Interviews
Father's Service in WWII
I think he was drafted I’m not sure. He must have been about forty four but maybe he volunteered. He might’ve because it might’ve been easier way to get us out. I never really asked him about that by that time. Anyway, they sent him to language school and I had all his papers from there. He was correcting all the papers that they were giving out to teach them the Japanese language to the teachers, so they got rid of him naturally. Anyway he ended up as an interpreter then. MacArthur had I believe eight interpreters and they were all kept separate so he always had an interpreter. So when they signed the peace treaty they had each of the interpreters all on a different boat. So my father was on the wrong boat, but he had asked me, did I want General MacArthur’s autograph? Who want the autograph of a general? It was dumb I should’ve said “Yeah!” [laughter] And I said, “no.”
Date: August 27, 2012
Location: Washington, US
Interviewer: Cindy Nakashima, Emily Anderson
Contributed by: Watase Media Arts Center, Japanese American National Museum with support of NITTO Tires Life History Project. Courtesy of the USC Hapa Japan Database Project.
Explore More Videos
Making craft items from shells found at Tule Lake
(b.1909) Nisei from Washington. Incarcerated at Tule Lake and Minidoka during WWII. Resettled in Chicago after WWII
Working at a first aid station on Oahu after December 7
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
Under suspicion after Pearl Harbor
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
442 soldiers visiting U.S. concentration camps
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
Teaching at the military language school during World War II
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
Devastation in Tokyo after World War II
(b. 1924) Political scientist, educator, and administrator from Hawai`i
Change in attitudes after World War II
(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.
Experiences during World War II
(1918-2004) Interned in Slocan during World War II. Active member of the Japanese Canadian community.