Key Witnesses
Fortunately, the more than thirty witnesses I had the privilege to hear testimony from remember the events of forty-six years ago clearly. I was surprised, more than anything, by the accuracy of their accounts. Hasumi Chise, whose beloved child was taken from her, recalls the events particularly well, despite having reached the advanced age of eighty-two. I was so moved by her vivid recounting that I felt as those these things had happened to me.
Chise told me everything on countless walks between Rikibiru and Kotanbetsu, including many things which had never before been reported. They had strong-armed Ōta Kazuo and his common-law wife, Mayu, into taking care of Chise and Kahichi’s son, Tsuneo.
They had planned on taking Tsuneo back soon, so that he could enroll in school, when the incident happened. By Ōta Kazuo’s wish, that very day Tsuneo had been entered into the Ōta family tree as the family’s eldest son.
The old woman’s eyes sparkled with tears as she told me of this.
What had bothered me as I conducted my research was one Takeda Hama (née Saitō), whose pregnant mother and two brothers were killed. Even if her cries seemed to have chased the bear off, if she would not lend me her assistance in my investigation of the truth, there would be little hope of closing the book on this case. Doubts would always linger.
By chance, one day I was sitting next to a woman from Tomamae on a train to Sapporo. “I see Hama all the time out in the field,” she said. I had no choice: I had to find out the truth. I skipped my meeting and took trips up to Tomamae on that Saturday and Sunday. The third time, I met Hama out in the field.
Hama put down her mulberries, and I told her why I had come. “Whatever I can still remember, I’ll tell you.” There was no shadow on her face, only the thought that she might be of help. When I departed, she said, “I’m terribly sorry that all I had were pictures,” recalling the gravity of the incident and her feelings for her birth parents.