<Begin Segment 8>

AI: Well, and now then, you said that after going to university for about a year or so, then you took the trip to Japan.

MF: Japan. Uh-huh.

AI: What kind of a trip was it? Who did you go with?

MF: Oh, it was called Fukuoka-ken Japanese Tour. And about -- let me see... seven of us. There was one lady from Idaho that came with us, and there was one gentleman from Yakima or somewhere, and the rest were students. I think I was the only female in that group. But we started from Tokyo and went clear down to Fukuoka.

AI: And that was in the summer of 1931? Is that right, after your year at University of Washington?

MF: Gee, I thought it was in the summertime.

AI: Yeah, summer, summertime. So during the summertime you took from the north of Japan down to the south?

MF: Yeah. And then the tour ended. I stayed.

AI: And where did you stay? Where, did you go --

MF: Well, you know, my grandpa and grandpa, grandma, was here for eleven years so I knew them. So I went directly to their home when the tour was ended and we, I stayed there for a little while and then I started school.

AI: Where did you go to school?

MF: Same school as my mother did, high school. It was very hard so I had a tutor help me for a while because I was a little behind. And she was a student but she was very good. And then I took flower arrangement and tea ceremony.

AI: Well, now when --

MF: And then I stayed with a Home Ec. teacher at her home very close to the school. I think it was only about two or three blocks from her home. And I didn't, I didn't wear the uniform because I wasn't going to stay long. And I just wore American clothes. And those days it was very rare for, to have --

AI: You must have really stood out among the other girls.

MF: Oh, I really stood out all right. [Laughs] They asked me where I was from and what part of the United States I was -- and lotta people knew Seattle. They called it "Shiato."

AI: Well, I'm wondering that -- I've been told by some other Nisei who visited Japan that some of them were teased for being American. Did you ever experience that?

MF: Being what?

AI: Being teased? Or --

MF: Oh, no.

AI: -- harassed, or...

MF: Never, never. They were very --

AI: So even --

MF: -- kind and, and they were very anxious to know something about America. They asked me where, and they would have a map. I would be pointing at Seattle and she says, "Well, you're the closest to landing to United States?" And I said, "Yes." But you know, when I went to Japan, there's no airline. I had to go on the boat two weeks going, coming back.

AI: That's a long trip going there. And now, I wanted to ask you also about the teachers and the principal at the school.

MF: Oh, the principal my mother had was Mr.-, Professor... see, what was his name? Oh, Imamura. And his son took over when I went. And there was a picture of my mother. She was the first graduating class. And he knew about me coming and he asked me, "There's a picture of your mother." And sure enough, I saw it. And they didn't wear American clothes. They wore a hakama and a top. And it was -- there she was, first graduating class in high school.

AI: Did you have any trouble recognizing her in the picture?

MF: Oh, I didn't have any trouble 'cause she was short and little plump. [Laughs]

AI: For people who don't know what a hakama is, can you describe that a little bit, what hakama looks like?

MF: Well, it's a skirt. And it's little wider than a skirt, straight skirt, has a little flare. And then it has a band that you tie. And then I think the top looks like a regular shirt except it's more "V" like that and it opens up without any buttons or anything. It just pullover. It's white. They look very nice. I never wore it 'cause I didn't want to spend the money making -- have it made and I just wear it for a year. 'Cause those kinda things wear out about four or five years, I think it'd be kind of worn out. But it's made of very heavy -- it's not a wool, but it's not even a linen. I don't know what it is. It's, it doesn't wrinkle or anything. It's very nice.

AI: Very --

MF: It really stands out. But I just wore my, summertime, I just wore my cotton dress and wintertime I wore a skirt and a sweater or something like that.

AI: So you didn't mind looking different or standing out from the group?

MF: Well, my mother told me, she says, "If you want to wear it you could have it made." But my -- I stayed at a teacher's home and the maid there, she was a good sewer, she sewed all of my Japanese kimono for me, and, but I knew I wasn't going to stay long so I just wore what I brought.

<End Segment 8> - Copyright © 2002 Densho. All Rights Reserved.