SEJARAH NORTH BORNEO SABAH SPECIAL EDITION
A Short Story of a local woman named "Aen" during the Second World War in Sabah , North Borneo
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| Yamasaki Aen |
"Most of the existing writings on the war in Sabah,
North Borneo are either based on local accounts or an official records collected
by the Allied forces, especially the British and Australian. Thus in many ways,
the accounts presented tend to have quite a similar perspective, especially
with regards to some significant events such as Kinabalu Guerrillas and the
Jesselton Uprising of October 1943." (Prof. Danny Wong)
"Of the 50 Million people who died in the Second World
War, more than half were Asian people and Allied serviceman and women, the
victim of Japanese Aggression. But it is absurd and wrong to 'hate' a whole
Japanese people, as during First World War the Japanese was an ally and treated
German and Russian prisoner of war with exemplary care and restraints. I,
therefore appeal to our shared sense of humanity, which recognises no social or
cultural distinctions, transcends race, religion and colour of our skin, and
reaches out to embrace the higher attributes of human nature of justice,
compassion and mutual good will. " (Paul Ham)
Aen @ Yamasaki Aen
Aen was born on the 10th June 1925 in Sandakan of a
Cantonese father and peranakan cina's mother.
Her father a businessman who had a shop in Sandakan, left the family and
returned to China after his business failed.
After the father left the marriage suffered . The 8 year old Aen and her
mother returned to Jesselton. Aen was adopted by a Dusun couple and when she
was 15 years old, she was sent to Keningau to live with her relatives. Aen had
a very difficult childhood.
Aen eventually worked as a housekeeper to Yamazaki Kenji and
later became his wife in 1943. They have a son born in 1944 named Kohnan. Aen
was very sympathetic to the plight of the locals living under the Japanese rule
but as the same time cared much for her husband safety and well being.
Aen claimed to have warned her husband to constantly remind
his subordinates not to be harsh towards the workers at the Keningau's road and
airport construction sites especially the forced labourers. Aen suggested to
the husband that the officers should treat the workers with smile, and listen
to complaints and try to solve the problems.
Aen claimed to have played a part in the allaying the
prevailing anti-Japanese feelings to her interactions with wives of Chinese and
Malay government employees in Tenom and Melalap, she served as a link between a locals and the
Japanese. Aen tried to harmonise Japanese-locals friendship. She mentioned
that, due to their effort, the Muruts, Dusun and Chinese were willing to bring
their problems to the prefecture office.
Yamasaki Kenji
Yamasaki Kenji was born on the 19 September 1902 (23 years
older than Aen). He grown up in Nino-oka, Gotenba, Shizuoka and studied as an
Auditor of Agriculture in Tokyo University. He worked several years in
Manchurian Railway in Manchu. He had a case of a love affair in Manchu.
Yamasaki Kenji married Michiko Saito on the 1st May 1925 and
became an elected member of Parliament on February 1936 under the Socialist
Party. Yamasaki Kenji and Michiko Saito
had a son named Ryoichi and a daughter named Emi before his departure to
Borneo.
The Imperial Military Government declared National
Mobilisation and force all political parties to unify under One Party. This
decision which made Yamasaki Kenji fed up politics and stowed away to Borneo
arriving in Kuching in June 1942. Since he was an ex-member of parliament,
Military Headquarter in Miri could not return him back to Japan, so they
appointed him as Keningau Prefecture Governor.
The Japanese invaded Labuan on January 1942. Yamasaki Kenji before he
left to Keningau ordered the construction of Labuan Airport, which completed
within 2 months by employing locals native and Javanese.
Yamasaki Kenji arrived in Keningau in October 1942 and
worked as a Prefecture Governor of Keningau until April 1945 and later was
instructed as Japanese Mayor in Jesselton until the surrender of Japanese Army
on 15th August 1945.
