The other day, I interviewed Mr. Hamauzu (traditionally, Clinical Philosophy members don’t use the name of “professors”), whom I am relying on, and who had brought up his children since he was a doctoral course student. He allowed me to put his essay about being brought or bringing up children, which is printed in Shizuoka Shimbun in 2005. I take time to edit it, so I have no idea when I can release it. However, don’t miss it.

（written by Katsura-Noguchi, translated by Su）

original ver. in Japanese

Child Care: After my father’s death, a journal days of winter (1)

Shinji Hamauzu（Professor at the Department of Letters Shizuoka University）

　When I was an elementary school student, I played menkos and marbles in the precincts of the neighboring shrine, made secret bases in the precincts of the temple. In the summer, I went to catch cicadas, dragonflies, fish and crayfish. I only remember playing outdoors, not remembering studying nor reading indoors. My circumstances were stable even when I was a junior high school student. I have no memory of my parents telling me “Study. Do your study.”

　However, it changed when I became a senior high school student. I think it the major reason that my father died of acute pancreatitis all too soon at the age of 45, just before I entered high school. He originally worked at the electronic store and at that time he was the chief of substation of a small business. However, I remember that he began studying when he had passed the age of 40 years, because he was going to obtain a boiler expert’s license.

　After his death, my happy paradise’s period ended, and journal days of winter started. Along with that, I began reading a lot of books at random. I cannot concentrate on my study in school, but I got interested not only in literary works but also in philosophy books.

　My mother, who began working after my father died, might have thought me as troublesome son. It may be my atonement that I drop in on her for ling-distance care, using the opportunity to go to Nagoya due to my work once a week.

（Resident in Shizuoka）

Child Care：From “Pama” to “Father” (2)

Shinji Hamauzu（Professor at the Department of Letters of Shizuoka University）

　Anyway, it was when I was a graduate student that my journal days of winter ended and I welcome the spring – I got married to my wife who worked as a primary school teacher. After that, until I took the present post, I had lived as a house-husband for 11 years, working as a part-time lecturer or an assistant. My wife was a “breadwinner”.

　The first daughter was born 2 years later, and the second was born in 10 later. I had made a contribution not only to household affairs but also to child care in my own way. It was my part to cope with my daughters’ crying at night, to take them to and from the nursery school and to give them a bath. When they were children, we told them “You have pamas, instead of papa and mama.”

　However, the character of child care changes as they grow up. We need stamina when they were children, but when they became junior high school students and senior high school students, we need perseverance. They doesn’t go as we likes and become self-assertive, so we need to give them informed consent.

　We have often been annoyed where to draw a line between what we should accept and what we should not yield to. My wife and I assign roles step by step. My wife play a role in “mother” who accepts children fondly. In contrast, I play a role in “father” who stands in their way as a wall firmly.

（Resident in Shizuoka）

2017.02