I was born on Oct. 25, 1944 in Omuta, Fukuoka prefecture. I am the eldest son of my father, Seizaburo Kuroda, and my mother, Yasuko. It was in the midst of the Second World War. Soon after I was born, an air raid alarm sounded, and my mother, carrying me in her arms, ran from the hospital to a nearby shelter.
Although I was born in Fukuoka prefecture, I have few memories of the place. Around the age of 3, I watched a beautiful sunset from the baby carriage my mother had placed me in while she was shopping. I am not sure if this is my own memory or a story told by my mother.
