<Begin Segment 4>

TI: Well, was it a little bit after this time that your dad came to the United States?

MT: Uh-huh.

TI: Why did your, your father come to the United States?

MT: Well, there were quite a few, as you probably recall, quite a few people from Hiroshima were the ones that immigrated to Seattle area and Hawaii. And he would get letters from his friends saying how beautiful the Northwest was, Seattle was, and the nice life they were leading. I think they, they kinda over-emphasized what their living. [Laughs] And so, I guess Dad, receiving all those letters, was very, very curious to make a trip over here. And so they, being the only son, though, I understand that they call it a shinrui kaigi, the families get together and they discussed whether he should come or not and the decision, the original decision was that he was not to come, to stay home and carry on the family. And so, I guess, I assume in a couple, three years later he was able to tell the relatives that he was... wanted to visit Tokyo on a vacation. And so he left, packed and left Hiroshima and I understand he got as far as Yokohama and he caught a boat in Yokohama. And the next thing mother knew, she got a letter from Dad from Seattle saying that he is now in Seattle and visiting with his friends but, "Please don't worry. Within two or three years I'll return so please be patient and watch after the children." So, that's how Dad got over here.

TK: So your mother already, your mother and dad had children already in Japan?

MT: Yes, uh-huh.

TK: How many did they have?

MT: I believe they had one, that's Haruko neesan that was married to Yanagatsubo. But I, she had ten children. We can account for eight but I think she lost two of 'em during the birth, and so, she, one that was alive was Haruko neesan in Hiroshima.

TK: Did you hear any stories about what the family had... how they had reacted to your father leaving Japan? Assuming that he was gonna come back in two or three years, but they must've had some reactions? Do you...

MT: I, they never discussed that with me, how the family felt.

TK: Okay.

MT: Except that, that's all they knew, that I could see was Mother just had to wait and didn't have much choice outside of that, so...

TI: Well, so when your dad came to Seattle, what, what kind of things did he do?

MT: Dad somehow with friend, assistance of his friends, started a grocery store in Seattle here. And I under-, I understand that was near Sixth Avenue South near King Street, which would be near where the present Uwajimaya store is. And so he had this store, grocery store and he really, did start the restaurant and I guess with horses and wagons was able to transfer -- they called it transfer business at that time. But when Mother came over he was in the grocery store business.

TI: Well, so let me ask you this: so your mother came over, so your, the original intent of your father was to go back to Japan after two or three years, but then after a couple years your mother comes instead to the United States. So, did something change during those two years that made him think that he would stay here either longer or permanently?

MT: I don't... I really don't know. I don't think so but I assume that he was living a new life over here in Seattle and so probably in all good intentions he was ready to go back, but in the meantime, Mother couldn't wait so she came and joined him here and they kept the grocery store going and in the meantime they had children and so both of them did not go back after that.

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 2003 Densho. All Rights Reserved.