Interviews
Meeting Mr. Amano
After I arrived in Japan the second time, I went to her father's home in Fujisawa, which was a high-end resort—it was then—high-end resort town south of Tokyo, about 60 miles I think. Anyway, I went to the house and Hamako was inside with her father and she said," There's a GI waiting out there at the gate, wants to talk with you." And the father, of course, knew I was an enemy and he said, "Send him away. We don't want anything to do with him." And Hamako said, "I can't do that, he came here 2 years and he wanted to marry me."
And so the father came to the door—he's a big, tall, fine-looking, serious-looking, scary, Japanese man and I...of course he stood above - the house with floor was up and the mon where you came in was blowing and I looked up at him and I thought, uh oh this is gonna be terrible. And he came with a very serious face and I said, "Sir, I have come back from California to marry to your daughter—for your permission to marry your daughter." Well, his expression changed right away and he said, "Come in" and he showed me to a nice room with a tokonoma and all kinds of Japanese stuff.
Anyway, I was happy as a lark; I could take off my shoes and leave them in the mon and walk on tatami and he was very nice to me.
Date: January 26, 2012
Location: California, US
Interviewer: John Esaki, Yoko Nishimura
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum
Explore More Videos
The birth of a novel through a conversation with her nephew
(b. 1934) Writer
Mixed emotions after declaration of war on Japan
(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.
Train ride to Jerome Relocation Center
(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.
Atmosphere in his Merrill’s Marauders unit when surrounded by Japanese soldiers
(b.1913) Kibei from California who served in the MIS with Merrill’s Marauders during WWII.
Under suspicion after Pearl Harbor
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
Family's deportation from Peru to U.S. after the bombing of Pearl Harbor
(1930-2018) Nisei born in Peru. Taken to the United States during WWII.
Conditions aboard U.S. transport ship while being deported from Peru
(1930-2018) Nisei born in Peru. Taken to the United States during WWII.
Ransacking of family home by FBI following the bombing of Pearl Harbor
(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.
Witnessing father's arrest through a child's eyes
(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.
Participating in military drills in school in Japan during the war
(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.
Hearing anti-American war propaganda from a teacher
(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.
The hardships of life in Japan during World War II
(b. 1927) Japanese American Nisei. Family voluntarily returned to Japan during WWII.