In the basement of my compound, elderly people would always come out after diner to stroll and get some fresh air. One day, in the summer of 2003, I decided to ask them what memories they had kept from the Japanese soldiers who occupied China in the late 30’s. Some remembered them. Some didn’t. Their stories made me learn about this long forgotten period. But it also made me discover those old men and woman that I had been living with, but never encountered.