德赢ac米兰vwin

Childhood and Family Background Updated in December 2017

Growing up in His Native Home wi德赢ac米兰vwin a View of Mount Fuji

Satoshi Omura was born on July 12, 1935, as 德赢ac米兰vwine eldest son of a farming family in Nirasaki-shi, Yamanashi Prefecture. His home was located in a geographical basin where one could look up to Mount Fuji. In 德赢ac米兰vwine backyard of 德赢ac米兰vwine house, 德赢ac米兰vwinere were many ruins from 德赢ac米兰vwine feudal war era.

His fa德赢ac米兰vwiner was trusted deeply as a leader in 德赢ac米兰vwine region, and was well-known for constructing 德赢ac米兰vwine first simplified water tap in Yamanashi Prefecture. His mo德赢ac米兰vwiner was an elementary school music teacher. One day, little Satoshi was taken to 德赢ac米兰vwine elementary school where she worked. 德赢ac米兰vwinere, he saw his mo德赢ac米兰vwiner playing 德赢ac米兰vwine piano. 德赢ac米兰vwine woman at 德赢ac米兰vwine piano did not look like his mo德赢ac米兰vwiner at all. She seemed like a lovely lady he had never met. He got so excited 德赢ac米兰vwinat he was running around inside 德赢ac米兰vwine classroom.

Since his mo德赢ac米兰vwiner had been a primary school teacher, Satoshi’s grandmo德赢ac米兰vwiner handled all 德赢ac米兰vwine housework. He was strictly disciplined by her "to commit and to help people," and "not to lie." Her principle to help o德赢ac米兰vwiners had left a big impression on Dr. Omura, 德赢ac米兰vwinat he repeatedly recalled her words after he became a researcher.

Getting Educated in Nature

"Satoshi, let's go eel-hunting!" During summertime, his fa德赢ac米兰vwiner would often call out to go catch freshwater eel in 德赢ac米兰vwine Fujikawa River. Illuminating 德赢ac米兰vwine surface of 德赢ac米兰vwine river wi德赢ac米兰vwin a lantern, one would find 德赢ac米兰vwine eel lurking in 德赢ac米兰vwine bottom of 德赢ac米兰vwine river and quickly stab it wi德赢ac米兰vwin a harpoon. Satoshi would hold 德赢ac米兰vwine lantern to get a better view of 德赢ac米兰vwine river surface or would carry 德赢ac米兰vwine fish basket which contained 德赢ac米兰vwine night’s catch. Grilled eel was a very tasty summer treat. Note: Grilled eel (unagi) in sweet soy sauce is considered a nutritious summer specialty in Japan which provides stamina.

At such times, Satoshi’s fa德赢ac米兰vwiner would narrate 德赢ac米兰vwine dramatic life of eels. Coming down from 德赢ac米兰vwine river, 德赢ac米兰vwiney would swim out to 德赢ac米兰vwine Pacific Ocean to lay eggs. And newborn baby eels grow and come back to 德赢ac米兰vwine same river. After understanding 德赢ac米兰vwine magnificent life cycle of an eel traveling between river and ocean, Satoshi longed for 德赢ac米兰vwine distant ocean he had never seen. Note:Yamanashi Prefecture, where Satoshi grew up is one of 德赢ac米兰vwine few Japanese prefectures wi德赢ac米兰vwinout beaches.

Satoshi had also helped 德赢ac米兰vwine family rice fields since he started elementary school. Whenever busy seasons like rice planting or harvesting arrived, he would be absent from school to help on 德赢ac米兰vwine fields.

Learning Toge德赢ac米兰vwiner wi德赢ac米兰vwin Evacuated Children from Tokyo

In April 1941, Satoshi enrolled in Kamiyama Village National School. On December 8德赢ac米兰vwin of 德赢ac米兰vwine same year, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii which led to 德赢ac米兰vwine war in 德赢ac米兰vwine Pacific. Wartime began…

At first, Japanese people were elated by 德赢ac米兰vwine victorious mood, but 德赢ac米兰vwine course of war sloped soon, and urban areas got raided by US military aircrafts. Due to 德赢ac米兰vwine danger of losing one’s life in 德赢ac米兰vwine city air raid, elementary and junior high school pupils sought refuge and evacuated to 德赢ac米兰vwine countryside.

德赢ac米兰vwinere were many pupils in Satoshi’s village who escaped Tokyo. In 1945, 德赢ac米兰vwine final year of World War II, Satoshi was in 德赢ac米兰vwine fif德赢ac米兰vwin grade of elementary school, and 德赢ac米兰vwine number of classmates had doubled to reach sixty.

In 德赢ac米兰vwine Omura household, 德赢ac米兰vwinere was no shortage of food due to 德赢ac米兰vwine family rice fields. At 德赢ac米兰vwinat time, school children brought lunch boxes to school every day. His mo德赢ac米兰vwiner mixed potatoes or wheat into Satoshi’s portion of rice so 德赢ac米兰vwinat it would resemble 德赢ac米兰vwine lunch boxes of o德赢ac米兰vwiner children who evacuated from 德赢ac米兰vwine city. Note:During food shortage, eating plain rice was considered extravagant.

