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TI: Today is August 18, 2003, and doing the interviewing is Professor Tetsuden Kashima from the University of Washington, and I'm Tom Ikeda, the interviewer. On camera we have Dana Hoshide and with us we have Minoru Tsubota to do the interview. And is it okay if I call you Min? Or would you...

MT: Min, uh-huh.

TI: Okay, Min. So, I'm gonna start the interview talking pretty much about prewar life. And then Tets is gonna come in later and talk more about your military. But, as a first step, what was your given name, as a child?

MT: Minoru, Minoru Tsubota, my given name.

TI: And when and where were you born?

MT: Born on December 1, 1918 in Kent, King County, Washington, out there in the White River valley.

TI: Good. I'm going to talk a little bit now about your parents. And so, can you tell me where your parents came from?

MT: My dad, my dad was born in, I believe in 1876 in Hiroshima, Japan. And my mother was born in Hiroshima, Japan, also. My dad's name was Sentaro Tsubota. My mother's name, of course, was Fusano Kanda married my dad, Tsubota, at age fifteen. But she was born in 1877. So, they were born, both of 'em were born and raised in, on a rice farm in Hiroshima, Japan.

TI: So, tell me first about your father and his family as rice farmers. What was that like?

MT: As you recall, I was born and raised here, so only thing I remember would be what my parents talked a little bit about, but... Dad evidently was the only son of Taro Tsubota and he was the only son and only child and he was raised, born and raised on this rice farm in Hiroshima, Japan, just off of Hiroshima city itself. And all I remember is he was raised as an only son, I guess. And, but, he was, they were married on...

TI: Well, before we get to the marriage, so, what was it like for your dad growing up as the son of a rice farmer? Was that hard work, or what was it... can you, did he ever talk about that or did you ever hear about what that was like?

MT: Well, I understand that in Dad's case, he was quite comfortable on this rice farm because they, they owned the rice, they owned the land to raise the rice and 'course they had lot of people that were helping them. So, his life was, I assume, very comfortable and so he didn't have to go out in the field as worker. He was raised more as a, not a spoiled child, but as an only child. And so, I assume that it was comfortable and easy life that he led until he was married and came over here.

TI: And how about education for your father? What kind of education did he receive?

MT: I believe he just went through high school in Hiroshima because he was, oh, probably around five or six miles from Hiroshima and was able to go to school in Hiroshima city.

<End Segment 1> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.