Robert Childan and Ito Humo

Robert Childan's rise as a dealer in rare American artifacts began with a chance encounter with Major Ito Humo, an elderly Japanese ex-Army officer who wandered into Childan's dimly lit secondhand bookshop on Geary Street. At the time, Childan operated a small store in a rough neighborhood, where strong-arm robberies and even rape occurred on the sidewalk despite police and Kempeitai efforts. Major Humo, tall, slender, and white-haired, spent an entire afternoon searching through heaps of old magazines, and in his mild voice explained something Childan could not quite grasp: that to many wealthy, cultured Japanese, the historic objects of American popular civilization were of equal interest alongside more formal antiques. This insight would prove transformative, as Childan, who had been struggling to make ends meet, began to see the potential in catering to the Japanese craze for Americana.

The Discovery of the Americana Market

Major Humo was particularly addicted to collecting old magazines dealing with U.S. brass buttons, as well as the buttons themselves, a hobby he compared to coin or stamp collecting, with no rational explanation. He introduced Childan to the concept of 'Horrors of War' cards, which had been dispensed with bubble gum during Childan's childhood for a cent apiece. Each card depicted a different horror, and Major Humo's dear friend, also a retired Imperial Army officer, lacked but one card: The Sinking of the Panay, for which he had offered a substantial sum. Childan, recalling his childhood, explained how the cards were flipped, with the boy whose card landed with the picture side up winning both cards. Major Humo was fascinated, noting that his friend had never mentioned this use, and later brought the friend to the store to hear Childan's firsthand account. The friend's eyes glinted with the instinct when Childan mentioned collecting milk bottle tops, which gave the name of the dairy, and he asked if Childan possessed any of his sometime collection. Although Childan did not, he realized it was still possible to obtain the ancient, long-forgotten tops from the days before the war when milk came in glass bottles. Thus, by stages, Childan got into the business of selling Americana to Japanese collectors, and though others opened similar places, he always kept his edge.

The Nature of the Relationship

The relationship between Childan and Major Humo was not merely commercial; it was a cultural education. Major Humo represented the first of many Japanese customers who would shape Childan's understanding of the market and his own place in the world. Childan, who had been a small-time bookseller, learned from Major Humo that the Japanese valued not just the objects but the stories behind them, the historicity that made them unique. This relationship also exposed Childan to the complexities of the Japanese social hierarchy, where place was paramount. He learned to bow to Japanese customers, to be brusque with doormen and elevator operators, and to navigate the delicate etiquette of the Trade Mission offices. Major Humo's patronage gave Childan his first inkling of what might be done with his line of merchandise, and it was through such connections that Childan eventually built a reputation among the high-placed personages residing in the Bay Area.

The Legacy of Major Humo's Influence

Major Humo's influence extended beyond Childan's business success. It shaped Childan's attitudes toward the Japanese and toward the concept of historicity itself. Childan, who had once been a mere bookseller, came to see himself as a purveyor of American heritage, a role that was both lucrative and fraught with anxiety. He was constantly aware of the power dynamics between himself and his Japanese customers, and he often felt humiliated by his subordinate position. Yet, Major Humo's initial kindness and interest had given Childan a sense of purpose and a way to navigate the new world order. The relationship also foreshadowed the later themes of the novel, such as the debate over authenticity and the value of historical objects. When Wyndam-Matson later explained the concept of historicity to his mistress Rita, using two Zippo lighters, one of which supposedly belonged to Franklin D. Roosevelt, he echoed the very ideas that Major Humo had introduced to Childan years earlier. The question of what makes an object authentic, and whether the paper proving its worth is more important than the object itself, was central to the world of Americana collecting that Major Humo had opened up to Childan.

The Enduring Impact

Even after Major Humo's direct involvement faded, his influence remained. Childan's store, American Artistic Handcrafts Inc., became a destination for Japanese collectors, and his reputation grew. He continued to deal in the kind of objects that Major Humo had taught him to appreciate, from Civil War recruiting posters to Mickey Mouse wristwatches. The relationship also left Childan with a deep ambivalence about his own identity. He was a white man in a world dominated by Japanese, and he often felt like an outsider in his own country. Yet, the connection to Major Humo had given him a foothold, a way to participate in the cultural exchange that defined the Pacific States of America. In the end, Major Humo was more than a customer; he was a mentor who had shown Childan a path to survival and even success in a world that had been turned upside down by the war. The relationship between Robert Childan and Major Ito Humo thus stands as a testament to the power of cultural curiosity and the unexpected bonds that can form across lines of race and power.