Discover Nikkei

https://www.discovernikkei.org/en/interviews/clips/309/

Interviews

Takeshita,Yukio

(b.1935) American born Japanese. Retired businessman.

Impression of Japan upon arrival

Well, I think this was a terrible place when I first came here. But, I don't know...I think, that’s all I could do, so I could take it. I didn’t have any trouble in language. Well, we first stayed at—my father was not the oldest son, so he didn’t have any place to live. His brother, older brother, had the house. And his parents were already passed away. So we first went and lived with my uncle, my father’s brother. We lived there...well, maybe we were guests for a week, but after you know, that time, there was nothing to eat here in Japan. They let us stay in a place, a little place, in the barn, and we remodeled it for living. So maybe a two-room place for five or six in the family. But, we stayed there maybe one and a half years, I think we stayed. ... I went to Japanese school—public school. My father worked at a station, a radio station, as an interpreter for the RTO, Railway Transportation Office, because they were many American military people, especially we lived near Yamaguchi where there’s a prefectural center. So there was always a military government and the CIC stationed there. So my father worked in the station. And in a year and a half, I think, we moved because that time farming was a very tough job for us because we were not used to it. We had to go barefoot, plant rice and harvest the rice. Now, even Japanese have tractors, rice planting machines, and they can do it with one man. But at that time, even rice planting, all the community would get together and do planting rice in the mud puddle with hands.


Finding Home (film) Japan migration rice

Date: September 11, 2003

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Interviewer: Art Nomura

Contributed by: Art Nomura, Finding Home.

Interviewee Bio

A 67-year-old Nisei/Sansei son of an Issei father and Kibei mother, both from Yamaguchi Prefecture, Yukio Takeshita was born in 1935 in Tacoma, Washington where his parents ran a laundry business. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, Yukio and his parents were incarcerated first at the Pinedale Assembly Center near Fresno, then sent to Tule Lake Relocation Center. Because his parents were No-Nos, they remained there after it was transformed into Tule Lake Segregation Center.

At the end of the war, the Takeshita family left Tule Lake and went to Japan where Yukio attended Japanese public school. He eventually graduated from university in 1958 with a degree in economics. He then worked for a company in Hiroshima. Ultimately, Yukio changed companies five times, which represented a highly unusual situation in Japan. He primarily worked in the import-export field and largely used the English language in his business dealings. He retired in 1998.

Yukio and his Japanese wife have two children, both Japanese citizens. He is a member of the JACL in Japan, where members are of different backgrounds, not just Japanese Americans. He received redress from the United States which made him feel that the U.S. still thinks of him as an “American,” however he identifies himself as an “American-born Japanese.” (September 11, 2003)

Kutsukake,Rose

Why her parents came to Canada

(1918-2004) Interned in Slocan during World War II. Active member of the Japanese Canadian community.

Sasaki,Fred

Family background of Fredrick Yoshihide Sasaki

(b. 1918) Issei businessman in Canada

Ito,Mitsuo

Chose to go back to Japan

(b.1924) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Interpreter for British Army in Japan after WWII. Active in Japanese Canadian community

Kadoguchi,Shizuko

Strict school policy of separating boys and girls in Japan

(b.1920) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Established the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Toronto

Kadoguchi,Shizuko

Choice to move east or go to Japan

(b.1920) Japanese Canadian Nisei. Established the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of Toronto

Tanaka,Seiichi

Coming to America

(b.1943) Shin-issei grand master of taiko; founded San Francisco Taiko Dojo in 1968.

Inoue,Enson

Growing up in a Japanese American family

(b. 1967) Hawai`i-born professional fighter in Japan

Inoue,Enson

The reason for coming to Japan

(b. 1967) Hawai`i-born professional fighter in Japan

Inoue,Enson

Sudden acceptance in Japanese society

(b. 1967) Hawai`i-born professional fighter in Japan

Inoue,Enson

Tracing my family crest

(b. 1967) Hawai`i-born professional fighter in Japan

Inoue,Enson

Disadvantages of looking Japanese

(b. 1967) Hawai`i-born professional fighter in Japan

Inoue,Enson

Ring name: "Yamato Damashi"

(b. 1967) Hawai`i-born professional fighter in Japan

Inoue,Enson

Citizenship and identity

(b. 1967) Hawai`i-born professional fighter in Japan

Hashizume,Bill

Reason to come back to Canada in 1954

(b. 1922) Canadian Nisei who was unable to return to Canada from Japan until 1952

Iino,Masako

Interest in Japanese migration studies (Japanese)

Tsuda College President, researcher of Nikkei history