Furumoto discusses growing up in Hawaii including sugar plantation experiences, childhood and high school activities, Japanese language school, his parents and cultural disciplinary standards, community leaders and educators and his decision to…
Furumoto discusses his decision to attend veterinary school at Kansas State University. He recounts his feelings during the Bombing of Pearl Harbor. He also discusses his decision to join the army.
Peter Nakahara talks about his childhood growing up in San Pedro, California, to two Issei parents. He discusses the Japanese values imparted to him through school and family, his relationship to his parents, and his life before Pearl Harbor. This…
Nishimura discusses his childhood including his family, favorite childhood activities (including his excellence in Judo), experiences and lessons he learned while in Japanese language school, and his choice to become a teacher.
Tsubota discusses his family background broadly in great detail, including his parents and all of his siblings. He later speaks about his education and the lessons that he took away from Japanese language school.
Tsubota discusses his first days of combat during World War II. He proceeds to speak about a gruesome injury he suffered that ended up taking the life of a fellow officer. He then discusses his recovery and his role as a counterintelligence agent…
Minori Sueda talks about his family and early life growing up in Redondo Beach and Torrance, California. He also talks about feeling like a second class citizen as a Japanese-American and his high school experience.
Nelson Akagi recalls his early life growing up in Lindsay, California. He also talks about experiencing prejudice as a child, family meals, and the Okies that migrated to the area during the Great Depression.
In this video clip, Ray Nosaka talks about going to Japanese language school and talking pidgin. He also describes what Hawai'i was like before the war, and how Japanese Americans were discriminated in the workforce, as well as the military. He goes…
Growing up, Don Seki attended Japanese language school and took Kendo classes. He talks about how he used to walk around barefoot all the time in Hawaii. After volunteering to join the U.S. Army, he was shipped to Camp Shelby for basic training. He…
Tsukiyama was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii. His parents were educated immigrants from Japan. He attend both Japanese language school and English Standard School. During the Pearl Harbor attack, he had been a part of the University of Hawaii…
Matsumoto describes his early life growing up in Los Angeles and later moving to Japan with his grandparents to attend school. Upon returning to the Los Angeles area, Matsumoto settled in Long Beach, graduating from the local high school and worked…
Matsumoto describes his role in tutoring language officers and helping them with their Japanese. Later he encounters his cousin and younger brother as captured Japanese soldiers in China. After a reunion, Matsumoto is relived to hear that his parents…
During this portion of the interview, James Mitsumori gives a brief introduction of himself and his familial background. In addition, James recounts growing up in Pasadena, California and he recollects the segregation system that was in place at the…
During this portion of the interview, James Mitsumori recalls details about his adolescence and attending trials at the local courthouse. Moreover, James recounts his educational background and his recollects on his school trip to Japan, China, and…
In this video clip, Sho Nomura describes his childhood growing up in Sierra Madre. He talks about his Issei parents and about attending Japanese language school. He talks about his sister, who had been sent to Japan to live with their grandparents,…
Kawamoto talks about growing up in Hawaii and his life before the war. He also recalls seeing the bombing of Pearl Harbor and his reasons for enlisting in the army.
Kawamoto recounts his life post-war in which he was studying to become an optometrist. He talks about working as an optometrist in Tokyo for the US military hospital and for Kaiser Permanente in Japan. He also shares how he met his wife through…
Ito discusses attending Japanese language school as a child and his reasons for not enlisting as an interpreter in World War II. He discusses being drafted into the military and being assigned non-military jobs at the camp he was stationed. He…
Fujimori discusses meeting his wife. He talks more about practicing Judo, and what it meant to be Japanese American. At the end of this section, he talks of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
In this video clip, Tets Asato describes going to Japanese language school as a child. He also talks about the relationship with his siblings and family, and going to the movies with his father. He describes what his life was like when the war broke…
In this segment, Matsuji Sakumoto begins by introducing himself and proceeds to describe his childhood home in Hawaii. He also discusses a variety of other topics, including school, his family, and different activities he participated in as a child.…
Rudy Tokiwa talks about his father, who immigrated to America from Japan. He was highly educated for an immigrant, and was known to give advice to other Japanese immigrants in America. Rudy also talks about his mother, who was brought over to the…
In this video clip, Genro Kashiwa talks about his childhood. As the son of a Buddhist priest, he was responsible for completing various chores around the Buddhist temple and during services. He describes what it was like growing up in a traditional…
In this video clip, Yoshiaki Fujitani talks about his father's influences about Japanese cultural values and his decision to study Buddhism. He describes what it was like to grow up in Pauwela, Maui. Growing up in a Buddhist temple, Yoshiaki…
In this video clip, Yoshiaki Fujitani continues to talk about his time at McKinley High School. The teachers at McKinley made a positive impact on his life, even encouraged him to take public speaking classes. He describes his identification as a…
In this video clip, Thomas Takemoto talks about his experience in Japanese language school -- he was placed in the highest class. After graduating from high school, he was very active in social clubs at the YMCA, and even helped create the Senior Y…
Mukai discusses about his family and childhood. He details about a typical day and the communities he grew up in. Mukai also discusses about his educational experiences.
