Interview with Ilias Toanana (Interview)
(Indigenous perspective)
This interview was conducted by Dr Iwamoto Hiromitsu and transcribed/translated by Pastor Jacob Aramans

Dr Iwamoto: What is your name? Ilias: My name is Toanana Ilias. Dr Iwamoto: How old are you? Ilias: I am 105 years old. Dr Iwamoto: What were you doing when the Japanese came? Ilias: I was a Pastor when the Japanese arrived here, which I saw . We were all confused as to what their real reason was for coming here. We hadn’t been warned about them and they took us by surprise. Nobody told us anything. Some people said they wanted to fight to take over this country but we did not understand why. Anyway there was no fight – the Japanese went around to the villages and lived among the people. The fighting didn’t start then. Then the fighting started and it was a big horrific war. Many people died. So after the war the Japanese came back together and went to Rabaul. While the Japanese stayed with us they didn’t do any bad things to us. Their job was to fight and to take over this country. When they fought they kept it a secret and they didn’t tell us the reasons why they were fighting here. They ignored us so in turn we ignored them and thought nothing of them. As the war continued the Japanese suffered a shortage of food. Their supply of rice ran low. Then they turned to our food crops taking kaukau and cassavas without paying us anything. Whenever they felt sorry for us they gave us a little money. The kind of money that they gave us was not like ours. Dr Iwamoto: Did you receive any money from the Japanese? Ilias: I got some, but only a little bit. We were unable to buy anything with this money. Dr Iwamoto: You were a Pastor, by your judgment did the Japanese treat you well or not? Ilias: We told them to go and look for their own food but they wouldn't. But they also shared food with us at no cost. Dr Iwamoto: Did they pay you for the food that they took? Ilias: Most of them didn't pay but those who were considerate in their thoughts paid us a little. Dr Iwamoto: Did the Japanese and the locals go to church together? Ilias: The Japanese didn't do this and stayed in their camps. They didn't even tell us anything about God. Their normal activity is fighting and they didn't tell us anything about it. Dr Iwamoto: Did the Japanese kill any of you? Ilias: No, they didn't do this but they expected us to be loyal and good to them. They (the Japanese) only argued between themselves and all we had to do was stand and watch. Dr Iwamoto: Did the Japanese stay or camp at your village? Ilias: Not at all, unlike the other white men who would normally stay with us at the village and preach about anything they could for our benefit. Dr Iwamoto: Did any of you work with the Japanese? Ilias: They did allow us to work with them. Dr Iwamoto: What type of work? Ilias: We didn't do the type of work that they did but we normally worked in their gardens commencing early in the morning and not finishing till the sun set. Dr Iwamoto: Did you make new gardens for the Japanese? Ilias: We made a lot of new gardens. Dr Iwamoto: Was it just men or did women also work in those new gardens? Ilias: Only men because they didn't bring any women along with them. Dr Iwamoto: Did the Japanese set up any schools here? Ilias: No, nothing at all. Dr Iwamoto: Did the Japanese marry any of your women? Ilias: Only good and well respected Japanese soldiers lived here and so they didn't do this.