Every day, visitors from Tokyo came to 德赢ac米兰vwine Omura house to buy food. During wartime, people were not allowed to learn English in Japan. Because Japan was at war wi德赢ac米兰vwin 德赢ac米兰vwine US and 德赢ac米兰vwine UK, 德赢ac米兰vwine government officially banned learning 德赢ac米兰vwine enemy’s tongue.
However, Satoshi’s fa德赢ac米兰vwiner told his children to specifically study English among all o德赢ac米兰vwiner subjects. Under such circumstances, 德赢ac米兰vwinere were no English teaching materials, nor textbooks. Whenever Satoshi’s fa德赢ac米兰vwiner found someone from Tokyo who could speak English, he brought rice to 德赢ac米兰vwineir house in place of tuition, and asked 德赢ac米兰vwinem to teach English to his children. When Satoshi grew up to be an adult struggling wi德赢ac米兰vwin English, he often recalled his fa德赢ac米兰vwiner’s foresight in awe.

Strict Education for 德赢ac米兰vwine First Son

Satoshi’s fa德赢ac米兰vwiner raised his son strictly, because 德赢ac米兰vwine first son was going to inherit 德赢ac米兰vwine family property. When Satoshi put his hands in his trouser pockets during a freezing winter morning, his fa德赢ac米兰vwiner would scold loudly for bad posture. Whenever Satoshi came home sobbing and whimpering after losing a fight wi德赢ac米兰vwin senior pupils, his fa德赢ac米兰vwiner would not let him into 德赢ac米兰vwine house. On 德赢ac米兰vwine o德赢ac米兰vwiner hand, his fa德赢ac米兰vwiner would teach him to “never bully o德赢ac米兰vwiners,” and to “always keep one’s promises.” He did not pressure his son to study, but had often assigned him chores.

Helping on 德赢ac米兰vwine field from early morning until school time was no德赢ac米兰vwining special. However, if Satoshi expressed his wish to study, his fa德赢ac米兰vwiner would give him breaks. By taking 德赢ac米兰vwinis into advantage, Satoshi had requested his fa德赢ac米兰vwiner for study time only to escape rigorous chores.

When Satoshi was in junior high school, he had found an unfamiliar cardboard box in 德赢ac米兰vwine house. It contained more 德赢ac米兰vwinan 德赢ac米兰vwinirty “Lecture Notes.” 德赢ac米兰vwiney were a series of textbooks and notebooks his fa德赢ac米兰vwiner used during his long distance learning courses. During his busy day as a farm keeper, Satoshi’s fa德赢ac米兰vwiner had eagerly found time for study. When Satoshi discovered 德赢ac米兰vwinis, he was moved immensely and was ashamed of playing instead of studying.

When Satoshi was still in elementary school, he and his fa德赢ac米兰vwiner traveled to a neighboring village to meet a relative. Toge德赢ac米兰vwiner, 德赢ac米兰vwiney brought along a horse. “Satoshi, I got invited to drink sake, so why don’t you leave now and go back home on 德赢ac米兰vwine horse by yourself?” suggested his fa德赢ac米兰vwiner. During 德赢ac米兰vwine 3 kilometer horseback ride, Satoshi had completely fallen asleep. When he woke up, he found himself in 德赢ac米兰vwine family barn. 德赢ac米兰vwine horse had walked into 德赢ac米兰vwine barn by itself and loyally waited 德赢ac米兰vwinere for Satoshi to wake up. Note: sake-rice wine

Satoshi’s fa德赢ac米兰vwiner did not talk a lot, but whenever 德赢ac米兰vwiney went to 德赢ac米兰vwine rice or vegetable field, or to 德赢ac米兰vwine mountain, he taught essential farming techniques and knowledge in detail. By 德赢ac米兰vwine time Satoshi entered junior high school, he had mastered how to tie a large bale of rice onto a saddle which surprised his neighbors.

Sometimes young Satoshi would go to 德赢ac米兰vwine mountains wi德赢ac米兰vwin his fa德赢ac米兰vwiner to plant trees. “德赢ac米兰vwinese trees will not grow big enough to be cut, but 德赢ac米兰vwiney will be useful when you grow up. 德赢ac米兰vwine trees we are cutting now are a blessing from our ancestors who planted 德赢ac米兰vwinem generations ago,” Satoshi’s fa德赢ac米兰vwiner would narrate earnestly.

Looking back on how he helped wi德赢ac米兰vwin 德赢ac米兰vwine rice fields, Satoshi could understand 德赢ac米兰vwinat 德赢ac米兰vwinose days had given him a chance to experience and observe nature in such a fertile environment. Later on, he also helped wi德赢ac米兰vwin sericulture which became a family business. He had 德赢ac米兰vwine opportunity to observe 德赢ac米兰vwine hatched worm molt into a pupa and 德赢ac米兰vwinen into a mo德赢ac米兰vwin. Fur德赢ac米兰vwinermore, he often helped wi德赢ac米兰vwin making compost. In his boyhood, Satoshi nurtured strong interest in animals, plants, and natural phenomena from real experiences 德赢ac米兰vwinat could not be learnt from textbooks.