Diary+Entry+2+MPJH

July 13, 1937

My parents have been unsuccessful in their attempt to try to persuade my brother from enlisting in the army. He went to the military center and enlisted today. He'll be leaving home in about three weeks time. To get my mind off things, I went to matsuri with my friend, Erika to try to take things off my mind. We ate some amazing Japanese food, and also some weird delicacy from foreigners, called "sasuages." I don't really know what to call it, but it was a long chain of meat processed into a elongated ball shape. It tasted a bit greasy and weird, but a lot of my friends enjoy eating it because it's just a different type of taste from Japanese cuisine. I heard that there's going to be a market that's planning on selling some foreign food, so Erika and I decided to go check it out.

My sister Hana has been recently engaged to a man who lives in our neighborhoud. They've known each other for a while, and my parents and his parents wanted to combine the family businesses, so they decided on an arranged marriage. My new brother-in-law is called Haru; he's a very nice man and I'm sure that he will treat Hana with the proper respect she deserves. They originally wanted an elaborate wedding, but because of economic tensions, they decided to just hold a simple ceremony. The ceremony will take place in a week, and after that Hana will live in Haru's house and be a proper, good young wife and bear Haru's children. My parents are excited for grandchildren already..and they have been pressuring Hana and Haru. Their main argument is that in this time of misery, a child will be a way out of this depression. Hana and Haru are scared to bring a child into the world in this time of the year.

Japan seems to be getting poorer and poorer because of the war efforts with Manchuria. I'm getting worried about Daiki because everyday I hear about numbers of deaths and casualties in the papers and it scares me to think that Daiki may be a part of that list. But I believe that he will come back alive because he promised me before he left. May the Gods please keep everyone in Manchuria and Japan safe.

Signed, Tokieda Airi