<Begin Segment 9>

AI: [Eng.] I think you said earlier, you were married in 1931. 1931.

MK: [Eng.] 1932.

AI: [Eng.] 19 --

MK: [Jpn.] 32? I think thirty two. One year no make difference, but...

AI: [Eng.] You were about twenty-four years old when you were married?

MK: [Eng.] Yeah, that's right.

AI: [Eng.] Right, twenty-four years old.

MK: [Eng.] Uh-huh, yeah.

AI: [Eng.] So, so that would be 1931.

MK: [Eng.] Uh-huh.

AI: [Eng.] Can you -- what do you remember about the wedding? What can you tell us about your wedding?

MK: [Eng.] Wedding, that's August -- September, so real hot, that time. So you know everybody, maybe I don't know that time, no air condition come, nothing long time. So they waiting too much, so, extra ice cream they gonna take em out, serve. Because too hot. Uh-huh. That's real hot, that time.

TY: [Jpn.] By the way, you met your husband through a matchmaker, didn't you?

MK: [Eng.] Yeah. That's right. Japanese way.

TY: [Jpn.] Yes.

MK: [Jpn.] Well...

TY: [Jpn.] Can you tell us about it?

MK: [Eng.] Yeah, Japanese way. That time everybody same way. Japanese way. Not American way, uh-huh.

AI: [Eng.] Can you tell us what is the Japanese way?

MK: [Eng.] Oh, same, go-between, what? Go-between?

AI: [Eng.] Go-between?

MK: [Eng.] Yeah, go-between. Then you know, each other after that, each other knows little bit. Then wedding, everybody, my, my father and, another a place, another one, two together, talking when waiting day to start, yeah. Everything that you know, I don't need anything... because that time Japanese way, so... you can't talk anything. Japan way.

AI: [Eng.] So you didn't talk to your husband before you were married?

MK: [Eng.] No. Before you know, uh-huh.

TY: [Jpn.] So the go-between introduced you to your future husband when you were twenty-four years old which was considered the last chance age for marriage.

MK: [Jpn.] Yes.

TY: [Jpn.] Was it because your father asked somebody, or if not, how?

MK: [Eng.] No, go-between. Go-between did everything, "What should I say?" The go-between did that. They gonna set everything.

TY: [Jpn.] I see. They saw your photo?

MK: [Eng.] Then Buddhist church. I married Buddhist church.

TY: [Jpn.] Then didn't you know anything about your husband before you married him?

MK: [Eng.] No.

TY: [Jpn.] Didn't you even talk to him?

MK: [Eng.] No, no, no. Japanese way, never knows each other.

TY: [Jpn.] Then when was the first time you saw him? At what stage did you meet your husband?

MK: [Eng.] Oh, that's because go-between set, that's why. Yeah.

TY: [Jpn.] The date was set.

MK: [Eng.] Uh-huh, yeah.

TY: [Jpn.] On that date you were introduced formally.

MK: [Eng.] Yeah, that's right.

TY: [Jpn.] Then you talked to him.

MK: [Eng.] Uh-huh.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

MK: [Eng.] Yeah.

TY: [Jpn.] There you liked each other and got married. Right?

MK: [Eng.] Yeah, that's right, uh-huh. Just like Japan. Japan way, every time, everything.

Lillian Sako: [Eng.] Did you want to get married?

MK: [Eng.] Yeah.

TY: [Jpn.] Did you want to get married?

MK: [Eng.] No, I never think anything like that, you know. Too busy. Working, too busy.

TY: [Jpn.] You had been working since the day you arrived in the U.S.

MK: [Eng.] Uh-huh, yeah.

TY: [Jpn.] All the time at the greenhouse.

MK: [Eng.] Mmm, yeah.

TY: [Jpn.] So you had been working when you were introduced to your future husband and got married.

MK: [Eng.] Uh-huh, yeah, that's right.

TY: [Jpn.] You mentioned earlier that your husband and father and yourself started a new greenhouse in Sunnydale.

MK: [Jpn.] That's right.

TY: [Jpn.] Then, did your husband work in a greenhouse before?

MK: [Eng.] No, there -- he, working, what, lumber company. Yeah.

TY: [Jpn.] For a lumber company?

MK: [Eng.] Yeah. So --

TY: [Jpn.] Well then...

MK: [Eng.] Then, so they come to my place, uh-huh.

TY: [Jpn.] Oh, then, it was really... your husband was not from Fukui Prefecture, was he?

MK: [Jpn.] Fukushima Prefecture.

TY: [Jpn.] Fukushima Prefecture. Then it was really through the go-between that you two met...

MK: [Eng.] Oh yeah, that's right.

TY: [Jpn.] Then it was the go-between who arranged this marriage totally.

MK: [Eng.] Yes, that's right.

TY: [Jpn.] It was not because you two knew each other.

MK: [Eng.] I think all American, everybody come to America, the same way, Japanese way. Then marry. Hmm.

TY: [Jpn.] I see.

<End Segment 9> - Copyright © 2000 Densho. All Rights Reserved.