105-year-old Japanese here on a search for memorial

A Japanese centenarian who is a lifelong educator and specialist in early-childhood education for children with disabilities is on Saipan to search for the peace memorial built some 30 years ago for Koreans who perished during World War II.

Dr. Saburo Shochi, founder of Japan’s first school for mentally challenged children called “Shiinomi Gakuen,” visited yesterday the monuments on the northern part of the island with his assistant, Tsubone Chikako, and his supporter, Koga Taketoshi, who also served as his translator.

Saipan Tribune joined the 105-year-old Shochi, who is on island for the third time, and his team in search of the peace memorial, making stops at the Korean Memorial, Okinawa Memorial, Last Command Post, and Banzai Cliff to find the monument.

Taketoshi said that Shochi, who taught at Daegu Polytechnic College Graduate School in Korea, was instrumental in constructing the monument, which he described as about two meters high and etched with at least 20 Japanese, Korean, and American names.

Taketoshi, who used to work for Japan’s NHK television channel, recounted that Shochi was joined by a hundred Korean students during the unveiling of the peace memorial some 30 years ago.

Shochi’s late daughter, Kuniko, visited the island in the ’90s or about 20 years ago and found her father’s peace memorial at the present site of the Korean Memorial.

“Dr. Shochi would always remember in his mind the peace memorial, wherever he goes around the world,” Taketoshi said.

Shochi, who was born on Aug. 16, 1906, has traveled around the world at least seven times, with six of the seven tours made after he turned 100.

Although unsuccessful in his search, Shochi breathed in Saipan’s beauty on a very fine day, taking time not just to visit several peace memorials but also-and more importantly-honor “with a heavy heart” those who lost their lives during the war.

“He has lived 105 years so he has seen many, many bad things from mankind,” said Taketoshi. “He has seen wars, atomic bombs, diseases, tsunamis that have caused the death of many people.”

Still, Shochi continues to maintain his happy disposition in life and expressed delight to be back once again on island, once the site of a turning-point battle between conflicting nations and has now become a melting pot of varied cultures.

When asked for his secret to his healthy longevity, Shochi simply replied, “Smile,” flashing one that’s genuine and pure.

A native of Fukuoka, Shochi is celebrated internationally for being an advocate of improved early-childhood education, particularly for children with disabilities. His own two sons who were both born with cerebral palsy motivated him to build Shiinomi Gakuen and other special education facilities.

“He really has a warm heart for young children, especially those with disabilities,” said Taketoshi.

Shochi founded and became popular for his “Parent and Child Toy Making Class” method, which considers the age of 3 as “decisive in human development” and, therefore, the need for an effective educational program like making handmade toys between parents and toddlers.

These toys, Taketoshi said, are made of recyclable materials such as toilet paper rolls, empty boxes, and used cups. The process of making toys, he said, helps stimulate creativity, which is favorable for both parents and children.

Taketoshi said that Shochi also attributes his long life to other health habits, like sleeping on the “right” mattress, morning rubdown with a wet and cold towel, language lessons and keeping a diary in foreign languages, and baton exercises.

Shochi, who is also scheduled to make a stop in Guam this trip, will be traveling to Cape Town for an annual psychologist meeting in July. He expressed hope to be back again on Saipan someday, so he could find out what happened to the peace memorial.