Because he had taken Chinese and Japanese lessons since 1942 , he was able to find work transcribing Allied wire reports for the Japanese , as well as being the English language editor on the Japanese Hodobu ( å é `` é -- an information or propaganda department ) from 1943 to 1944 . Having taken Chinese and Japanese lessons since 1942 , he was able to find work transcribing Allied wire reports for the Japanese , as well as being the English-language editor on the Japanese Hodobu ( å é `` é -- an information or propaganda department ) from 1943 to 1944 .