Japanese migrants to Palau 'paradise' faced 4 turbulent years during war (Pt. 1)

Palau, a small island nation situated approximately 3,000 kilometers south of Tokyo, became a Japanese mandate following World War I. Japanese migrants who moved to Palau in the aftermath of the war faced dire circumstances during World War II. In May of this year, around ten individuals convened in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, for a gathering of the Okinawa-Palau friendship association, composed of former migrants and others.

Among the attendees were Hiroko Maeda, 97, and Eiko Tamaki, 96, both former students of Palau Girls High School. Both women expressed delight at reconnecting after such an extended period apart.

In 1922, Japan established the South Seas Agency in Koror, Palau's principal city, which was regarded as the island country's political and economic hub due to its picturesque surroundings, characterized by clear blue waters and mild climate. Many individuals, particularly Okinawans, were tempted to settle in this "South Seas paradise."

Tamaki, for instance, migrated to Palau from the Philippines in the mid-1930s, as a young girl, aged around four. Her family established a tailoring business in Koror, and her mother would purchase tailored garments from the shop and patronize a nearby restaurant, often soliciting orders from women working there. The family managed to eke out a livelihood, sending remittances back to their home in Okinawa.

Maeda arrived in Palau in 1940, accompanied by her family. The urban district of Koror, featuring hospitals, schools, shops, and other establishments, left her in awe. In stark contrast to her hometown, which was enveloped by mountains and the sea, Koror featured a bustling urban environment. As the number of Japanese migrants swelled, elementary schools were established throughout the islands.

In 1941, Palau Girls High School was inaugurated in Koror. The school, purportedly offering the same curriculum and class hours as its Japanese counterparts, comprised about 60 members of its inaugural cohort, captured in a photograph, their hands clasped together in prayer and clad in short-sleeved blouses. Among them was Chiyo Nakaima, 99, currently residing in Tokyo's Katsushika Ward.

Nakaima and her family led a comfortable existence in Palau, with her parents operating a row house. Although the school's opening was met with great fanfare, the tranquility was disrupted when the Japanese military launched an attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, marking the commencement of the Pacific War. Upon her return to Palau the following spring, Maeda, now in her second class, found the atmosphere increasingly tense.