Manabu "Sak" Sakamoto oral history interview, March 27, 2004

Sakamoto begins the interview talking about his family coming from Japan and settling in Los Angeles, California. There, his father would begin a flower business and collect birds, even joining a club that would trade them. He also talks about his…

Sakamoto talks more about the holidays he grew up celebrating, including New Years, where he would enjoy mochi and specialty Japanese foods. He next remembers time that he spent with his mother and father, including seeing his mother's home in Japan…

Sakamoto continues talking about his time in High School, growing up with very few Japanese Americans and taking an interest in astronomy and gymnastics. Next, he talks about his whereabouts during the attacks on Pearl Harbor, not believing it at…

Sakamoto continues to talk about his time at Heart Mountain concentration camp in Wyoming. He would work there as a swamper, sneaking out of the camp sometimes to hike the nearby mountains or play in the ravines. He would later be presented with the…

Following the end of the war, Sakamoto would get out of the camp and head back to Los Angeles, where he would get a place with his brother in Bunker Hill and start working at Columbia Records, manning the hydraulic press to make the plastic records.…

After arriving in Germany, Sakamoto would begin his time with occupational forces, where he would end up going to clerical school, being a typist in Heidelberg. After this, he talks about meeting his wife, while working as a typist. They would court…

Sakamoto continues to talk about his family background, which now includes grandchildren. After this, he speaks about his career work in landscape architecture, with some of his favorite projects being California State University Northridge and…