Densho Digital Archive - Marion Tsutakawa Kanemoto Interview (denshovh-kmarion-01-0007)

<Begin Segment 7>

AI: Yes, I wanted to ask you about that family trip to Japan. Was that in 1937?

MK: '37, '38, uh-huh. For fifteen months we were sent to Japan. And it was a good experience. I didn't know that my father had so much in his mind that he didn't share. But my brother was, my oldest brother was left there and he consequently became a Kibei -- he never came back so I can't call him a Kibei, but he was left there being groomed to take over the business sometime in the future. But I did attend the fourth grade in Japan. And I struggled some, but because I had attended the Japanese school in Seattle, I never had a big problem. But then the things that we did with Grandma, everyday life, and it wasn't just a week or a month, it was fifteen months. So I remember how (she made) takuan. And this is country life, but yet it was nice that she went through all these steps and, to observe, and help her... I look back on them as really a nice experience. (Father returned to Seattle by himself after a month or so, leaving the family in Okayama.)

AI: So, during this fifteen months, you stayed at the Tsutakawa family, main family home?

MK: Honke. Uh-huh. Because this is in the country and all the young people, like the Atatori, he was in a successful business in the Kobe area, in (...) shipping, with the export/import, also. And he was in the banding, for the shipping of the exports. His company used to band the freight in the wooden boxes and that was a very successful business. And so he had a mansion in Kobe. But then during the war he was bombed out and lost the entire house, which was a beautiful house, furnished with a lot of American furniture.

AI: But that --

MK: But then he moved back to Okayama, the honke.

AI: But at the time that you visited, as a child, he had his own mansion and his own business elsewhere, and so there was, it sounds like there was room there --

MK: Yes, at the hon --

AI: -- for you to stay with your grandparents.

MK: Yes, right, and that's what we did. And my mother, my father got along with his, well, it was a step-grandmother who brought him up from his very early years. So, we just had a very nice time. This is prewar, I mean, Japan was at war but it wasn't to the extent of... during World War II.

AI: So, even though Japan was at war in Asia, the Tsutakawa family was still fairly comfortable at that time?

MK: Right.

AI: And you mentioned that your older brother, James, was brought there to stay?

MK: Uh-huh.

AI: And, do you know if he was aware of that? That he --

MK: I don't think so.

AI: Oh.

MK: I don't think so.

AI: About how old was he then?

MK: He was twelve. He was twelve.

AI: So then, did you ever talk to him? I mean, you were kids.

MK: Uh-huh.

AI: But did he ever say anything about how, "Oh, wish I was going back home with you to America," or anything like that?

MK: No, because Japan was in their better years and he knew that he can always, easily visit us or write to us. I mean, there was no restriction that way. And he was the, so-called typical, classical prodigal son. And he still is -- [laughs] -- but...

AI: And so he realized that as the oldest son --

MK: He was very accepting, very accepting. I think that's the way they bring them up. And he was privileged because he was the first son. And so we always addressed him as niisan, instead of the name. And I think that automatically gives you the rights, respect. [Laughs]