Frank Mizufuka was born in Compton, California. His parents were from the Kumamoto prefecture on the island of Kyushu. They became sharecroppers and worked on a vegetable farm in Montebello, then moved to Whittier to become flower farmers. Frank…
Yukio Kawamoto was born in Berkeley, California. He learned to speak the Japanese language at a young age due to the influence of his mother and the Buddhist Church. He talks about what it was like to grow up in Berkeley, and he was often…
Kuniyoshi discusses and describes his parents upbringing, background, characteristics, personalities, and careers. Hideo discusses his childhood growing up in Hilo, Hawaii including his childhood activities, neighborhood, attending Japanese language…
In the first part of Mr. Mac Nagata's interview, he discusses his family history, and his father's military service in the Japanese Army during the Russo-Japanese War. Next, Mr. Nagata remembers the Sanger, CA community he grew up in, attending…
George Matsui grew up in Long Beach, CA, and his parents are farmers. George's father decided to go back to Japan when George was in junior high school. In Japan, George attended Japanese Grade School and learned the Japanese language. When George…
Tanakatsubo begins the interview talking about his family background and the origin of his name. Growing up in Sacramento, he was exposed to a very diverse population and made for a pretty happy childhood and schooling, including a well-known glee…
Taniguchi describes his parent’s backstories. He talks about his early life in California. He describes his father’s physical features and his mother’s personality. He discusses his siblings. Taniguchi describes his experiences in Japanese language…
Nakayama discusses his parents including his father's employment and hobbies, talks about his siblings, his sister's death from tuberculosis, and religion. He also describes Shinto, and talks about his childhood including discussing his neighborhood,…
Fuyuume begins the interview speaking about growing up in Pasadena, being neighbors with Jackie Robinson, and his family background. Next, he talks about the activities he grew up doing, including playing baseball, piano lessons and helping out in…
Kurahara and the interviewers introduce themselves. Kurahara talks about his family trips to Japan. He describes the demographics of his Seattle community, including that of his high school. He shares his experiences with discrimination. He discusses…
Sakaji discusses his parents including his mother's death, father's employment, and their reasons for immigrating to the United States. He then talks about his siblings; his childhood chores; discusses the differences between past and present day…
The interview begins with Paul Yamashita talking about his life, growing up in Hakalau Hawaii on a sugarcane plantation. He would attend regular and Japanese school and enjoyed playing games with friends and pounding mochi on New Years. Next, he…
Kubota discusses his Father immigration from Hiroshima, Japan. His Father is able to come to the United States in 1903 through sponsorship of his own Father. He works on the plantation before returning to Japan to marry his Mother. His parents…
Edward Kanaya and the interviewers introduce themselves. He talks about his parent's immigration. He describes his early life in Honolulu, Hawaii. He discusses his parent's employment. He shares his parent's backstories. He lists his siblings. He…
Arakaki begins the interview speaking about how his father came from Okinawa to Hawaii to work on the sugar plantations. His mother was a picture bride and would join his father in Hawaii to begin their life, having five children. They would have a…
Sachio Takata was born on March 14, 1923, in Southern California. Sachio's father, Kizo, was from Kagoshima, Japan, and immigrated to the United States. He met Sachio’s mother, Hatsumi, from Hawaii, and they married. Sachio is the oldest of ten…
In this segment, Takemoto describes his family background and life prior to the onset of the Second World War. His parents were Niseis who did not have a strong connection to Japan. While working for the Hilo Electric Light Company, Takemoto…
Muto discussing his childhood including talking about attending grammar school and Japanese language school; discusses the languages he spoke at home; talks about his neighborhood and the Japanese community in Sacramento; and discusses friendships.…
Ikeguchi discusses his experiences with prejudice; talks about his childhood friendships and recreational activities; and discusses school including his favorite subjects, involvement in clubs, and playing sports. He then talks about his goals for…
Hayashi begins the interview speaking about his family background, being born in Denver and what it was like to grow up there. As a child, he would have the chance to live in Japan and would do so for two years, learning all about the Japanese…