In the aftermath of the Kinabalu Uprising, Albert Kwok's
mother was sent to Keningau under detention.Yamasaki Kenji, however, made her
time in Keningau much more pleasant by asking her to be a gardener. This
gesture of goodwill was not lost on those associated with the Guerrillas.
Yamasaki Kenji and Aen
( Haran- No Minanmijuujisei -
Yamasaki Kennji - No Isshou)
Yamasaki Kenji was released from Jesselton by the Japanese
Army and returned to Keningau. During the confusing time in Keningau and
Jesselton after the Japanese surrender, Yamasaki, Aen and their son Kohnan got
away to Penampang crossing the Crocker range from Tambunan with the support
rendered by several Ketua kampung namely from Apin-Apin, Tambunan, Sinsuron and
others. The journey was so difficult and at the time Aen was into her second
pregnancy. Yamasaki and Aen settled themselves in Inanam, where Aen gave birth
to a second son Einan on the 3rd January 1946.
Yamasaki and Aen received some much needed food and milk
powder from some of the former guerillas before boarding the ship at the
Jesselton wharf to Japan. Yamasaki and
Aen left Jesselton with Kashima-Maru on the 23rd March 1946 and reached
Hiroshima on the 1st April 1946.
In Japan, Yamasaki Kenji's first wife, Michiko Saito won in
the election as a first lady member of Parliament. Aen, a young women from North
Borneo, after the second world war had to endure the most difficult moment of
her life having to raise a young children, to adjust her life to a new country,
new environment and living in Japan as an illegal wife to a married Japanese
man.
On the 19th June 1947, Aen gave birth to their 3rd Son named
Sannan. On the 29th December 1950, Aen gave birth a daughter named Akemi. A
tragic accident occurred when her 1st Son named Kohnan was drowned in Numazu
City Japan at the age of 6 years old.
Yamasaki Kenji stood by Aen side through the difficult time
and gave her his unconditional love and moral support despite all her
hardship,suffering and challenges.
Michiko finally
announced in the Japanese newspaper that she will divorce Yamasaki
Kenji. Yamasaki Kenji submitted registration to declare the marriage of Aen on
11th April 1950 to the Mayor of Numazu City, Japan.
In April 1951, Yamasaki Kenji elected as a member of the municipal of
Numazu City. In October 1952, Yamasaki failed to win the National Election.
On 25th September 1954, Yamasaki Kenji and Aen migrated to
Brazil on board of America-Maru with Yamasaki Kenji's eldest son Ryoichi ,
Sannan (3rd Son) and Akemi. While their other children named Einan was adopted
by Michiko Saito.
On the 31st January 1958, Yamasaki Kenji died of liver
cancer at the age of 57 at Sao-Paulo Brazil.
Aen and Akemi returned to Japan in March 1964 with Yamasaki
Kenji remains. Akemi was adopted by Michiko Saito at the age of 14.
Aen remarried Hishinuma Tsuneharu (then the vice Chairman of
Yaohan) in December 1964. Hishinuma died in 1990.
It was said that Aen had returned to Sabah and left her
children in Japan.
Do any member of Sejarah North Borneo Sabah knows Aen
current whereabouts ??
Photo Credit :
1. Fung Tzee Ping
2. Junichi Taniyama
Source Credit :
1. The Southern Cross Never Deceives (1952) by Yamasaki Aen
(Tokyo : Hokushindo).
2. Historical Sabah. The War (2010) by Prof. Danny Wong.
Published by Opus Publication.
3. Sandakan-The Untold Story of The Sandakan Death March
(2012)by Paul Ham. Published by William Heinemann: Australia (Courtesy David Porter)
4. Keningau-Heritage and Legacy in the Interior Residency
(2016) by Abednigo Chow. Published by Opus Publication
5. An Articles Southern Cross Never Deceives , translation
by Junichi Taniyama
Edited By :
1. Kumis Kumis
(Note : Apology if there is any mistake due to translation,
please highlight for immediate rectification or amendment)
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