Entertainment

Authorities at the prisoner of war camp took into consideration the prisoners’ daily life to prevent any trouble due to boredom and dissatisfaction. Prisoners were allowed to enjoy different types of entertainment to maintain both their physical and mental health. A photo shows prisoners enjoying billiards and playing cards in a barrack. A billiard table that was used at that time still exists. The photo shows a table without any pockets to put the balls into. Prisoners were also allowed to order and read newspapers and books.

Photo: Prisoners playing billiards in the barrack (courtesy of Mr. Dieter Linke)

Photo: Prisoners playing billiards (courtesy of Mr. Dieter Linke)

Photo: A billiard table used at that time (courtesy of an unnamed individual)

Arbors

Some prisoners obtained permission to build arbors. They enjoyed making flowerbeds and vegetable gardens and decorating the interior as they liked. Prisoners were also allowed to keep animals, such as chickens, pigeons and rabbits. Hangstein built an arbor for himself and drank beer there with his friends. From time to time, friends gathered in the arbors and enjoyed a “Banzai” drinking party.

“As prisoners became richer, they often enjoyed a drinking party called “Banzai” (fuller in German) in the arbor. They were allowed to enjoy such a party until late at night unless it broke the silence of the night. In many cases, eight to ten prisoners joined the drinking party. If they ran out of beer, the person in charge of the post exchange brought supplements. In the face of fierce competition, Japanese brewers used every means possible to increase sales. One day, a prisoner was absent at the morning roll call. Everyone knew that he had participated in the party until the early hours of the morning. Eventually they found him sleeping in the toilet where he had slipped and caught his foot in a crack in the floor. He eventually fell asleep there. His leg was covered with excrement almost to the knee. He was immediaTely confined in a detention room where he spent the next 14 days. There were not too many cases of punishment, and German-style discipline was certainly kept during the interment that continued for more than five years.”
(From Kersten’s Diary)

Photo: Hangstein’s arbor (courtesy of Mr. Dieter Linke)

Photo: Prisoners gathering in the arbor (courtesy of Mr. Dieter Linke)

Photo: A prisoner’s arbor (courtesy of Mr. Dieter Linke)