Yagura continues to talk about his experiences while in high school. He describes his experiences with discrimination in California. He discusses his parents decision to return to Japan. He talks about the Attack on Pearl Harbor and the aftermath,…
Doi discusses how he got his nickname, growing up in Kauai on a plantation, working at a gas station, and playing sports in high school. He also talks about attending Japanese language school, religion, friendships, and the attack on Pearl Harbor and…
Otoshi discusses his childhood growing up in Honolulu including talking about his childhood home; father's occupation; his neighborhood and neighbors; and mother's laundry business. He then talks about his father's involvement with Hiroshima…
Inami discusses his name, date of birth, and parents' prefecture origin. Inami's Father comes to the Untied States for more financial opportunities. He works on a farm and then opens a store. Growing up Inami sends his time helping his parents'…
Inami discusses Japanese Language School and holidays celebrated by his family. When Inami is an adolescent, he goes to Japan with his family to look for a bride for his Uncle. He recalls how his Father purchases the Grocery Store and owning a…
Yano begins the interview talking about being born and raised in California, playing marbles and hanging out with friends and neighbors. His family would come from Hiroshima, Japan and settle in California, his father as a farm laborer and his mother…
Yokooji discusses his nickname; moving to different Hawaiian islands as a child; and his experiences while living on Lanai including attending school, his childhood bicycle, and discussing a swimming accident that resulted in the deaths of his…
Tokita and the interviewers introduce themselves. He describes his grandparents immigration. He shares his father's backstory. He talks about his early life on the Wilcox Estate. He discusses J.N. Wilcox. He describes his experiences in primary…
Takabayashi talks about his birthplace and his childhood in Honolulu, Hawaii. He discuses his parents immigration. He talks about his siblings. He describes witnessing segregation while stationed in the south. He discusses his father's career.…
Takabayashi talks about his mother's teaching career. He discusses his family business. He describes the Attack on Pearl Harbor and the aftermath. He discusses his time in the Hawaiian Territorial Guard. He briefly talks about the Varsity Victory…
Kurasaki talks about his other names and his childhood. He talks about his parents and his family's income. He discusses primary school and Japanese language school. He describes his education and carpentry work. Kurasaki explains what life was like…
Takata talks about his early life in Sacramento. He also describes his parent's personalities. He discusses his siblings and his family's businesses. Takata describes what life was like in Sacramento. He describes his friendships and religious…
Kagawa talks about growing up in Japan until he was nine; his father's employment; and his childhood in Hawaii including discussing recreational activities and attending Japanese language school. He then talks about attending high school and his…
James Iso describes his family history, including where his parents immigrated from in Japan and their settlement in the United States. He talks about his siblings, about his childhood memories, and about attending Japanese language school.
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…
Hiromi Suehiro begins the interview talking about his family and how they immigrated to Hawaii. His father, coming from Japan, ended up fighting in World War I for the United States, while his mother was born in Hawaii. While growing up, he would…
Harry Tanaka discusses working in a Libby cannery during the summer time and at the University of Hawaii work for a professor. During High school, Tanaka thought he would pursue a career in engineering but he ends up receiving his degree in history…
Tamanaha discusses his family and growing up on a pineapple plantation in Hawaii. He describes the community on the plantation and his school. He talks about the summers that he worked on the planation. Tamanaha discusses his family's property in…
Toke Yonekawa describes his childhood growing up with his mother, stepfather, and siblings in a multiracial neighborhood in Guadalupe, California. He talks about what it was like growing up in the Depression and how everyone he knew were in a similar…
Norman Ikari begins the interview talking about growing up in Seattle, Washington where he would fish often, and go to a baseball games with his father. Due to the Great Depression, his family would move down to Los Angeles, facing his first bout of…
Kiyabu describes his early life in growing up in Hana (Maui), Hawaii. He details about Pearl Harbor and its aftermath. Kiyabu also volunteering for the Army and traveling to the Mainland.
