Some local history

Today, I had a fascinating conversation with a student in the Voice room (that being the place that students can go fi they don't want a lesson, but just want to practice their English skillis in an informal, conversational environment). It started with being asked what I had done in Ube during my stay here. As part of my answer I mentioned my trip to Tokiwa, and I commentend on the mining museum I had heard about (see comment on "Public sculpture beautifies cities"). I told the two students in the room at the time that I was clueless about the existence and location of this museum. They replied that, they two were unaware of it, but one of them proceeded to tell me about the mining history of Ube. Apparently Ube was once a great coal mining town, however this was sixty or so years ago and the mining was accomplished through the imported forced labor of Koreans living in cramped conditions near the beach. Living near the beach was a requirement, as most of the mining was done in tunnels dug underneath the ocean; it was very dangerous work, especially because of the breathing tubes. Because of the lack of oxygen in these underwater tunnels, gigantic tubes were constructed, running from the mine to above the surface of the water. However the construction of these tubes was poor, and from time to time they would leak, neither did they extend far above the water's surface so the winds could kick up the waves over the tops of the tubes. Water would rush down into the tunnels and drown many Koreans, but more would be brought over soon. She then told me that in recent years "a Japanese man felt pity for the Koreans" and made a trip over to Korea to speak with the surviving laborers and their families and now once a year a delegation comes from Korea to hold a memorial Buddhist prayer service. She continued on to tell me from the train, between the stops of Kusae and Tokiwa, one can still see the tops of two of these breathing shafts rising out of the water.
Both students then commented on how no compensation has been paid by Japan to any of the countries from which it culled laborers. This woman who was born in Seoul to a Japanese soldier during the occupation then insisted on telling me about the rainbows she had seen yesterday, and about how difficult it can be to teach singing to children from the countryside.