<Begin Segment 71>

TY: [Jpn.] Then also at Heart Mountain, you heard the news that Japan won.

MK: [Jpn.] Yes, of course. Uh-huh.

TY: [Jpn.] Where did you get that kind of information?

MK: [Jpn.] I don't know.

TY: [Jpn.] Was that word-of-mouth?

MK: [Jpn.] There must be some people who get that kind of information. Even in the camp. They must have something for that.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] Oh, I bet they have something to listen with. Although I don't know what.

TY: [Jpn.] Did you think Japan would win? Or did you think the U.S. would win?

MK: [Jpn.] Well, first of all, Japan is a small country. It doesn't have many goods and others. On the other hand, the U.S. is such a huge country and has everything. I didn't think Japan would win, but the U.S. didn't think that Japan would last that long. See? (Japan) persevered. Everybody made desperate efforts and were ready to risk their lives. Japanese people were. Once they went for that war, they didn't expect to come home alive. Most of them. So they fought desperately. So the U.S. didn't know or misunderstood. Japan lasted far longer than expected. You know? Even in death, they don't do that, I mean, they don't give up. That's how Japanese were.

TY: [Jpn.] Yeah.

MK: [Jpn.] Uh-huh. We are different from Americans. Americans give up easily. We are of a different race. I mean the race of Japanese. Uh-huh. So I say they did very well.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] Everyone was desperate... The Tower of White Lilly... it was built there, wasn't it?

TY: [Jpn.] Oh, yes. Yes.

MK: [Jpn.] Those people, those women all killed themselves.

TY: [Jpn.] You mean the Tower of Red StarLilly, Okinawa.

MK: [Jpn.] I mean the group suicide in Okinawa.

TY: [Jpn.] Yes.

MK: [Jpn.] They all killed themselves before the American soldiers arrived. You know? Yeah. So I feel really sorry for them. Uh-huh.

TY: [Jpn.] By the way, was there any conflict among people of differing opinions at Heart Mountain?

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah. They were congregating among themselves. The others would not join them unless they share their opinions.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] The only thing we heard was that they talked about such and such. But we ourselves never join their group. Yeah. We never join them. Anyway, even if Japan wins, no matter which side wins, we have no intention of returning to Japan. Even if Japan wins, our children are growing up here and so we will stay here.

TY: [Jpn.] Yeah.

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah.

TY: [Jpn.] Were there people who were arguing or quarreling about such matters?

MK: [Jpn.] Well, they must have said many things, but we didn't join their discussions.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah.

TY: [Jpn.] So you stayed at Heart Mountain for about a year and a half, till 1945.

MK: [Jpn.] Yes.

TY: [Jpn.] And then the war ended. But how did you find out the war had ended?

MK: [Jpn.] Oh, right away, immediately, they made an announcement.

TY: [Jpn.] What did you think?

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah. So the Victory Group had a hard time. You know? They always said that Japan won. When the U.S. said that Japan lost, they insisted that Japan won, won, won. I don't know where they got that idea.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] That's what I was told.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] So those in the Victory Group were forever in the Victory Group. Yeah.

TY: [Jpn.] Then what did you think when you heard that Japan had lost?

MK: [Jpn.] Well because I was in the U.S.... Well, Japan, in Japan, when I think of children, relatives, I mean, Hideo, I wished they had won. But at the same time, if the U.S. had lost, it would have been a big problem for us.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] You know, either way... I couldn't say one way or the other at such a time.

TY: [Jpn.] I understand.

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah.

TY: [Jpn.] Did your husband feel the same way?

MK: [Jpn.] He was after all on the U.S. side.

TY: [Jpn.] Yeah.

MK: [Jpn.] Uh-huh. Besides, if my husband went back to Japan, he wouldn't have anything but his body. He had nothing but his own body. He had no money. It is easier to live in the U.S. Even if you don't have anything, you can make a living in the U.S. If you have a healthy body, you can work anywhere and make a living. The U.S. is a wonderful country.

TY: [Jpn.] Well then, were you in contact with Hideo who stayed behind at Tule Lake after you stayed behind in Heart Mountain?

MK: [Jpn.] Oh, no, we weren't.

TY: [Jpn.] You weren't.

MK: [Jpn.] No.

TY: [Jpn.] Then you didn't know when he returned?

MK: [Jpn.] Yeah. Right. We didn't know when he returned.

TY: [Jpn.] You knew he would return, didn't you?

MK: [Jpn.] Yes.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Jpn.] Well while he was there, he insisted he wouldn't go back.

[Interruption]

TY: [Jpn.] Did you try to persuade him? At that time?

MK: [Jpn.] What?

TY: [Jpn.] When you had to fill out either "yes-yes" or "no-no," did you try to persuade Hideo?

MK: [Jpn.] No. No. No.

TY: [Jpn.] No?

MK: [Jpn.] I didn't say anything to him.

TY: [Jpn.] Because you respected his opinions?

MK: [Jpn.] That was something that you had to think for yourself.

TY: [Jpn.] You are right.

MK: [Jpn.] He was no longer a child.

<End Segment 71> - Copyright © 2000 Densho. All Rights Reserved.