WWII: The Other Side of the Fence

Memoirs of an American Imperial Japanese Officer

Major Toshiyuki Nekomoto walked to his barracks under the blazing sun of this summer morning in full uniform. Nothing had gone right since he arose. The soldier in charge of delivering his horse to the home on Nishi Hakushima Street had not arrived. Tiring of waiting, he started out on his bike and a tire went flat. He returned the bike to his porch and headed out again, this time on foot. At 8:15 am, as he took one step out of the shadow of an overpass, the atomic bomb, Little Boy, detonated over Hiroshima City.

In Honolulu, the boy Tosh lived without a care in the world filling childhood days with island fun; fishing, swimming, practical jokes and his favorite pastime, defying authority. Tosh's carefree life ended when rebellious behavior got him kicked out of prestigious Punahou School. His father, to secure an honorable future for his son, sent Tosh to Japan for a strict, character building education.

While attending Nippon University, World War II began and ended the future Tosh planned. He, his pregnant wife, Shizue, and two children, Yorie and Toshio, lived only 1/2 mile from the hypocenter of the first nuclear bomb used in warfare.

This stirring memoir reveals intimate details of Major Nekomoto commanding a British POW camp.