Takekawa talks about his father and his various occupations, and discusses his mother, siblings, and growing up in Hawaii. He also talks about some of the recreational activities and games he played as a child, friendships, and discusses attending…
Tateishi talks more about what it was like to grow up in Hawaii, including playing marbles and working at a brewery. He also gives more background on his family, such as his six sisters and the family he had that was living in Hiroshima when the…
Tsuneishi discusses his name, birth date, and birthplace. Tsuneishi grows up in Duarte, California and there is only another Japanese family in the area. He is more integrated with Caucasians. During the Great Depression, Tsuneishi's Father is a…
Murakami discusses basic training and Military Intelligence Service Language School (MISLS). He goes overseas and describes the environment and climate of Japan after the bombing. During occupation, Murakami's duties deal with translation,…
Joseph Ichiuji begins the interview talking about growing up in Pacific Grove, California, fishing and playing football with his siblings. He talks about facing discrimination in the job market and attending Japanese language school while also…
Akira Otani describes his experiences in Japanese language school. He explains why he did so much walking as a child. He shares the values that he received from his parents. He talks about his involvement in sports. He describes memorable teachers.…
Takao discuss his prefecture origin and familial description. He shares childhood memory, favorite types of movies, and religion. Takao attends Japanese Language School growing up. He works at a cannery during the bombing of Pearl Harbor and…
Kono discusses his parents immigration from Japan; talks about growing up in a village where sugar cane is produced; and talks about attending school and Japanese language school. He then discusses the reasons why he was sent to Japanese language…
Isonaga discusses his parents, siblings, recreational activities while growing up in Kauai, and his family’s grocery store business. He also talks about learning Hawaiian culture in elementary school, attending Japanese language school, religion, and…
Ariyoshi discusses his parents immigrating from Japan to Hawaii, his siblings, and his father’s occupations. He then talks about getting thrown out of Japanese language school for fighting, his father speaking about the importance of education, and…
Hashisaka begins the interview talking about his life, growing up on Kauai and moving to Honolulu and attending McKinley High School. He then talks about his family background, his parents came from Yamaguchi prefecture in Japan and would settle in…
Sakaji discusses growing up in California in a farming community; and talks about his father’s personality, physical traits, and employment. He then talks about his childhood home, siblings, religion, and discusses his mother. Next, Sakaji talks…
Sumida discusses values he learned from his parents; talks about attending church and Sunday school; and discusses learning Kendo. He then provides some thoughts regarding race and citizenship; talks about volunteering for Military Intelligence…
Kodama begins the interview talking about his parents and how they came from Japan and settled down in Mountain View, California. They would become farmers, specializing in fruit, and help to run an on-sen as well. He also talks about his sisters and…
Kodama continues to discuss growing up as a Seventh-Day Adventist, having many restrictions such as not being able to go to football games or movies. After this, he talks about the holidays he grew up celebrating, including New Years and Christmas,…
Nakao discusses growing up in Sacramento, California, where he attended Japanese language school, learned martial arts, and was a liquor salesman for Japanese liquor. He also talks about encountering racism during his time in the Quartermaster Corps…
Ben Umeda begins the interview talking about his family, his father and mother being from Hiroshima and their journey to get to Selma in California. Next, he talks about growing up in California, picking grapes to make raisins for work and doing…
Konno talks about growing up on a citrus ranch in San Dimas, California; and discusses his parents, childhood activities, friendships, and speaking Japanese at home. He also talks about attending high school and Japanese language school; playing…
Kanda discusses his father including talking about his employment in railway systems both in Japan and the United States, as well as his father's automobile garage. He then talks about his mother; his childhood home; neighborhood growing up;…
Kanda discusses his [father in-law] who was an instructor at Military Intelligence Service Language School (MISLS). He then talks about what life was like pre-war vs. after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Next, Kanda tells a story regarding his former…
Hashimoto describes his travels across Hawaii for Judo tournaments. He talks about his memories of secondary school. He describes each of his siblings lives and careers. He briefly discusses his high school graduation and his college studies.…
Yamada talks about recreational activities during his childhood such as swimming, judo, and going to movies. He also talks about attending Japanese language school, his experiences living in Japan with his grandparents as a child, and what attending…
Toshiyuki Uchida and Kiyoshi Kinoshita begin the interview with an introduction and background on their nicknames and families. Both were born in Washington and would attend school and Japanese language school, enjoying the outdoors. Next, they both…
Ito begins the interview speaking about his family background, including descriptions of his mother, father and the values they taught him growing up. Next, he speaks about school and what it was like to grow up in Hawaii. During this time, Ito…
Suzuki discusses his childhood and living in California. He details about his family and social activities. Suzuki also discusses about his educational experiences.
Kawaguchi discusses his childhood growing up in San Francisco, California, including talking about going to school, his hobbies, religion and his involvement with the church, and going to Japanese school. He also recalls a story regarding the…
Senzaki discusses growing up in the Los Angeles area, describing what Little Tokyo was like; and experiences while attending Japanese language school and high school. He then talks about prejudices in regards to Japanese Americans' employment in…
Shimomura discusses his family's business in Japan; commuting to school; and talks about his childhood including discussing his neighborhood, friendships, recreational activities, and playing sports. Next, Shimomura talks about speaking both English…
Yamate talks about his Japanese identity and values. He continues to discuss his religious upbringing. He talks about his experiences in Japanese language school. He describes the nature of his family's contact with relatives with Japan. Yamate…
Izui speaks about growing up in Seattle, Washington and it's Japanese community. He discusses his education from elementary to high school, experiencing subtle discrimination. After this, he talks about what it was like leading up to the war and…
Takano discusses his father's personality and physical traits; talks about his father's knowledge of the English language; and discusses values he learned form his parents. He then talks about fishing with his father; his favorite memories of his…
