At Mama-san House - Authentic Japanese Home Decor & Kitchenware for Cozy Living | Perfect for Home Styling & Gift Giving

During the Occupation of Japan, 1945-50, U.S. Army soldiers called every Japanese woman over thirty-five years of age, Mama-san, It was not a Japanese word, but pidgin English by American soldiers in an effort to communicate on their own terms. This well-meaning word quickly found use in mama-san houses which were operated by mama-sans who rented rooms by the hour to pom-pom girls.However, Mama-san House of this story was a middle class Tokyo home owned by Mama-san, a gentle lady whom Joe suspected of being a former Geisha. Here, during his off duty hours, Joe and Eiko found their Special Island, or hideaway. Such affairs were discouraged and frowned on by the U.S. Army and American-Japanese marriages were forbidden by law.Outbreak of war in Korea ended Joe's secret paradise when he and most of the Occupation Army moved quickly to meet the communist attack.Never a hero, Joe served honorably as an Infantryman and survived thanks to the draw of a lucky card, or so he believed. Daily letters from Eiko sustained him through heartbreak and hardship, and fallen friends helped him when needed the most.After a time, officialdom in Washington concede to the reality of mixed marriages, but now Joe is in Korea . . ."At Mama-san House" begins as a wide eyed seventeen years old private soldier arrives in Japan and evolves as he grows into a seasoned twenty-year old sergeant leading his mortar squad in combat.Eventually, Joe is forced to advance from romantic boy to practical man. Well . . . almost.