run away with her daughter to start anew.

It’s realistic that people tends to care for their own, where her sister in law always chooses what best for herself and her own family instead of others. I had read many that shows this environment. Having your own husband believes in his sister more and not having anyone bad mouth her, is truly heart breaking.

This is a good short read :) and I appreciate it.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, this book was hard for me to read because Mitsuko was treated so poorly by her parents and appeared to be nothing more to them than a means to pay off the debts her father incurred. But at the same time, I could hardly put it down because it was fascinating to read about life in such a foreign time and place. I kept pulling for Mitsuko to have the table for one in a house of her own that she wanted so badly. I would have given it 5 stars, but the ending was abrupt and really left me wanting more information about where the characters ended up after the war & how they lived. I loved all the pictures!

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goals and Hope.

Amazing to think that my peers in Japan were growing up in such a totally different society with totally different beliefs, behavior code, expectations, dreams... It is easy to fault their attitudes towards women etc. but the training of their children esp. in manners and speech and their very high value on education could well rub off on the west! A fascinating look at how dreams give us hope and courage but we also need to be open to ideas on how to achieve and temper our goals. A fascinating story, although it ended abruptly.

[Annie Leadley · Rating 5 out of 5]

wonderful Onachan’s ( Grandmothers )

Being a grandmother to three amazing children who’s Mother my daughter is English & our son in laws mother is their Onachan & having heard about her mother & Obachan , I could fully understand this Woman’s struggles from girlhood in rural Japan where even today in some parts of Japan Woman are regarded as slightly second class Citizen’s & it’s still a very Male dominated society ! I can highly recommend that you read this woman’s amazing ( sugoi) life story .

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short evocative narrative is a lovely tribute to an intelligent, strong woman who knew how to make the most of the hand that life dealt her. Although yielding when necessary, her resilience allowed her to maintain a strong sense of self that ensured the well being of her children and grandchildren. And, with her life as a case study, readers can appreciate what it meant to be female in rural Japan in the 1940's.

Ohhh, the virtual reader of the audiobook leaves a lot to be desired, but the story is so compelling that I put up with it.

[Marsha Bentley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sacrifices a Japanese Woman made for her Children

From humble beginnings, and an abusive home life, this intelligent young girl lived a life giving and taking care of others. Her dreams of an education and becoming a nurse were realized through her own skill and hard work. This is a must read! I think every teenager should read this story! Our young people take so much for granted and don't apply themselves. This book is a lesson in sacrifice and persistence.

Thank you for sharing the gift of your grandmother's life.

[Ruth Cyr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written

I loved this book. I can relate some to Mitsuko in such away as wanting my independence my own little house and to be alone, but always feeling like you have to do the right thing that everyone else wants you to. I can say how disappointed I was with her parents. I know it was a different time and culture, but they really used her and abused her. I found her to be the least selfish person ever. She deserves a place in heaven. Not to sure about them.

[John jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a weird way, okay good read

I absolutely loved this book but thought it ended way to soon. Also. It seemed like one minute she was a maid, next she was going to school. Nothing of her experiences, how she felt,etc. Just like it hardly says anything at all of her relationship with her mother n law who lived her never mind the man she was married too. I'm thinking this is a starter Booker for writer.

[Karen York-Fair · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ode to loved grandmother.

Some stories just need to be told, this one was so tragic. From my viewpoint as a modern woman and an American, it is difficult to read of Mitsuko’s plight which was filled with utter disappointment as she struggled her entire life with horrible parents intent on using her as a slave for their own financial benefit. I do admire Mitsuko’s indomitable spirit. A story well told.

[Vickie Van Vliet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book because it gives a glimpse of rural Japan in the '30s and onward. The main character's drive for a better life was a path full of determination. Even when things did not work out for her and things were tough she persisted. My heart ached for her. All I wanted was a traditional happy ending that she did not get unfortunately.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A moving story of a young Japanese girl in 1920s Japan, when girls had so few rights. It is a story of determination, courage, and hard work. I lived in Japan for 1 ½ years. Though things are much better for women now, I still see traces of the old ways culture- a male dominated society. I was moved and inspired by this courageous young woman.

[Ron Matsu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dreams are important!

Although Mitsuko never achieves her dreams she ultimately achieves something important to so many others - being a wonderful mother and grandmother. Her story is an inspiration for the downtrodden everywhere. Somehow Mitsuko perseveres through so many obstacles and ups and downs.

[Elvira P Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kept waiting for a climax that never came

I found the story interesting, but more depressing and unsettling then I expected. I kept waiting for the story to climax or to lead into a more thought provoking ending. The ending seemed to come too soon and was quite ordinary in presentation.

[Pam Funderburk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting look in to the life of a Japanese girl. As you follow her path you can see a journey that most American girls could no imagine.

See above as to what I liked. There was not much to dislike. The book is fairly short as most books go.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another woman' struggle

It is interesting to know of the hopes and dreams of women in other parts of the world which are so much like our own. They may never come true, but they are there.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of a Japanese woman and her struggles growing up in the early 20th century. In site on how sad to be a woman in those times because they had no lives of there own. Still things turned out fine for her, at least in our eyes.
I recommend reading this book.

[Jan B. Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much respect!

The author's obachan was remarkable! A strong and capable woman who did not let her life get her down. She came to terms with it and found happiness. It is hard for me to imagine having to live the way she did. An interesting book.

[Deb Kanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting story

This is such a sincere story of a persevering and lovely woman. This woman slaved for her parents and siblings and then for her husband and family. Well-written tale and a fast read.

[Linda J · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sketch of the circumstances and choices forced by life on a young girl by poverty and courage. This story outline could be the basis of a fascinating movie filled with characters rarely shown in American cinema.

[Leif C. Crowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

If wishes were horses....

The author wrote a fine biography of her grandmother. We need more books like this one. Unlike the author, however, I felt sorry for her grandmother because she had to accept her circumstances and give up her dreams.

[Tara Pyott · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring story

I loved this book. Mitsuko, the author's grandmother, had to endure so many hardships in her life. Despite this, she quietly persevered, always trying to better herself whenever possible. Mitsuko is a strong, determined woman who I enjoyed reading about.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very short, but interesting read.

[Beverley Lombardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story but also sad. I wish Mitsuko had been able to live her dream.

[Pamela Morris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast read.

Intenresting memoir. Easy, fast read. More of a timeline, rather sparsely detailed. Didn't feel like you really got to "know" the characters.