<Begin Segment 16>

AM: Okay, what kind of interaction did you have with non-Japanese Americans in running your business?

JS: Well, my trade was about, I would say half-and-half. Had, I had quite a bit of customers from the police department, they used to come in, and it was nice. They were real, real nice.

AM: So that was at the beginning, there were about half Japanese Americans and half...

JS: Yeah, well, at the beginning, it was mostly Japanese, then it got to be more, so it used to be about half-and-half.

AM: Did you try to appeal to non-Japanese clients?

JS: No, it's all word-of-mouth. Barbering is mostly word-of-mouth.

AM: And you talked about new customers were generational, family members.

JS: Yeah, oh, I've had grandparents, great-grandparents, they had kids, then the little kids, so about four generations ended up that way.

AM: So what, if anything, did you do to build up your business, or to try to get more customers?

JS: Well, not really, I mean, you know, it's all, barbering's all word-of-mouth. That's about it.

AM: Well, it's also comfort level. If they feel comfortable with you, it's like when I get my hair cut.

JS: Oh yeah, yeah. That's, and they get to be like your friends. That's how it is.

AM: What was different about dealing with Japanese American customers as compared to non-Japanese or white customers?

JS: Well, there was no, really no difference, but it was easier to cut Caucasian hair than Japanese hair.

AM: Why is that?

JS: Because Japanese hair is black and white and so stiff, and your blending is the main thing. Like Caucasian hair, it's lighter hair, so it blends in easy. But Japanese hair, you kind of get butchered sometimes. [Laughs]

<End Segment 16> - Copyright © 2004 Densho and The Japanese American Museum of San Jose. All Rights Reserved.